Stoned

Heavily medicated Pinni

Pinniped went to the vet on Saturday for a recheck for her cysts.  At least that was the plan.  I thought she had looked better but was puzzled by her lack of weight gain.  Plus she seemed a little leakier than usual (she's always had a tiny bladder).  I mentioned this to the vet and she took x-rays.  What did we find?  Stones.  Two of them.  One couldn't be pinpointed (x-ray showed it in her digestive tract, which we know isn't right), but the other was already in her urethra.  The vet spent at least thirty minutes extracting the 1/4" stone.  During the procedure they gave Pinni some opiates.  It took a while to fully take effect, but it did.  I had a very stoned pig on the drive home.

The stone is a fraction of the size of the one removed from Willow, but it's still a whopper.  (Photo here.)  I stayed with Pinni for the whole process, after I convinced the vet I wouldn't faint.  I held Pinni for a while as the vet and the tech worked on her.  It was a lot of people in a very small space!  Pinni was such a trouper and never even tried to bite any of us (the tech said, if it had been her, she would have bitten somone!).

Having survived the vet, I wasn't prepared for the reaction when we got home.  Obviously Pinni was stressed out, but I thought the drugs had left her pretty doped up.  However, when she got in the cage she freaked out and ran in circles.  Worse yet, Cannoli freaked out with her.  I had left Noli at home for the trip, because they tend to bicker during the car ride.  I thought it would be less stressful with just Pinni.  That was a mistake.  Noli appeared terrified from remaining at home all by herself, and I think Pinni would have been calmer at the vet with company.  I was stuck with two really unhappy, inconsolable pigs.  I set them off every time I approached the cage. 

It took them a full day to calm down and return to their normal routine.  By Sunday morning the girls no longer panicked when I came to the cage.  By Monday I saw both noses in the air looking for breakfast.  I was so relieved. 

Pinniped returns to the vet on Friday for a recheck.  There's no question that Cannoli will accompany her for the ride.  I am hoping it will be a less stressful visit all around.