On Apr 14, 6:10=A0am, Scorpio <mwhit...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Hiya Heather,
>
> You mentioned about cleaning out their bottoms because they get
> impacted with poo. =A0What do I use? =A0Just my finger or what?
=A0Gross!
> We gave them a bath last weekend. That went surprisingly well. =A0We
> didn't keep them in too long as it was their first time and we got one
> rather loud yelp but that was about it. =A0They coped quite well and I
> was rather pleased how it all went.
>
> It's absolutly pissing down here at the moment. =A0I've got the whole
> hutch wrapped in a tarp and an old waterproof playmat. =A0Not much fun
> for the one who is in the back though coz he can't get out now that
> I've had to divide the hutch until we get an extra one. =A0Hey Kelvyn,
> is it raining where you are?
>
> Megan
Hell NO - not yet!!! That's something that happens with OLD male
piggies just like old folks really. I had old female piggies and I
never had any problems in that area but I have read that male pigs
often get into trouble with poo when they are old - It's caused by
slackening of the anal muscles and the soft pellets merge and get
stuck. They need to eat the soft pellets for their vitamins so you
have to sort it or they will get very poorly. The problem presents
with a large bulge behind the testicles and you need to squeeze the
lump out from behind with a thumb and finger greased with Vaseline.
You would firmly towel wrap the piggy with a small square of towel and
lay it on its back on a soft cu****on to relax. You have to do it daily
for an animal that gets into difficulty - it literally take s a few
seconds. Once you see the condition appear, it persists indefinitley
but they are sensible and attempt to alter their diet to higher fibre
if you provide it. SO NO BOTTOM FIDDLING YET FOLKS!!!I If a young
piggy got constipated ( hard dry lumps or small poo like a string or
sausages ) I would give a 0.5 ml liquid paraffin orally with a
syringe or restrict the diet to hay or mashed oats only for a day or
2. Groundsel and dandelion are the 2 plants that a pig will seek out
in the wild to help themselves with this condition! Clever piggies!!!
If the first dose of paraffin doesn't work you can repeat it once but
NOT a third time as you will wipe out vital gut enzymes. I know that
my vet lady used to use 'Swarfega' to clean the grease gland next to
the anus. Personally I prefer a mild shampoo and 2 or 3 lathers.
Glad their first bath wasn't traumatic. You should be OK from now on -
as once they get used to it, they can sometimes enjoy a bath
especially with a warm cuddle and lots of treats afterwards. Remember
that if they are living outside you should keep them in until they
are thoroughly dry as they catch colds - yes the old wives tale of
catching cold after being cold is true, as it knocks your immune
system out of whack sometimes. It's quite scary to hear your piggies
with a cold - they cough like we do and get runny and blocked up noses
needing 'Vick's' decongestant rub or similar :0(. Some of our viruses
pass to them and some don't - so if you have a cold just avoid close
contact with them anyway. A pig with a cold needs indoor nursing and
lots of TLC.
Hope this helps. I may not always check this site , so if you get a
problem you can always email me.
Heather
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