The journey with Raziel

Let me preface this by saying he is a pet store pig, all of ours where with the exception of our two adoptees. It’s with strict research and first hand accounts that I will no longer patronize places that sell animals. Though I’m afraid to some that might be a too little too late type of ideaology.

 

 

Since getting Raziel he’s always had a loud breath. I’d once thought it was asthma or allergies and he’s been to the vet numerous times and diagnosed with several URIs. Upon reading about heart pigs and knowing he was still a really noisy breather with no nasal buildup. I scheduled him an appointment today and requested X-rays. Knowing the litter he came from and this is only the knowledge that he was housed with two brothers that all looked the same so I can only assume they were related. My coworker’s 4 year old has his brother and Squirrel is roughly 2.5 times Raziel’s size. Elephant was returned to the store by my coworker because he fell ill and though I’d tried to get her to take him to vet herself she wouldn’t. That’s been an issue in itself. Upon seeing Raziel back in the sale box at PetsMart we assumed he was Elephant and immediately bought him and took him to the vet thinking they’d just put a sick pig back out for sale. Turns out Elephant had actually crossed the bridge and we now have Raziel. He’s 1.5 years old now.

Upon consulting the vet with the information I had and thinking it was a heart ailment and could be treated with medication and turns out while it isn’t is heart at all it could be causing stress on it. The X-rays show that he only has a half of a lung functioning. He only has a half of a diaphragm and basically everything is moving up to where it shouldn’t be causing the breathing issues. He eats normally and he popcorns but he’s never made a lot of noise other than raspy breaths. Looking at the X-rays he has fluid and air in his intestines and around the lung. The vet put him on Ciprofloxacin to try to prevent pneumonia and I’m picking up a drug to help his breathing tomorrow. The other two options she’s giving us are a consult at the Texas A&M vet school for a complete ultrasound and second opinion. If that isn’t feasible which unfortunately right now it isn’t she wants to try keeping him on a diuretic for a week to see if we can get the fluid down. Big drawback to that would be that he would have to be constantly monitored to make sure he was drinking so he wouldn’t dehydrate. Problem being both my mother and I work full time. I can talk to my general manager about keeping him with me but the odds of him letting me keep a guinea pig up at Customer Service in Best Buy are probably pretty slim. So right now we are completely weighing our options and whatever is in the best interest for Raziel. He’s not in pain that anyone can tell and he’s otherwise normal.

I’m including his x-rays and will try and get video of him breathing to share.

Top shot. They couldn’t do one of him on his back as it causes him too much distress. The expansion is the air in his intestines and the dark spot on the left side is the fraction of lung he’s got.

 

 

Side shot, the highlighted area is the only visible portion of the functioning lung.

 

We had intended on getting him neutered but now that is completely out of the question.

Raziel got his wings December 28th, he lived another few month of people asthma medication. His vet performed a necropsy on him and found his functioning lung had become an abcess and he had abcesses allover his heart.