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Swollen bottom?

So I've been reading some guides to prepare myself for looking after Elvis post operation and I have a question about syringe feeding. How do I know if and when I need to syringe feed him? And will I definitely need to or is there a chance he will be eating enough for himself? I don't want to leave it too long. He was still eating fine when he had the abscess drained despite the antibiotics but I want to make sure he is as comfortable as possible.
 
As a rule, if any piggy of mine has had any surgery I will always offer them their veggies as usual at teatime and watch to see if they are eating hay and pellets with their usual gusto. If they are either sluggish, or only nibbling, then I always give them a syringe feed early evening, another just before bedtime, at least one during the night and one at breakfast time. This may not be a full feeding replacement but may just end up as a top up. I then gauge how they are doing over the following days. Once they start refusing the syringe and are eating well themselves I wean back off syringe feeding again.
 
I have done what @VickiA does with a post op piggy.
I also make up some recovery food, add some mashed banana and put it in a ramekin dish in the cage.
I found this helps the animal eat for itself and gives a bit extra boost.
Any other piggy in the cage will help eat it too!
 
Ask for a 1ml syringe off the vets and cut the end off with a bread knife You can make a mash out of pellets by soaking a handful in hot water. You can mush a bit of banana into it too. Fingers crossed it all goes well for your little fellas operation x
 
Great! I've got a few so even better 👍. I'm pretty sure it's a 1ml one it's just got the measurements in units instead.
 
Hi everyone I've got the next update on Elvis:

The operation went well and Elvis came round from the anaesthetic nicely.
As the vet thought the abscess was caused by a complication when he was castrated. The tubes they tye off had become infected and even though we thought the infection had gone the vet found the end of the tube was still full of pus today.
So the vet removed the bad tissue so hopefully the abscess shouldn't come back now.
The only problem is the vet found a small hole by the tubes that goes right down into his abdomen. But since he's so happy and well in himself the vet doesn't want to do more surgery to see why that's there at this point because it was be a big operation.
We'll be keeping him on the antibiotics and painkiller for another 10 day then we'll take him back to the vets for them to see how he's getting on. Tomorrow morning we will have a phone consultation with the vet to make sure he's done ok through the night
I'm just so glad he's come through it well.

Right now he seems very sleepy and he hasn't yet moved from the cosy we lifted in from the carrier. I offered him some of his favourite veggies which he hasn't touched 😟. It feels really wierd for him to have no interest in his food he normally gobbles it right up. Is this bad? How long should I wait to see if he eats anything before syringe feeding him?
 
He just woke up a bit and has just eaten some celery and a pellet hopefully he will eat some more after that
 
Glad the op went well.
Do you have some painkillers and gut stimulation meds for him?
That’s what I’ve been given in the past.
A syringe feed this evening will possibly be a good idea just to help keep his guts moving.
Hope he’ll feel better in the morning
 
No particular advice to offer but just wanted to send some good wishes to you and Elvis. :luv:
 
Merab's Slave said:
Glad the op went well.
Do you have some painkillers and gut stimulation meds for him?
That’s what I’ve been given in the past.
A syringe feed this evening will possibly be a good idea just to help keep his guts moving.
Hope he’ll feel better in the morning
Click to expand...
We have Metacam to start giving him tomorrow and does critical care count as gut stimulant or are recovery foods and gut stimulants different?
Since I posted earlier he's eaten a bit more veggies and had a munch of hay. I tried to give him critical care but he wasn't interested and he wasn't interested in mushed up pellets either. Do you have any tips to help him take some?
 
Eddie & Elvis said:
We have Metacam to start giving him tomorrow and does critical care count as gut stimulant or are recovery foods and gut stimulants different?
Since I posted earlier he's eaten a bit more veggies and had a munch of hay. I tried to give him critical care but he wasn't interested and he wasn't interested in mushed up pellets either. Do you have any tips to help him take some?
Click to expand...
When I tried to give him critical care I offered it on a spoon would actually syringing it into his mouth be better or not I don't want to force him to eat when he doesn't want to.
 
There is a guide to syringe feeding on the forum but I don’t have the tech skills to link it for you.
Syringe feeding is slow and messy!
I mash some banana up in the recovery food and all of my piggies love that.
You can leave a little dish of that in the cage too
A little dish - like a ramekin - with some grated sweet potato and oats can also be tempting to a post op piggy.
 
He seems more awake now and is eating hay for himself and he's taken more veggies. He hasn't had any critical care. Is this a problem? I really want to do the very best I can for him
 
Sending hugs to you and Ellis, hope he make a quick recovery soon x
 
I still think I would give him a syringe feed now and again during the night. It’s hard to monitor much they are really eating and even if it’s just a top up it will help him.
 
VickiA said:
I still think I would give him a syringe feed now and again during the night. It’s hard to monitor much they are really eating and even if it’s just a top up it will help him.
Click to expand...
Ok thank you I'll do that. If he still doesn't want the critical care I'll try mushed up pellets instead
 
Hi again,
Last night I gave Elvis a syringe feed and got my dad to out a dish of critical care in the cage in the night because my parents didn't want me getting up in the middle of the night. This morning I have him another feed which he happily lapped up off a spoon this time. I gave him as much as he wanted and didn't force him to eat any more after be seemed done. He's had his antibiotics and painkiller too. I gave him a bit of veg as a treat for taking his medicine which he ate too.
When I put him back in the cage he immediately started eating hay which is great.
He's been doing lots of resting which must be good so he can recover but when I was feeding him he was alert and eager to eat.
I've seen no signs of his operation wound weeping or bleeding or him or Eddie biting at it either.
 
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