Cold/Shocked piggies

[Caviesgalore (EPGPR)]

A mum from school has just rung me to say that she is worried about her piggies. She has been away on holiday for a week and a neighbour has been going in to put the girls in the run during the day and then feeding them and putting them away at night. They got back from their holiday yesterday and completely forgot about the piggies and left them in the run ALL night >. She has just rung me in a panic because they are not eating and she's not sure what to do. She has cleaned out their hutch and filled it with fresh hay etc. and has just put them to bed.

They live in a hutch in a sheltered part of her garden. She has a snugglesafe heat pad so I have suggested she get this out and heat it up and pop it in with the girls, making sure they have plenty of dry fresh hay to snuggle in. I have also suggested she tries to tempt them with their favourite foods to encourage them to eat. She is unsure whether they have eaten any hay today. I have told her to ensure that they are still pooping and if they don't eat anything within the next hour or so she should contact the vet and get them checked over.

Have I missed anything? They have always been and will always be "outdoor" piggies so I was worried about her taking them indoors to warm them up, only to put them back outside in their hutch tonight. She will not have them in the house. Unfortunately they are typical "got them for the kids" pigs, kids have now lost interest so mum is feeding and watering them, but not much else.

As well as being cold I wonder whether the girls were "visited" by one of the local cats or foxes in the night and are now terrified. Poor girlies :'(

 

[boureki]

Oh no, how awful, poor piggies! thank goodness it was wasn't too frosty overnight.

I would have thought you had pretty much covered it with what you've already told her, but I'm sure someone more experienced than I will come along.

Is it worth tactfully suggesting she put them up for rehoming if they are becoming a bit of a burden, or would that be too awkward?

 

[karenrgpr]

I think you covered it. Keep us posted

 

[Caviesgalore (EPGPR)]

Glad I didn't miss anything out. O0

Julie I did suggest they might like to find their way round to me (she only lives up the road!) when they had a problem with mites in the summer. Poor piggies are horribly nervous (through no fault of their own) and one of them literally screamed the entire time I held her :'(. On my recommendation she took them to the vet to get them treated and I gave her some GG shampoo so that she could bath them, which she did. Although the children aren't keen she is quite "taken" with them, however, it took her several weeks to notice they had a severe mite problem and they obviously weren't one of her priorities last night (she isn't what I would call a piggy nut like us lot!). She is due to start a teacher training course in the new year so I might drop some hints.

 

[boureki]

I know where you're coming from, training courses can need an awful lot of time. Best of luck with your hints! Hope the piggies will be ok.