UTI/bladder stones?

[Rufus&Edward]

My piggy has been slowly but steadily losing weight; over the last 10 days he's lost 100g. He's a recently diagnosed dental piggy (January this year) so doesn't have much weight on him due to that, so he is now getting dangerously underweight (800g this morning). For reference he's 3.5 years old and receives regular dental treatment, so that side of it is 'sorted'.

I consulted a specialist guinea vet via telephone and also took him to his local vet with suspected bladder problems as he was squealing as if in pain and his pee was smelling very strong. Both vets confirmed they thought it was likely something along those lines. I wasn't able to go into the consultation with him due to Covid, so aren't too sure specifically what checks they did. He's been sent home with antibiotics for 10 days (0.2mls of Sulfatrim twice daily for 10 days) but no painkillers. If it hasn't cleared up after the 10 days he'll be back at the vets for scans etc to check for stones. I'm a bit worried about him going without painkillers as he's squealing a lot when he pees, and I'm presuming it's the pain that's stopping him from wanting to eat His pee has also got a bit bloodier in the last couple of days (picture attached). I'm syringe-feeding him throughout the day to try and keep his weight up, and he's eating some salad/veg on his own and a tiny bit of hay.

I guess I have three queries:

1. Has anyone had a pig with similar symptoms that's cleared up with antibiotics? I'm worried if it's something more serious like stones I'm wasting precious time while I'm waiting for the antibiotics to kick in.

2. How long should I give it to give the antibiotics chance to work? I don't want to take him back to the vet straight away if they've not had chance to kick in yet... but also don't want him to be suffering needlessly and losing more weight that he can't afford to lose.

3. Should I be giving him painkillers too? If so- which? Due to his previous issues I already have some Metacam and Loxicom in the house.

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[Claire W]

How worrying for you I would definitely be giving him painkillers and it usually takes 2-3 days for the antibiotics to kick in.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Hope your little piggie shows signs of improvement soon x

 

[Wiebke]

My piggy has been slowly but steadily losing weight; over the last 10 days he's lost 100g. He's a recently diagnosed dental piggy (January this year) so doesn't have much weight on him due to that, so he is now getting dangerously underweight (800g this morning). For reference he's 3.5 years old and receives regular dental treatment, so that side of it is 'sorted'.

I consulted a specialist guinea vet via telephone and also took him to his local vet with suspected bladder problems as he was squealing as if in pain and his pee was smelling very strong. Both vets confirmed they thought it was likely something along those lines. I wasn't able to go into the consultation with him due to Covid, so aren't too sure specifically what checks they did. He's been sent home with antibiotics for 10 days (0.2mls of Sulfatrim twice daily for 10 days) but no painkillers. If it hasn't cleared up after the 10 days he'll be back at the vets for scans etc to check for stones. I'm a bit worried about him going without painkillers as he's squealing a lot when he pees, and I'm presuming it's the pain that's stopping him from wanting to eat His pee has also got a bit bloodier in the last couple of days (picture attached). I'm syringe-feeding him throughout the day to try and keep his weight up, and he's eating some salad/veg on his own and a tiny bit of hay.

I guess I have three queries:

1. Has anyone had a pig with similar symptoms that's cleared up with antibiotics? I'm worried if it's something more serious like stones I'm wasting precious time while I'm waiting for the antibiotics to kick in.

2. How long should I give it to give the antibiotics chance to work? I don't want to take him back to the vet straight away if they've not had chance to kick in yet... but also don't want him to be suffering needlessly and losing more weight that he can't afford to lose.

3. Should I be giving him painkillers too? If so- which? Due to his previous issues I already have some Metacam and Loxicom in the house.

Thanks in advance for your help

Hi!

How long exactly has our piggy been on sulfatrim for? You are not mentioning that unfortunately.

There are several issues that can present with very similar symptoms. Vets usually work their way down from the most common and easy to treat to the one that can usually only be diagnosed by default.

1) UTI: Bacterial urine infection that is caused by faecal bacteria getting ino the urinary tract. Cold weather or being too long on a still cold, damp lawn in spring can help to lower the immune system and trigger the infection. Responds to an antibiotic.

2) Bladder stone or sludge. If the course of antibiotic doesn't have any impact or your boy is suddenly deteriorating, then the next step is a scan or x-ray for potential stones. More experienced vets will often feel the bladder as a stone can usually be felt, as can longer term bladder damage.
In the case that your boy is suddenly very unwell while on antibiotics, this counts as a life or death emergency.
It is likely a stone has moved into the urethra and is bocking the urine flow - something that would need to be checked and addressed asap.

3) Bacterial cystitis. This is an infection of the bladder walls. Smelly urine is more often associated with a cystitis than with a UTI.
A bacterial cystitis can in some cases also be caused by bladder stone or sludge damage to the bladder walls. Responds to an antibiotic.

4) Sterile interstitial cystitis (i.e. non-bacterial recurring bladder infection that either doesn't react to an antibiotic or will recur soon after the antibiotic has been stopped). There is no cure for this; you can only manage the symptoms mainly with glucosamine and metacam, especially the flare upsm until it goes away on its own usually some years down the line. It can usually only be diagnosed after all possible issues have been excluded. This condition has become a lot more common over the last decade but is not well known by general or exotics vets that do not see lots of guinea pigs.

It very much depends on what your boy has got. The smelly urine is generally more an indication of a cystitis of some sort in my personal experience but it is not enough for a diagnosis.
Red urine (which may or may not contain blood; especially at the onset symptoms are often not consistent) is actually coloured by porphyrine; this is typical for UTIs and cystitis.
Please accept that it usually takes 2-5 days for the antibiotic to kick in and for symptoms to subside.

Many more piggy savvy vets have started to prescribe metacam (loxicom is just another brand name) in addition to an antibiotic but please respect that we cannot take the responsibility for advising you on the use of it. You may have to clear that with your vet.
I would also recommend to raise the dosage of the antibiotic prescription; that is about half of what we would expect to see.

I wish your piggy all the best.

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

That’s a very low Sulfatrim dose.

 

[Rufus&Edward]

Hope your little piggie shows signs of improvement soon x

Thank you! Your Ted and my Rufus seem to get new issues at the same time Hope Ted's back on track and eating normally soon

 

[Rufus&Edward]

Hi!

How long exactly has our piggy been on sulfatrim for? You are not mentioning that unfortunately.

There are several issues that can present with very similar symptoms. Vets usually work their way down from the most common and easy to treat to the one that can usually only be diagnosed by default.

1) UTI: Bacterial urine infection that is caused by faecal bacteria getting ino the urinary tract. Cold weather or being too long on a still cold, damp lawn in spring can help to lower the immune system and trigger the infection. Responds to an antibiotic.

2) Bladder stone or sludge. If the course of antibiotic doesn't have any impact or your boy is suddenly deteriorating, then the next step is a scan or x-ray for potential stones. More experienced vets will often feel the bladder as a stone can usually be felt, as can longer term bladder damage.
In the case that your boy is suddenly unwell, this counts as a life or death emergency. Most likely a stone has moved into the urethra and is bocking the urine flow.

3) Bacterial cystitis. This is an infection of the bladder walls. Smelly urine is more often associated with a cystitis than with a UTI.
A bacterial cystitis can in some cases also be caused by bladder stone or sludge damage to the bladder walls. Responds to an antibiotic.

4) Sterile interstitial cystitis (i.e. non-bacterial recurring bladder infection that either doesn't react to an antibiotic or will recur soon after the antibiotic has been stopped). There is no cure for this; you can only manage the symptoms mainly with glucosamine and metacam, especially the flare upsm until it goes away on its own usually some years down the line. It can usually only be diagnosed after all possible issues have been excluded. This condition has become a lot more common over the last decade but is not well known by general or exotics vets that do not see lots of guinea pigs.

It very much depends on what your boy has got. The smelly urine is generally more an indication of a cystitis of some sort in my personal experience but it is not enough for a diagnosis.
Red urine (which may or may not contain blood; especially at the onset symptoms are often not consistent) is actually coloured by porphyrine; this is typical for UTIs and cystitis.
Please accept that it usually takes 2-5 days for the antibiotic to kick in and for symptoms to subside.

Many more piggy savvy vets have started to prescribe metacam (loxicom is just another brand name) in addition to an antibiotic but please respect that we cannot take the responsibility for advising you on the use of it. You may have to clear that with your vet.
I would also recommend to raise the dosage of the antibiotic prescription; that is about half of what we would expect to see.

I wish your piggy all the best.

Thank you so much for your detailed reply; I really appreciate it!

He started the Sulfatrim on Friday 24th just gone, so I wasn't sure how long to give it before taking him back (so he's had 4 full days so far). It's a 10 day course but I didn't want to leave it the full 10 days before taking him back to the vet if it doesn't look like he's making an improvement.

He's not lost any further weight since yesterday, so I might leave it another day or two to see if it has any effect.

The vet commented on the low dose when she prescribed it; she said she had given him a lower amount because he was so underweight (800g). Does 0.2mls seem too low for a piggy that small?

Thanks again for your advice

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Thank you so much for your detailed reply; I really appreciate it!

He started the Sulfatrim on Friday 24th just gone, so I wasn't sure how long to give it before taking him back (so he's had 4 full days so far). It's a 10 day course but I didn't want to leave it the full 10 days before taking him back to the vet if it doesn't look like he's making an improvement.

He's not lost any further weight since yesterday, so I might leave it another day or two to see if it has any effect.

The vet commented on the low dose when she prescribed it; she said she had given him a lower amount because he was so underweight (800g). Does 0.2mls seem too low for a piggy that small?

Thanks again for your advice

We've given around 0.35ml - 0.4ml, twice daily, for a piggy that weight.

 

[DMS260820]

My pig is on 0.4ml twice daily. She's weighs in at 960g

 

[Rufus&Edward]

We've given around 0.35ml - 0.4ml, twice daily, for a piggy that weight.

Thanks for the info; I'll up Rufus' dosage then. Didn't want to give him too much

 

[Rufus&Edward]

Just an update: I took Rufus back to the vet today as I felt he wasn't showing any signs of improvement and didn't want him to be suffering. They x-rayed him and found a bladder stone, the size of a pea they said. No wonder he was squealing so much He's not had a good time of it lately. He's in surgery now, so fingers crossed he'll be okay. We're going to do our best to manage his diet going forward to prevent it happening again, but it's really difficult as he's a hay-hating dental piggy, and also very underweight, so it feels a bit catch-22 with which ailment to try to fix first

 

[Wiebke]

Just an update: I took Rufus back to the vet today as I felt he wasn't showing any signs of improvement and didn't want him to be suffering. They x-rayed him and found a bladder stone, the size of a pea they said. No wonder he was squealing so much He's not had a good time of it lately. He's in surgery now, so fingers crossed he'll be okay. We're going to do our best to manage his diet going forward to prevent it happening again, but it's really difficult as he's a hay-hating dental piggy, and also very underweight, so it feels a bit catch-22 with which ailment to try to fix first

Fingers firmly crossed for him!
Here are our post-op care tips: Tips For Post-operative Care

 

[Rufus&Edward]

Fingers firmly crossed for him!
Here are our post-op care tips: Tips For Post-operative Care

Thank you, that's a huge help! Rufus has just got home now; he seems okayish in himself but is so very thin He's lost even more weight since he went in- he's only 750g now. I'm keen to try and get his weight up and will continue to supplement feeding with Critical Care syringe feeding. Should I be careful with how much CC I give him though? I don't want to over-work his poor bladder so soon after surgery (surgery was on Thursday).

They've sent him home with:
* Metacam- 1x daily, 0.16mls (this seems a low dose?)
* Ranitidine- 2x daily, 0.27mls
* Emeprid- 2x daily, 0.48mls

I asked about getting him some Cystease also after reading that on another thread; they weren't sure about this.

He's still squealing when he pees, and his pee is still quite smelly. It's only got a slight red tinge now, whereas it was quite red before the surgery. How long is normal for him to still be in pain when peeing after surgery?

Thanks as always for all your help and advice <3

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you, that's a huge help! Rufus has just got home now; he seems okayish in himself but is so very thin He's lost even more weight since he went in- he's only 750g now. I'm keen to try and get his weight up and will continue to supplement feeding with Critical Care syringe feeding. Should I be careful with how much CC I give him though? I don't want to over-work his poor bladder so soon after surgery (surgery was on Thursday).

They've sent him home with:
* Metacam- 1x daily, 0.16mls (this seems a low dose?)
* Ranitidine- 2x daily, 0.27mls
* Emeprid- 2x daily, 0.48mls

I asked about getting him some Cystease also after reading that on another thread; they weren't sure about this.

He's still squealing when he pees, and his pee is still quite smelly. It's only got a slight red tinge now, whereas it was quite red before the surgery. How long is normal for him to still be in pain when peeing after surgery?

Thanks as always for all your help and advice <3

The fact that the urine is very smelly is typical for either a bacterial or sterile cystitis.
PLEASE give the glucosamine. It really makes SUCH a difference in the longer term comfort and is the key to treating sterile cystitis and getting it under control - which I personally think your boy has.

Rantidine (better known as zantac) and emeprid are both gut stimulants.
Have you been given cat or dog metacam in the first place? Dog metacam is three times the strength of cat metacam.

 

[Rufus&Edward]

The fact that the urine is very smelly is typical for either a bacterial or sterile cystitis.
PLEASE give the glucosamine. It really makes SUCH a difference in the longer term comfort and is the key to treating sterile cystitis and getting it under control - which I personally think your boy has.

Rantidine (better known as zantac) and emeprid are both gut stimulants.
Have you been given cat or dog metacam in the first place? Dog metacam is three times the strength of cat metacam.

Thanks, I'll order some from Amazon Prime now- is the Cystease the right one to get? How much should I give him? He definitely did have a stone- the xray showed it as the size of a pea. Can they have both a stone and cystitis?

The Metacam box says for cats and guinea pigs. I do actually have some dog Metacam in the house though for my dog.... We're getting like a pharmacy now!

 

[DMS260820]

View attachment 140805

Just incase this helps. I got 90 capsules for about £20 off of vet UK website. That's 3 boxes. In pets at home they are £12 each. Your just cutting out the middle man by ordering online you'll save 16 pounds online

 

[Rufus&Edward]

View attachment 140805

Just incase this helps. I got 90 capsules for about £20 off of vet UK website. That's 3 boxes. In pets at home they are £12 each. Your just cutting out the middle man by ordering online you'll save 16 pounds online

Thank you! That's the one I was looking at on Amazon (currently £7 a box on there... woohoo!). How do you use them with guineas?

 

[DMS260820]

Thank you! That's the one I was looking at on Amazon (currently £7 a box on there... woohoo!). How do you use them with guineas?

I'm sure you make them as a mini batch mix.

I use a little shot glass cleaned thoroughly and labelled so no one drinks it.

Empty 3 capsules into that glass, then 3ml of water using a 1ml oral syringe, then stir well with syringe tip, and put it on the fridge overnight. Next day it mixes up smooth once settled and ready to use. I give my pig 1ml per day. Then on the 3rd day, after that syringe feed, I make another mix, ready for next day.

Apparently 3 days is the maximum to keep one batch, because it goes funny after that.

Might be a better way of doing this. I'm sure someone will reply if there is

 

[Rufus&Edward]

Hi all,

Sorry- me again. Rufus is 9 days post surgery and doesn't seem to be making a huge amount of progress or improvement. He's still not eating anything except a small amount of veg on his own (the same as pre-surgery), he's still squeaking when he pees (albeit not as much as before) and his pee is still a bit strong-smelling and a bit bloody looking (pic from today). He's also not gaining any weight despite a big effort of getting plenty of critical care into him (approx 100mls a day spread over 7-8 feeds). He's now only 750g and I'm just so worried about him.

Just wondering how long it should take, roughly, post surgery for us to be seeing some sort of improvement? I obviously don't expect an immediate miraculous recovery, but I had thought he would be showing fewer symptoms by now. He's finished his course of gut stimulants, I'm still giving him the Metacam once a day and he's been on glucosamine the last 7 days too.

Typically, the food I know could help fatten him up a little are all the things that aren't good for a piggy prone to bladder stones. And as he's a dental piggy too I know all the syringe feeding will be contributing to his teeth getting overgrown... but what else can I do?

I'm just starting to feel so down about it all We've thrown so much time and money on trying desperately to get him better these last few months and I just feel a bit emotionally and financially worn by it all now- only to still see no improvement. I'm so desperate to help him but just feel I can't get it right and his various problems have conflicting resolutions- by trying to fix one thing I'm creating problems elsewhere. We said when he had his bladder stone surgery last week that would be our last big expense to try and help him (I've spent over £1500 the last few months) because new things seem to keep cropping up and his care is becoming unsustainable for us without any sign of him getting better, poor thing

Sorry for the emotional post; it's just breaking my heart a little after still no progress He really means a lot to me.

 

[rudent]

Sorry to hear he isn't improving much. Just to check, did you keep him on & finish the course of antibiotics? Bladder stones do not normally cause smelly urine which indicates that he may have had both a bladder stone and an infection. Can you describe the smell -- does it just smell like strong urine (dehydration) or is it fishy/ammonia/pooey?

He's likely to still be in pain for a few days to two weeks after the surgery, as it's very invasive. My boy's had 3 stones removed over several years and usually takes almost a month to fully recover with antibiotics, painkillers, and anti-inflammatories. During that time, I need to hand feed him for at least a week (although my boar has heart issues & therefore GA does a number on him). If he's quite tame, perhaps try encouraging him to eat pieces of hay/veggies by hand, holding them so they're easier to eat. I'd also put critical care in a shallow dish and leave that in his cage to see if he'll eat it by himself -- if you're not already doing that. Is he drinking much?

 

[Rufus&Edward]

Hi, thanks so much for your reply and sharing your pig's experiences following surgery; that's a little reassuring it can take a bit longer.

No,he stopped his antibiotics... they didn't send him home with any following surgery. Do you think he needs to be back on some? He's now only on metacam once a day and glucosamine. The smell of his pee is a mixture of ammonia and a bit fishy. I don't think he's dehydrated as he'll be getting a lot of water through all the syringe feeding.

He doesn't eat critical care if it's in a dish, only when syringed. He's not massively food-orientated in general and never really has been. He only ever gets excited about veg (his brother is the polar-opposite!). He's not drinking much at all out of his water bottle, but I think that's because he's getting water from the critical care and isn't eating any hay/pellets.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Recovery will take time - some more than others - but I think if you aren’t seeing any improvement and he still isn’t eating for himself, then you ought to speak to the vet. Pain meds can safely be given twice per day as piggies metabolise pain meds quickly meaning if only once per day, then he may be experiencing some pain. Piggies often won’t eat if there is pain. He really needs to be eating hay soon for his overall health but also dental health

 

[Rufus&Edward]

Recovery will take time - some more than others - but I think if you aren’t seeing any improvement and he still isn’t eating for himself, then you ought to speak to the vet. Pain meds can safely be given twice per day as piggies metabolise pain meds quickly meaning if only once per day, then he may be experiencing some pain. Piggies often won’t eat if there is pain. He really needs to be eating hay soon for his overall health but also dental health

It's a different story- but he refuses to eat hay. He barely eats any, and we've tried so many different types. That's why I'm getting so exasperated with trying to get him better... if he'd just eat what we give him he wouldn't need dentals anywhere near as often, and likely wouldn't have trouble with bladder stones again Not sure you can reason with a guinea pig though. His brother's completely fine- he happily eats hay all day and will eat the low calcium pellets I give them.

 

[Piggies&buns]

It's a different story- but he refuses to eat hay. He barely eats any, and we've tried so many different types. That's why I'm getting so exasperated with trying to get him better... if he'd just eat what we give him he wouldn't need dentals anywhere near as often, and likely wouldn't have trouble with bladder stones again Not sure you can reason with a guinea pig though. His brother's completely fine- he happily eats hay all day and will eat the low calcium pellets I give them.

I see!
Either way if you don’t feel he is improving then a chat with the vet would be advisable

 

[rudent]

Hi, thanks so much for your reply and sharing your pig's experiences following surgery; that's a little reassuring it can take a bit longer.

No,he stopped his antibiotics... they didn't send him home with any following surgery. Do you think he needs to be back on some? He's now only on metacam once a day and glucosamine. The smell of his pee is a mixture of ammonia and a bit fishy. I don't think he's dehydrated as he'll be getting a lot of water through all the syringe feeding.

He doesn't eat critical care if it's in a dish, only when syringed. He's not massively food-orientated in general and never really has been. He only ever gets excited about veg (his brother is the polar-opposite!). He's not drinking much at all out of his water bottle, but I think that's because he's getting water from the critical care and isn't eating any hay/pellets.

I'm quite concerned that he wasn't given antibiotics when he went home -- usually vets give them some even if there is no infection just to be on the safe side as the wound is often touching the ground & goes all the way inside their bodies. Did the vet tell you to stop giving him the antibiotics he was already on? They may have just assumed you'd continue with that course. Pee that smells like ammonia or fish is something that I've always associated with a bladder or urine infection so personally I think I'd ask the vet to check that urine.

I can totally relate to the feeling of despair with a dental piggy. I took Cinnamon in when her owners couldn't care for her due to a new baby & she had the worst dental issues my vet had ever seen -- all back teeth curling in over her tongue or out into her cheek, abscesses packed with food & infection, just awful. She needed around 10 (can't remember the actual number, that time was a bit of a blur) dentals over the course of several months to finally get to the point where we thought "wow, she might actually make it". She wouldn't -- couldn't -- eat anything. I syringe fed her critical care every 2 hours every day for a month. Her lowest weight was 550g. You ran a hand over her back and just felt bone. She also had to get spayed in the middle of her awful teeth issues as she had massive ovarian cysts. Her previous owners wanted to give up, the vet was on the brink of giving up too. Now, though, she's my fattest pig, 1.1 kilos, eats literally everything, and hasn't had a dental in over 6 months. So I know how awful it is now but there is hope.

So the way I eventually convinced her to eat was by starting off with a dish of critical care in her hutch every day, which she wouldn't touch for the first few weeks. I then found that she actually prefers it very warm, almost hot -- it smells better that way. I make it very thick, adding hot water (just from the tap, not a kettle) and she actually started eating a bit of that. I moved on from that to warm pellet mush with some veggies blended in, which she managed to eat a bit of. I also tempted her with grass, which she'd eat a little of every time I gave her some (they usually only have hay). I tried a million different veggies, too, to get her eating something solid. Turns out she likes cauliflower leaves and corn on the cob (awful foods, I know, but when the pig is starving you'll let them eat anything). Up until she started eating solids, I was syringe feeding her regularly. Very gradually from that point she started eating other veggies, then pellets, then finally hay.

Sorry for the long life story but I thought it might be helpful So I'd suggest checking his urine with the vets to see if you need antibiotics, potentially getting him some more frequent painkillers as Piggies&buns mentioned (if he potentially has abscesses in his mouth from the teeth, plus an infection in the bladder, plus post-op pain, he'll be suffering a lot and won't even think about eating), and trying warm critical care (if you're not already) to see if it's tempting. Also, ironically, critical care has loads of calcium in it so you might want to look into filtering the water you use to make it, to remove that source of calcium & try to prevent further stones. I can recommend a good filter brand if that's something you want to look into. I've got all my fingers and toes crossed for your poor little pig!

 

[Rufus&Edward]

I'm quite concerned that he wasn't given antibiotics when he went home -- usually vets give them some even if there is no infection just to be on the safe side as the wound is often touching the ground & goes all the way inside their bodies. Did the vet tell you to stop giving him the antibiotics he was already on? They may have just assumed you'd continue with that course. Pee that smells like ammonia or fish is something that I've always associated with a bladder or urine infection so personally I think I'd ask the vet to check that urine.

I can totally relate to the feeling of despair with a dental piggy. I took Cinnamon in when her owners couldn't care for her due to a new baby & she had the worst dental issues my vet had ever seen -- all back teeth curling in over her tongue or out into her cheek, abscesses packed with food & infection, just awful. She needed around 10 (can't remember the actual number, that time was a bit of a blur) dentals over the course of several months to finally get to the point where we thought "wow, she might actually make it". She wouldn't -- couldn't -- eat anything. I syringe fed her critical care every 2 hours every day for a month. Her lowest weight was 550g. You ran a hand over her back and just felt bone. She also had to get spayed in the middle of her awful teeth issues as she had massive ovarian cysts. Her previous owners wanted to give up, the vet was on the brink of giving up too. Now, though, she's my fattest pig, 1.1 kilos, eats literally everything, and hasn't had a dental in over 6 months. So I know how awful it is now but there is hope.

So the way I eventually convinced her to eat was by starting off with a dish of critical care in her hutch every day, which she wouldn't touch for the first few weeks. I then found that she actually prefers it very warm, almost hot -- it smells better that way. I make it very thick, adding hot water (just from the tap, not a kettle) and she actually started eating a bit of that. I moved on from that to warm pellet mush with some veggies blended in, which she managed to eat a bit of. I also tempted her with grass, which she'd eat a little of every time I gave her some (they usually only have hay). I tried a million different veggies, too, to get her eating something solid. Turns out she likes cauliflower leaves and corn on the cob (awful foods, I know, but when the pig is starving you'll let them eat anything). Up until she started eating solids, I was syringe feeding her regularly. Very gradually from that point she started eating other veggies, then pellets, then finally hay.

Sorry for the long life story but I thought it might be helpful So I'd suggest checking his urine with the vets to see if you need antibiotics, potentially getting him some more frequent painkillers as Piggies&buns mentioned (if he potentially has abscesses in his mouth from the teeth, plus an infection in the bladder, plus post-op pain, he'll be suffering a lot and won't even think about eating), and trying warm critical care (if you're not already) to see if it's tempting. Also, ironically, critical care has loads of calcium in it so you might want to look into filtering the water you use to make it, to remove that source of calcium & try to prevent further stones. I can recommend a good filter brand if that's something you want to look into. I've got all my fingers and toes crossed for your poor little pig!

No, I specifically asked them "should he still be on antibiotics?" when I collected him from the surgery as I too presumed he automatically would continue with them following such a big procedure. They definitely said not to It's been a bit disjointed though with the Covid restrictions as when I take him to the vet I can't go in with him, and when I picked him up it was a nurse who brought him out and was answering my questions about him.

I started him back up on antibiotics a couple of days ago following advice on here, but I feel its a bit late now... I just weighed him in this morning and he's dropped down further to 711g. He looks so tiny; like a baby pig. He's no longer his usual happy self, and now I'm starting to feel it may be time to say goodbye soon, which is absolutely devastating. We live up North, so popping to see Simon so regularly isn't really an option. We were making it work every 4 weeks when it was 'just' his teeth that was the problem, but with that he was still a happy pig in between treatments. Now he just seems so down.

I started off giving him warm critical care as I found it made the smell stronger (I get him the apple and banana one which is more appealing to him). But now I'm only mixing it with bottled water to reduce the calcium intake, so I've not been warming it since changing to bottled. I've been mixing it with a few mushed up grain-free pellets recently to try to up his weight but it's still not having any effect. He'll eat some veg on his own- cucumber, spring greens and romaine lettuce mostly get his attention- but he's very slow eating it and loses interest relatively quickly. That's all he'll eat willingly though. I don't know if I've been over feeding him; the last couple of days he's had gross-smelling soggy stuff under his chin when I got him out. At first I thought it might be due to his teeth if he's no longer chewing and they've grown back quicker than usual, but after feeding him less yesterday it's gone today. It feels like one thing after another.

Thanks so much for taking the time to send your post, I really appreciate it. It's so helpful hearing how others have been in similar circumstances.

 

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Unfortunately the antibiotics likely won't be effective if he's had a long break from them. It's very odd that they would discontinue a course of antibiotics, maybe the nurse just got muddled or something. I think you'll have to get a new course potentially of a different type of antibiotics to clear up that issue. You can ask the vet to test a sample of urine at a lab to determine whether there's infection & the culture's sensitivity to different antibiotics but that will add more to your vet bill.

I'm really saddened to hear that he isn't feeling like himself and that can indicate that it's time to consider other options... I know my pig chewed extremely slowly when she had bad teeth but any chewing is good news. It is like a vicious cycle unfortunately, with them refusing to eat anything due to bad teeth that then makes the teeth worse. If he's been dribbling then he might already need his teeth done again...

I think it's at least worth calling the vets about getting him on some different antibiotics and upping his pain med dosage. That might perk him up enough to consider eating. Absolute best of luck to you, it feels like such a familiar situation to me and my pigs!