Conditions Vitamin C Disorder?

[MrWhistles]

I forgot to post this a while back. But I had the vets run some tests on Sweetie shortly after she passed because we couldn't pin point her condition.

For those who don't know. Sweetie started having sezuires 1 day. For a week or so it was just about 1 sezuire a day. Then it progressed to atleast 2-3 times a day and eventually got to be 4+ a day.

Sweetie and everyone was treated for skin mites. Sweetie was treated for an inner ear infection as her ear looked pretty bad. She was given Baytril.

Shortly after starting Baytril her sezuires increased to 6+ a day. Since it seemed like stress encouraged an episode the vet pushed to continue Baytril for a few more days and if no improvement we'd switch to another antibiotic. Well, she never made it past a couple days.

I had been force feeding her very often and she got to the point where she just wasn't taking any food. You just launched it into the back of her mouth and she never took it. And the sezuires became non stop the day we put her down.

So the vets pulled blood, skin scrappings and opened her up. All was fine but her vitamin C levels. They were very low. What was confusing is everyone is hand fed fresh food and each pig gets HALF of a bell pepper daily. That's more than enough vitamin C daily.

So the vet concluded that she had the 1st case(that they've seen 1st hand) of some sort of vitamin C absorption disorder. Meaning she had some sort of issue absorbing vitamin C.

Has anyone heard of this? What are your thoughts on this?

 

[Hollys Mommy]

For starters, I'm extremely sorry for your loss. As for losing a piggy, I know it is rather tough to deal with. I haven't heard of this disorder, but it concerns me because Holly refuses to eat her vegetables and Vitamin C drops. She hasn't had any of either in the month I've had her. I'm wondering if Sweetie's seizures happened because she wasn't absorbing the Vitamin C? I'll have to do my research as I don't know much on this topic.

 

[jinxie]

I am very sorry for your loss. This is heartbreaking.

I am no expert either, but is there not a chance that not taking food well the last day or two, that hardly any vitamin C entered the body anyway? Since it is water-soluble it could have all left the body by the time those tests were done. That's why they need it daily after all. I just think if vitamin c absorption was a long term issue that there would have been other signs earlier on. Like the lethargy and hopping and so on before something like siezures set in. I don't know though.

 

[MrWhistles]

She was taking in food up until the very last day of her life. I assume it was because she literally could not stop s seizing.

 

[pinky]

How did your vet determine the vitamin C level and what is a normal level? Is he an exotic vet?

 

[MrWhistles]

She is an exotic vet.
She found the vitamin levels via blood panels.
I really don't remember the numbers she gave me. This happened in early October.

 

[lissie]

I'm very sorry for your loss.

 

[lunarminx]

[h=3]Vitamin C deficiency anemia[/h]**Your risk of vitamin C deficiency anemia may be increased if:

• You're malnourished and you're not getting the nutrients and vitamins you need.
• You smoke. Smoking can lead to vitamin C deficiency because it decreases the absorption of this vitamin.
• You abuse alcohol. People who drink heavily don't absorb vitamin C as effectively, putting them at risk of vitamin C deficiency anemia.
• You have a chronic illness. Certain chronic illnesses, such as cancer or chronic kidney disease, increase your risk of vitamin D deficiency anemia by affecting the absorption of vitamin C.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases...iency-anemia/basics/risk-factors/con-20019550

 

[lunarminx]

I'm sorry for your loss, there is so many factors, an underlying problem that wouldn't allow her to absorb vitamin c normally anymore. From what I read, convulsions are normal at end stage of scurvy, which you wouldn't have thought of, knowing her diet.

 

[MrWhistles]

@lunarminx I fully appreciate the information you posted. It reminded me of a couple things. 1, around the time these issues came up with Sweetie the weather was cooling down. It was 70s around then so we were leaving the doors open during the day. I have 2 neighbors who amoke and to add to that, my brother in law was taking to insence burners. It was driving me insane and anything with smoke irritates me and I worry about the affects of it on my animals....I wonder if those 2 things played a factor with Sweetie.