Sudden thirst increase, urine scald, high calcium, diet
Lately Henry is consistently wetting his bed. He didn't have this habit before. Now, nearly every time I check, he's soaked it, with poops all over it too. Previously he would lie with his butt hanging off the edge and everything would collect in one spot, where I have 3 layers of fleece swatches to catch it all. I tried checking his pocket, but not all to successfully, and I haven't succeeded in getting a look at his penis. I am wondering if I should take him in to get checked. Does this sort of behavior sound like it could be something like sperm rods or something going on in his pocket?
- Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
Were you able to tell if it is inflamed, hot to the touch? Possible he has a UTI, also. Is he not moving around much anymore?
You could try soaking his bottom with warm water, see if he can relax. Maybe someone could help you check him out.
Are you weighing him regularly? At least once a week?
You could try soaking his bottom with warm water, see if he can relax. Maybe someone could help you check him out.
Are you weighing him regularly? At least once a week?
I tried again and failed. I can feel it in there, but don't know which way it's pointing. Does one have to kind of wiggle the outside over the tip? Internally, is it pointing toward his head or his butt? I assume I need to know where the tip is and get the outer opening over it, but I don't have a grasp of what things look like internally. I've watched videos, but I guess I need to watch more. I haven't checked his weight, but will do so. He seems more or less OK otherwise. He might be a little less active. I have seem him cleaning himself down there, and I think there is a little fishy odor.
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- And got the T-shirt
Hold the pig with his back to your stomach, so he's mostly sitting up. With your finger across his body right at the point of his genitals, press in and down. The penis should pop out. And it's like most male genitals -- it points out.
You can take your fingers and gently open his sac. It's quite elastic, and you should pretty easily be able to see in it. If he seems impacted, you can take a q-tip dipped in oil or water and clean it out.
You can take your fingers and gently open his sac. It's quite elastic, and you should pretty easily be able to see in it. If he seems impacted, you can take a q-tip dipped in oil or water and clean it out.
I took Henry to the vet today. I finally succeeded to some degree in checking him, but I didn't see anything going on, other than the fishy odor. Another symptom I didn't mention above, is that the drinking that I originally started this thread on, has increased. He typically drinks about a bottle a day. He's been this way for years. For the last several weeks I've needed to add some to get him through the day. When I first took him in for this, I agreed with the vet, that in lieu of any other symptoms, we would just watch and hold off on doing a blood draw.
Today, the vet said we can learn a lot from his urine (not sure why this wasn't suggested earlier, as he been to two different vets), so I am going to get a sample to them as soon as I collect one. So, we held off on an antibiotic, and If something seems amiss with the urine, we will check his blood. He's still wetting his bed consistently. As I said above, he used to lie on his bed in a way that allowed him to urinate off the back end onto pads, without having to get up. Today he also left a really weird poop, like just a large wet lump. I'm not sure I've seen any like this previously, from any of my pigs.
Today, the vet said we can learn a lot from his urine (not sure why this wasn't suggested earlier, as he been to two different vets), so I am going to get a sample to them as soon as I collect one. So, we held off on an antibiotic, and If something seems amiss with the urine, we will check his blood. He's still wetting his bed consistently. As I said above, he used to lie on his bed in a way that allowed him to urinate off the back end onto pads, without having to get up. Today he also left a really weird poop, like just a large wet lump. I'm not sure I've seen any like this previously, from any of my pigs.
- Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
The weird poop, related to impaction perhaps?
https://www.guinealynx.info/impaction.html
I think of fishy odors as fungal infections, like yeast infections. They can be oral. Sometimes the mouth gets whitish.
https://www.guinealynx.info/impaction.html
I think of fishy odors as fungal infections, like yeast infections. They can be oral. Sometimes the mouth gets whitish.
The urine test indicates a UTI for Henry. The vet prepared Baytril, but I requested Bactrim so they called it in to a pharmacy, as they didn't have it in stock. He has 3 doses in him now, and the weird thing is that I now see blood in his urine for the first time. He seems fine otherwise, maybe a bit livelier tonight. Anyone have thoughts on why he would be having blood only after starting the antibiotic?