Sick URGENT: PROBLEMS AFTER VET VISIT! (Friend's piggy)

[Heart_Roxie]

My friend has a five year old piggy. He was feeling a little sluggish yesterday and not eating well. My friend brought him to the vet this morning (a stand in, hers was unavailable), when she went the piggy was mostly normal, just hadn't been eating much or pooping. But his eyes were bright, no drooling, not acting too abnormally, just a little tired.
The vet gave him fluids and said it was likely from the heat in the room yesterday (it was abnormally hot where we live). Now the little guy has a very hard belly and is squeaking in pain!! His eyes are watery now, too. She gave him gas relief drops and they didn't help. What can she do?? Any advice at all?? She is trying to get him back to the vet but is afraid they screwed up with the fluids and doesn't want them to make it worse.
Please help!!

 

[bpatters]

The fluids shouldn't make his belly really hard unless they gave him way too much of it, and I doubt they did that. My guess is that he had the beginnings of bloat yesterday, and they just missed the diagnosis. He needs to go back to the vet (maybe not the same one!) and get some motility drugs. The gas relief drops (I'm assuming it was simethicone) will help, but he'll need the drugs also. It does need to be an exotic vet, however -- small animal vets won't know how to treat this.

The other thing she can do in the meantime is put him on a vibrating pillow of some sort. If she doesn't have a pillow, she can put him a vibrator with a towel over it. Even an electric toothbrush is better than nothing.

 

[Heart_Roxie]

She tried a massage pad this morning, and yes simethicone. And it just seemed like an odd coincidence that the pain started at the vet. Maybe it was just an odd coincidence! I'll let her know all of this! Thank you!

 

[Heart_Roxie]

She brought him to a second vet, they're saying he is bloat now, his stomach is twisted. Linny isn't happy, and neither is my friend.

 

[bpatters]

Bloat is one thing, and it's bad enough all on its own. But torsion (twisting of the stomach or intestines) can be rapidly fatal because it shuts off the blood supply to part of the affected organ.

I'm glad she got him to a vet who at least knows what it is. I surely do hope they can do something for him, but it's likely to require emergency surgery, and to not have a very good prognosis.

Do keep us posted on how he's doing.

 

[Heart_Roxie]

I will. Thanks so much for the suggestions. I'm glad she found a good vet, too! Hopefully it was in time. I know she will do anything to make sure he's okay.

 

[Heart_Roxie]

Linny's stomach was able to be turned and is in the correct position. He is being kept at the animal hospital and his prognosis is guarded. Hoping for the best for her little boy!!

 

[mdodge]

Sending piggie prayers for him hoping for a speedy recovery

 

[bpatters]

Thank goodness they could turn it. I hope he's going to be ok.

Do have her check and make sure that there's someone in the clinic all night to feed and take care of him if he's staying overnight. Otherwise, he'll be better off at home with her if they'll give her all the stuff she needs and tell her what to do. Leaving him alone for 12 hours or so is not going to be a good thing.

 

[Heart_Roxie]

Sad update:
Linny has passed away. :'(

 

[bpatters]

I'm so sorry. Bloat itself is hard to recover from, and so is torsion. Together, they're almost always fatal.

 

[3littlepigz]

Oh no! I'm sorry! Poor Linny! Please give my condolences to your friend.

 

[pinky]

Awwww... I'm so sorry. :-(

 

[Heart_Roxie]

Thank you everybody. I have told her you all send your piggy love. It was so sudden, she and her daughter (5) are struggling with it. I feel so heartbroken for them.
I appreciate the support from everybody! You have all been so great since I joined! <3

 

[Agrimony]

I'm so sorry this was the outcome. Bloat can come on so suddenly and clearly painfully, that is is a very hard thing to watch. I lost one of my guinea pigs to bloat as well. She did her best, I am so sorry for their loss.

 

[AnnikasMommy]

Awe please give her our love and remind her she gave Linnie an awesome life for 5 years. I am so sorry for her loss.