Lilly squishy poops - Paw Talk

SpottyPoo · #1 11-14-2003, 11:57 PM

My sweet, sweet One-Eyed Lilly has a slight problem...

When I give her too many veggies, she develops diarrhea. I remedy the situation by withholding veggies for about a week and giving her a poop from a friend.

However, this last time that remedy hasn't worked. She's had it for 4 wheeks!!!

So, I'm giving her some Critical Care to help bulk up the stools and dosing .1 cc Kaopectate every 8-12 hours. I just started this today and I imagine it will take several days to see any improvement.

Anyone have any other suggestions??

I'll keep everyone posted on her progress.

Linda Lee · #2 11-15-2003, 03:29 PM

Poor Lily, sorry I have not much experience in soft stools - except I know when Emma ate alfalpha hay she got mushy poops.
Maybe it's just a problem she'll have, does she eat her pellets now? maybe timothy pellets would help?

***Jade*** · #3 11-15-2003, 04:23 PM

Watch the kaopectate. The new versions have aspirin derivatives and can cause bleeding.

Her system is probably nowhere used to having veggies due to the home she had before. You may want to take her in for a giardia or coccidia smear, to be sure. Lasting 4 weeks is kind of scary.

SpottyPoo · #4 11-15-2003, 05:53 PM

Jade, you are correct about the formula now having aspirin dirivitives, but it is still okay for piggies for the short run. No long-term use at all. There's a bunch of info on that at Guinea Lynx.

Sshadowsmom · #5 11-16-2003, 04:20 PM

I saw your post at Guinea Lynx and was wondering how the little girl was doing.

SpottyPoo · #6 11-16-2003, 07:36 PM

She was actually getting worse on the CC so I stopped everything, including the kaopectate. Now we're just waiting to call the vet in the morning...

***Jade*** · #7 11-16-2003, 07:44 PM

In chins we take away pellets and give hay only due to the high fiber content. You might do that tonight. Hope things work out for her, bless her heart!

Pigsterz · #8 11-16-2003, 07:59 PM

Awwww poor Lilly. I hope she feels better soon. Give her some luvies from my crew. Let us know what the vet says.

Laurie · #9 11-16-2003, 10:07 PM

Oh poor Lilly. I don't have any advice to give, but will be thinking of you.

SpottyPoo · #10 11-17-2003, 11:05 AM

The vet told me to start her on Baytril today and call him Thursday with an update. He commended me for all of my 'home remedies' but said it sounds like it's something that needs an antibiotic.

Poor little thing -- she's squealing now when she poos. Her little bottom is probably very sore...

Pigsterz · #11 11-18-2003, 10:45 PM

Awww poor little darling. I hope, hope, hope she gets better soon. Cross my fingers.

SpottyPoo · #12 11-18-2003, 10:48 PM

Thank everyone for their well wishes!!

Her poops are worse today but I haven't heard her squeal... I know sometimes things have to get worse to get better, but I'm concerned because it is piggie diarrhea and they can go downhill so quickly. I'll call Russ (vet) tomorrow and let him know.

SpottyPoo · #13 11-20-2003, 10:27 PM

Okay, I took some poop samples in to Russ today and he did floatation, etc. Nothing at all turned up in the sample.

So -- we are both in agreement that since Lilly is such a loner pig, that playing with the other girls (who pick on her constantly) is causing her stress which is causing the diarrhea. So, she will have floortime all by herself for the next week or so and we'll see how it goes from there. She is such a sensitive little girl!

Anybody ever heard such a thing??

***Jade*** · #14 11-21-2003, 12:01 PM

Did he send off a giardia or cryptosporidia request sample to a lab? We found nothing on my chins' slides in the hospital but a lab found many giardia cysts. We treated for it and now they're fine. The cysts are very, very hard to see under normal circumstances. Additionally, they normally can't be seen under a hospital microscope unless the animal is brought in and stool directly from the rectum is placed on the slide, if they can be seen at all.

Stress can definitely lead to diarrhea but once the diarrhea sets in, the balance of the GIT is usually disrupted and lcan let normally existing parasites go into overdrive (such as giardia), which can make the animal sicker and if it gets bad enough, lead to death.

EyesOfTXChins · #15 11-21-2003, 12:57 PM

Might I also say that giardia and/or crypto hatch cysts in different times... My friend had a chin that tested negative for giardea, but the doc said to come back a few hours later and he'd run it again. He found cysts the second time.

No alfalfa or alfalfa based pellets, only timothy hay. No pellets or veggies for now. Also, and I dunno if safe for GP's but should be... burn the heck out of some toast and give her 1/4th of a peice. The charcoal helps ease the tummy. But this may just help her feel better. Not fix the problem if there is a ligitamite illness.

One other thing that I just HAVE to mention for my own peice of mind. Baytril is VERY hard on the tummy in almost any situation. For diarreha problems it could very well just add fuel to the fire. It typically can cause diarreha in chins that are ill with things unrelated to their tummies.

If he wants to put her on an antibiotic, he may want to use a sulphur based, or cillian based to prevent secondary complications. Also make sure he gives you a pro-biotic to supplement with. If not plain yogurt with live cultures will work just fine as a pro-biotic.

Last thing... make sure she stays hydrated! Even if you have to handfeed her water to help ensure her hydration.