[Sorry about the double post. Something seemed to go wrong with initial message. Can a mod delete this, please? It won't let me! Thanks]
Hiya. I'm trying to reintroduce my pigs to each other after one of them had an op. They're 7 month old brothers - I've had them since they were a few weeks old and both were neutered about 9 weeks ago. Here's what's going on:
I spotted a massive swelling around Fozzie's groin on Wednesday night (it's only since then I've realised he'd been sleeping a lot, not eating as much as his brother and he'd been drinking a lot for a few days... and I've been beating myself up for not noticing) and called the vet the minute they opened on Thursday.
He saw him very quickly and kept him there to do some tests. They told me it was an abscess and they'd need to do an operation to drain/remove it. So they kept him in overnight and did the op on Friday morning. I got him home on Friday evening and put him in a separate cage from his brother so he could recuperate.
He was pretty spaced out on Friday, which was horrible, but has been eating, drinking and pooing well since Saturday morning. He's fairly active now and very bright (he was before the op too) but he's still pretty swollen. The vet did say the op may not have got everything - I'm desperately hoping it did, for my pig's sake and for my bank balance. Gulp. He's doing okay and I'm having an adventure trying to get antibiotics and anti-inflammatories syringed into his mouth twice a day.
Anyway, I was told I could reintroduce them into the same cage when I thought it was the right time. I've got them both in their run at the moment (the first time together since Thursday morning - this is the only time they've ever been apart) and I'm just not sure whether it's safe to put them in the same cage yet. They're a bit excited to be around each other, keep trying to hump each other (understandably, Fozzie is not comfortable when Rolf jumps on him!) and are noising each other up a little, looking like they're spoiling for a fight. They're lying beside each other happily too but I worry that if I leave them together Fozzie could get hurt.
Anyone got any advice about this? These are my first pigs and I feel pretty clueless. Also, does anyone know how he could've got an abscess? The vet said it could be a reaction to the suture material from the neutering or he could've cut himself on hay or something and it's got infected. Is there something I could've done to prevent it? I'm worried I did something wrong and fervently hoping he's on the mend.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Apologies for the looong message but I just wanted to share the story with people who understand what we're going through.
Hiya. I'm trying to reintroduce my pigs to each other after one of them had an op. They're 7 month old brothers - I've had them since they were a few weeks old and both were neutered about 9 weeks ago. Here's what's going on:
I spotted a massive swelling around Fozzie's groin on Wednesday night (it's only since then I've realised he'd been sleeping a lot, not eating as much as his brother and he'd been drinking a lot for a few days... and I've been beating myself up for not noticing) and called the vet the minute they opened on Thursday.
He saw him very quickly and kept him there to do some tests. They told me it was an abscess and they'd need to do an operation to drain/remove it. So they kept him in overnight and did the op on Friday morning. I got him home on Friday evening and put him in a separate cage from his brother so he could recuperate.
He was pretty spaced out on Friday, which was horrible, but has been eating, drinking and pooing well since Saturday morning. He's fairly active now and very bright (he was before the op too) but he's still pretty swollen. The vet did say the op may not have got everything - I'm desperately hoping it did, for my pig's sake and for my bank balance. Gulp. He's doing okay and I'm having an adventure trying to get antibiotics and anti-inflammatories syringed into his mouth twice a day.
Anyway, I was told I could reintroduce them into the same cage when I thought it was the right time. I've got them both in their run at the moment (the first time together since Thursday morning - this is the only time they've ever been apart) and I'm just not sure whether it's safe to put them in the same cage yet. They're a bit excited to be around each other, keep trying to hump each other (understandably, Fozzie is not comfortable when Rolf jumps on him!) and are noising each other up a little, looking like they're spoiling for a fight. They're lying beside each other happily too but I worry that if I leave them together Fozzie could get hurt.
Anyone got any advice about this? These are my first pigs and I feel pretty clueless. Also, does anyone know how he could've got an abscess? The vet said it could be a reaction to the suture material from the neutering or he could've cut himself on hay or something and it's got infected. Is there something I could've done to prevent it? I'm worried I did something wrong and fervently hoping he's on the mend.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Apologies for the looong message but I just wanted to share the story with people who understand what we're going through.
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