plantandpiggiemom
New Born Pup
Alright so this might be a novel, so here’s the short of it:
Pippa and Sugar came from a pet store in mid august, everything was fine, dominance seemed to be established with sugar on top, Pippa had a slight sneeze but we looked into it and it seemed only from the hay, sugar started “bullying” Pippa, Pippa seemingly was standing up for herself, then she developed a cough three weeks ago. It only happened when Pippa was eating, and we looked into it, so we thought she just ate too fast. No watery eyes, no wet nose, no odd breathing. We kept monitoring her. We noticed a bald spot. We thought sugar was barbering her because of the bullying. Coughs were less than once a day. Like, maybe 3 total in a week or two. Then it became daily and I got worried, but her eyes were clear, her nose was dry, her breathing was normal, she was eating and acting normally. I’d been monitoring her and she made no changes. We started scheduling a checkup for her but the holiday season has made it a month out. At the time, we thought she was off, and worryingly so, but not critical because she seemed fine besides the sneezing and coughing. Which isn’t fine, but the vet didn’t want to rush the appointment, so we thought she was just asthmatic or something with her reaction over the phone. Then, two days ago, after my husband accidentally left a window open overnight (we feel aWFUL), she coughed twice in a row. Bad news. Today her breathing sounded muddled, like there’s a little fluid or something, and the coughing is regular. We thought sugar was bullying her and she was reacting by challenging her, but now after seeing Pippa lunge at sugar and shove her for no reason now that she’s sicker, Pippa initiating more and more conflicts, and having her rumble strut while I was trying to pick her up today, I’m starting to think that the issue was 1.) sugar ostracizing her for being ill and 2.) fear aggression on both of their parts, particularly Pippa since being sick and being aggressive towards me when normally she’s a doll of a thing. They are separated until I can talk to a vet for precautions, but I also don’t know if that’ll do much, because there is a chance that sugar is sick as well but without symptoms.
I am living in America for the time being, and it is thanksgiving, and nowhere will be open until Monday. I know illnesses can progress very fast with piggies, so I’m incredibly anxious. There’s one possible (very minute chance) for tomorrow, but once again very very minute chance. I don’t want it to develop into pneumonia, but I also am not sure of my options until tomorrow morning and they are few. The highest likelihood is that she will have to wait until Monday, unless there’s a Hail Mary, but I am worried and feeling hopeless. Are there any things I can do until she can see a vet that could help?
ANY advice or help or support appreciated
Now here is the long version: obviously, their bond is falling out, if not fully fallen out. I’m going to have to separate Pippa for a while while she recovers, so that’s probably a week or two apart (I’ve never dealt with this before, so I’m not sure of the timeline). We just got a boy because 1.) I connected with him so much and 2.) we figured that if the bond fell out much more, we could bond the bullied to the boy, then attempt to get the bully a new friend. He’s in a separate cage right now pending his neutering, which will make him safe to be around the girls in about two months (he needs to wait a month, plus healing). His cage is big enough for two pigs, as we anticipated a possible need/wanted to explained their space if all of them got along. I’m thinking that once Pippa is in better health, we could continue slowly socializing Pippa and Norbert (our boy) until they can live together since sugar and her have fallen out. Honestly, I’m spitballing here and I’m very stressed right now, so I don’t know if any of this is a good plan, so I’m coming here. Here is my issue: 3 pigs, 1 who can’t be around the girls without making babies for months, and 2 girls who can’t stand each other now. I’m almost certain they’ll fall out fully after Pippa is back from “sick leave,” but we could have them have play dates once she’s recovered to reintroduce them. The bullying, looking back on it, wasn’t bad like we thought—if it was there at all and not just sugar being upset with Pippas mounting defiance. So I think there is hope that they can let bygones be bygones and reconnect. They were close, for a little bit. They didn’t get much of a chance to be on good terms, because the normally submissive Pippa began acting differently while ill, and sugar is naturally dominant. Their personalities are a good match on paper.
The plan I have so far is that once Pippa has recovered, to let them socialize through the cage for a bit, then reintroduce them to living together via joining the cages once Pippa is living with Norbert if that seems safe to do. I’m guessing here, but if I try to get into the mind of a piggie, then sugar has her terf, Pippa and Norbert have a shared one, they’re all bonded by then, and if we were to connect the cages, then Norbert would help keep things calm as big boars tend to do, and nobody would be too territorially threatened while first acclimating to living together. Their space, all three of them together, would be 15sqft at this time, but it can be expanded. I’m terrified that if Sugar has the cage they share now all to herself for the time while Pippa is sick, she’ll reject Pip or reignite conflict when they’re housed together if sugar doesn’t let go the disrespect from when she was lashing out. So, that’s my line of thinking with having her bond to Norbert, after they “date” for a bit and he’s sterile. But that means she needs to wait two months to be with another pig, and all three of them can only socialize through the cages. And sugar is all alone regarudless of what I do, unless I put her back with pip. If I put her with Norbert, I don’t known how that’d go but if you guys think that’s better, then please let me know. I know it should all work out in a few months, and worst case scenario sugar gets a new buddy in her cage and they’re all separated, but the idea of them all being alone besides play dates is probably less distressing to me than to them. Though Norbert seems happy just seeing the ladies through the cage, I guess men are simpler across the board. Really, it’s the girls I worry about, but if they don’t like each other much then I guess that’s the better alternative. Any ideas? Any ways I could make the transitions smoother and less difficult for them, or experience with a situation like this?
Pippa and Sugar came from a pet store in mid august, everything was fine, dominance seemed to be established with sugar on top, Pippa had a slight sneeze but we looked into it and it seemed only from the hay, sugar started “bullying” Pippa, Pippa seemingly was standing up for herself, then she developed a cough three weeks ago. It only happened when Pippa was eating, and we looked into it, so we thought she just ate too fast. No watery eyes, no wet nose, no odd breathing. We kept monitoring her. We noticed a bald spot. We thought sugar was barbering her because of the bullying. Coughs were less than once a day. Like, maybe 3 total in a week or two. Then it became daily and I got worried, but her eyes were clear, her nose was dry, her breathing was normal, she was eating and acting normally. I’d been monitoring her and she made no changes. We started scheduling a checkup for her but the holiday season has made it a month out. At the time, we thought she was off, and worryingly so, but not critical because she seemed fine besides the sneezing and coughing. Which isn’t fine, but the vet didn’t want to rush the appointment, so we thought she was just asthmatic or something with her reaction over the phone. Then, two days ago, after my husband accidentally left a window open overnight (we feel aWFUL), she coughed twice in a row. Bad news. Today her breathing sounded muddled, like there’s a little fluid or something, and the coughing is regular. We thought sugar was bullying her and she was reacting by challenging her, but now after seeing Pippa lunge at sugar and shove her for no reason now that she’s sicker, Pippa initiating more and more conflicts, and having her rumble strut while I was trying to pick her up today, I’m starting to think that the issue was 1.) sugar ostracizing her for being ill and 2.) fear aggression on both of their parts, particularly Pippa since being sick and being aggressive towards me when normally she’s a doll of a thing. They are separated until I can talk to a vet for precautions, but I also don’t know if that’ll do much, because there is a chance that sugar is sick as well but without symptoms.
I am living in America for the time being, and it is thanksgiving, and nowhere will be open until Monday. I know illnesses can progress very fast with piggies, so I’m incredibly anxious. There’s one possible (very minute chance) for tomorrow, but once again very very minute chance. I don’t want it to develop into pneumonia, but I also am not sure of my options until tomorrow morning and they are few. The highest likelihood is that she will have to wait until Monday, unless there’s a Hail Mary, but I am worried and feeling hopeless. Are there any things I can do until she can see a vet that could help?
ANY advice or help or support appreciated
Now here is the long version: obviously, their bond is falling out, if not fully fallen out. I’m going to have to separate Pippa for a while while she recovers, so that’s probably a week or two apart (I’ve never dealt with this before, so I’m not sure of the timeline). We just got a boy because 1.) I connected with him so much and 2.) we figured that if the bond fell out much more, we could bond the bullied to the boy, then attempt to get the bully a new friend. He’s in a separate cage right now pending his neutering, which will make him safe to be around the girls in about two months (he needs to wait a month, plus healing). His cage is big enough for two pigs, as we anticipated a possible need/wanted to explained their space if all of them got along. I’m thinking that once Pippa is in better health, we could continue slowly socializing Pippa and Norbert (our boy) until they can live together since sugar and her have fallen out. Honestly, I’m spitballing here and I’m very stressed right now, so I don’t know if any of this is a good plan, so I’m coming here. Here is my issue: 3 pigs, 1 who can’t be around the girls without making babies for months, and 2 girls who can’t stand each other now. I’m almost certain they’ll fall out fully after Pippa is back from “sick leave,” but we could have them have play dates once she’s recovered to reintroduce them. The bullying, looking back on it, wasn’t bad like we thought—if it was there at all and not just sugar being upset with Pippas mounting defiance. So I think there is hope that they can let bygones be bygones and reconnect. They were close, for a little bit. They didn’t get much of a chance to be on good terms, because the normally submissive Pippa began acting differently while ill, and sugar is naturally dominant. Their personalities are a good match on paper.
The plan I have so far is that once Pippa has recovered, to let them socialize through the cage for a bit, then reintroduce them to living together via joining the cages once Pippa is living with Norbert if that seems safe to do. I’m guessing here, but if I try to get into the mind of a piggie, then sugar has her terf, Pippa and Norbert have a shared one, they’re all bonded by then, and if we were to connect the cages, then Norbert would help keep things calm as big boars tend to do, and nobody would be too territorially threatened while first acclimating to living together. Their space, all three of them together, would be 15sqft at this time, but it can be expanded. I’m terrified that if Sugar has the cage they share now all to herself for the time while Pippa is sick, she’ll reject Pip or reignite conflict when they’re housed together if sugar doesn’t let go the disrespect from when she was lashing out. So, that’s my line of thinking with having her bond to Norbert, after they “date” for a bit and he’s sterile. But that means she needs to wait two months to be with another pig, and all three of them can only socialize through the cages. And sugar is all alone regarudless of what I do, unless I put her back with pip. If I put her with Norbert, I don’t known how that’d go but if you guys think that’s better, then please let me know. I know it should all work out in a few months, and worst case scenario sugar gets a new buddy in her cage and they’re all separated, but the idea of them all being alone besides play dates is probably less distressing to me than to them. Though Norbert seems happy just seeing the ladies through the cage, I guess men are simpler across the board. Really, it’s the girls I worry about, but if they don’t like each other much then I guess that’s the better alternative. Any ideas? Any ways I could make the transitions smoother and less difficult for them, or experience with a situation like this?
