I feel like I've failed my boys

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janew

janew

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J hasn't been himself lately. He's not been eating much, has lost weight, suffers from impaction and has now got mites. We've just been to the vet only to be told that "he's basically very unhealthy".

He gets cleaned out regularly, I make sure he gets a good diet, plenty of hay, regular grooming etc. What more can I do?

He's always been different to any other pig I've ever had, and I really don't know how to change him.

He's on a course of baytril for the next week to see if he perks up. The vet has made me feel so bad. I'd do anything for him regardless of cost, and I can't stand the thought of losing him :0
 
The vet should not be making you feel bad after all you have taken him because you care about him and know he isnt alright. Maybe you could try everything to reduce the chances of him getting stressed? And bring him inside if you havn't already.

Don't feel bad your doing all you can for him, I hope he gets better soon :)
 
janew said:
J hasn't been himself lately. He's not been eating much, has lost weight, suffers from impaction and has now got mites. We've just been to the vet only to be told that "he's basically very unhealthy".

He gets cleaned out regularly, I make sure he gets a good diet, plenty of hay, regular grooming etc. What more can I do?

He's always been different to any other pig I've ever had, and I really don't know how to change him.

He's on a course of baytril for the next week to see if he perks up. The vet has made me feel so bad. I'd do anything for him regardless of cost, and I can't stand the thought of losing him :0
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Is he on treatment for the mites as well?
 
try another vet, it is not necessary for him/ her to make you feel bad, he should be helping you help your pet ! hope things improve x
 
Ah good. Was he a rescue pig? Sometimes, like people, pigs don't look as healthy as others. As long as he's got a good diet, is eating well and getting everything he needs, and is happy, I wouldn't worry too much!
 
I had a piggy in a relatively similar situation, Nemo, he's old (5 1/2 years), suffers from impaction and doesn't clean himself at all. He's turned a corner in recent months, he looks so much perkier and has put on some weight. He did also have some minor health problems which seem resolved at this point in time too.

Here's the sort of simple things which have helped Nemo. Probiotic powder mixed in with food which you can get from pet stores or online and switching to a pellet food, I was feeding a muesli mix but now I only buy Excel. Obviously he gets lots of veggies but I assume J does too! I also indulge him in plenty of extra roughage such as Readigrass, I buy the Friendship Estates brand from a horse supplier and it's about £12 for 15kg and lasts ages. It shouldn't be fed every day but it's a great extra in addition to hay. They get the Readigrass in these wire balls that hang from the cage bars for some extra fun.

I check his bottom every day and squeeze out anything that is lurking in there (delightful!), he regularly goes a week without any build up though now. Although he may not like it I also bath him very regularly, he's nicer if he doesn't smell and I trim his hair so it doesn't drag on the floor. Nemo also didn't have a friend since his cagemate died, I don't know whether J has a mate or not but I got Nemo a baby boar and he seems very happy to have a little critter merrily chasing him and copying his every move!

In terms of the mites/lice it happens, I once bought dodgy hay and most of my 13 ended up with something crawling on them. I use Easimec to treat at home and I believe you can also treat occasionally for prevention rather than cure. The Xeno will do the job perfectly though. I'd ignore your vet, some of them have too much to say for themselves. My vet, or should I say a vet I probably won't go to anymore, told me to get one of my sows Skye put down due to teeth problems (they also trimmed her teeth crazily short and suggested she'd die anyway within days!), so I took her to see the vet of another forum member who sorted her out quite easily and without anything invasive. Within 2/3 weeks she was back to normal again. She eats totally fine now, is weight restored and is always first at the food bowl!
 
That's really bad the vet made you feel that way. I understand the guilt. My boys had ringworm and I kept feeling like I had to justify it the whole time thinking it was something that I was doing! When of course it isn't. You can hardly be accused of mistreating your piggie when you have taken him to the vet in the first place!

Big love and I hope your little darling turns a corner x
 
When I rescued Salvatore from the pet shop (actually, it wasn't the pet shop I rescued him from, it was his neglectful owner who had given him to the pet shop, the shop treated him well ), he didn't have impaction, but he didn't poop much, either, and what he did poop were dry, light- colored pellets that looked like the guinea pig food pellets. When he finally got used to eating fresh food and I left carrots in for him 24/7, his poops became normal and copious. The fiber and liquid in the carrots helped him so much. He pooped such a large quantity, piles and piles of poops, it was like he was making up for lost time. Try that and see if his impaction improves. And are you sure it is mites? Has there been a microscopic examination with skin scrapings? Sal looked exactly like he had the mother of all mite infestations, but the microscopic exam turned up nothing, and it turned out to be skin dryness from very poor nutrition.
 
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