Back from holiday... to this! :@

[Wiiiiieek!]

Hello everyone.

I am now back from my mother's and reunited with my pigs. Pancake and Jellybean have gotten HUGE since last I saw them!

I'll update Sooty-Pig's page on rainbow bridge later, I need to get the pics off OH's phone when he's back from work.

Anyway...

While I was away, OH was meant to be clipping claws and bathing pigs as well as feeding them and cleaning them out, all regularly. He told me every time I asked that he was doing this.

I got back last night to dirty cages, long claws and dirty pigs! mallethead They have all now been bathed, had their claws clipped, had their ears, eyes, noses, teeth etc checked, had the cages cleaned and been fed muesli, hay and greens. I've also put new chews in and repaired the houses pow-pow.

The babies: Pancake-Cotton and Jellybean-Cocoa seem fine, as do Mocha and Wiiiiieek, Coconut, Cinnamon, Marble, Toffee and Biscuit.

BUT!

While checking Rasher, I noticed he's loosing the hair on his back, no sign the fungal infection is back and I also noticed he was crying when trying to have a poo. He's drinking and eating fine and behaving normally and after he's passed the poo, he stops crying. I couldn't find any lumps in his abdomen or anything. UTI? Bladder stones? etc ... (vet trip needed after brandy, read below).

AND!

I was checking BrandySnap over and she had a bald patch on her neck. I looked a little further and there's a hole in her skin! FLYSTRIKE?!?!?! She and Jellybean haven't been fighting or anything and I cant imagine anything else that could cause that!

There ARE flies in here sometimes but we zap them with Raid, I've never seen any near the cages, because we kill them before they can get there.

I'm reading online about it, sounds like she might have it, I can't take her to the vet because I have LITERALLY no money, I am 50p from hitting the limit of my overdraft and OH is at work. I have sent him a message telling him he needs to come home NOW and take her to the vet asap.

He's on his way back now, she's ready to go in the carrier, booked in and all.

I am extremely worried! I am going to take out all the pigs, bathe them again in insecticidal shampoo, completely blitz the cages, houses, beddings/ liners, bowls -EVERYTHING and then put them in the bedroom. Pigs then go in their cages again in the bedroom and we will then completely blitz the living room where they normally live.

Only when I'm sure they aren't going to be in any danger, I'll move them back to the living room, if that means I sleep sitting up on the sofa with OH, so be it! I'll do it gladly if it means I don't lose any more pigs, I'm still not over Sooty yet and I still miss the babies!

 

[Wiiiiieek!]

just noticed... white spots moving on the outside of Rasher's cage. Mites? I'm going to try and get Rash booked in with Brandysnap, OH can take them both (not home yet) when he gets in.

 

[piggyfan]

I cannot believe this! Your boyfriend not only lied to you about cleaning up the piggies but has put their health at risk. How could he be so selfish? You should leave him. You cannot trust somebody who lies and who shows no care to poor defenceless animals. If he had cared for them like he pretended to they would be fine. I really hope they are all okay. Poor babies.

 

[Wiiiiieek!]

he did clean them and clip them but not to the standard I find acceptable.

If he hadn't they would have been much worse after 6 weeks then they were. So no, I'm not going to leave him! He is also losing money by leaving work early, they could even sack him, but he's doing it and paying money to have things he hadn't noticed treated by our vet, and doing it gladly because he doesn't want to lose any more pigs either.

We were BOTH in tears for days over the babies and Sooty.

 

[piggyfan]

I just cannot help feel he is to blame

 

[Wiiiiieek!]

no, I know he is to blame... These problems were not here before I left.

If he were not willing to take them to the vet and pay for treatment whether or not that means he's risking his job, then yes, I would be extremely angry with him and yes, knowing me, I would leave him - no probably about it. I wear the trousers in this relationship, you see. He will do as I say and if I want to leave, I'll leave... no-one will stop me.

He knows it's his fault and he does love them, why else would he be more than willing to pass on luxuries for us if it means they can have extra greens here and there and why else would he have been in tears when we lost Sooty and the babies.

He has conditions to do with his spine that restrict his movement and make doing normal things painful for him. I have to help him get up from sitting sometimes, for example. Before I left, I made sure he could clean the cages and feed the pigs, do their claws and bathe them properly.

I would assume, knowing him, he's done what I said but to the point that it hurts and no more - as there's no supervision, unfortunately, that hasn't been enough but like I said, they would have been a lot worse if he just simply didn't touch them for the 6 weeks I was away. To be honest, I often wrench my back or shoulders cleaning them out but I still do it until I'm satisfied. I would imagine he's done as much as he could without being in extreme pain... it just wasn't enough.

 

[Rosierum]

The neck seems like a strange place for flystrike. Have you seen any maggots? If it is flystrike it sounds like you have got it early. Sending get well vibes.

 

[Wiiiiieek!]

he's just picked them up, will update later with news from vet as long as internet keeps working.

no, no maggots, hoping it's early if that's what it is so it can be treated...

 

[Pepperdog]

Flystrike will be obvious by the presence of maggots, if there is a wound and no maggots then its not flystrike. It also tends to be round the bum area on pigs and bunnies, not normally on the neck unless there has been an injury that is wet and warm (remember flys lay eggs in damp warm areas to hatch).

I wonder if it could be a touch of mites or lice, if they have scratched a bald patch (as crystal had managed on the middle part of her back), or if they have been outside and a bird has pecked (as minty had on her head).

Hope the vet has some ideas for you.