• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

I Finally Have My Boy.

Danielle Smith said:
I'm sorry you're having a tough time. How are you feeding him with syringe? Is he horizontal on a table?
Click to expand...

Thanks!

No he's on my lap/in my arms. Until now he's always just taken it himself but now that he's not I've had to give it to him like his medicine which as you can imagine is annoying him something rotten.
 
He is testing you, and it's not a bad thing as it means he's feeling a little better in himself. Best thing I've found to prevent the biting is to sit him up on a table, his back against your stomach or chest. You can put your middle finger under his right paw (left paw if you are left-hand dominant) and your index under his chin and over both paws and syringe him food or meds with your free hand. This way you can kind of stop him from chucking his head back, and get creative with getting the syringe into his mouth, and the finger under the chin means he cannot bite you. I've found if you use a 1ml syringe, you can leave it in his mouth as he's chewing -- much less effort to try and get it back in there for every 1/3 of a syringe!

Apologies if you're already doing it this way and I'm just teaching you to suck eggs! If you'd like a video let me know and I can try and take one.
 
Oh yes he definitely is! He's being a right little sod. I'm dreading doing him bum in a bit.

I can't explain how I do it, it's different but I think it generally works. It's more when I go to move him or god forbid I touch his leg or something! It's easier when someone else is holding him but he's still a bit nippy then.

He used to just take food as I pushed it from the syringe but just not in the last day or so. I'm not sure why.

He hasn't broken skin yet but I worry if he does then it will mean he's fed less when I'm working. Doesn't half hurt mind!

None of the normal dominance things seem to help right now, is it a boy thing? My Bella went through this phase but I got her out of it pretty swiftly. Mind you she wasn't poorly, just a runt bless her.
 
I honestly think he's just a bit fed up of the necessary poking and prodding; if dominance stuff isn't working I can't think of anything else. Have you tried just having regular laptime with him (if that's a thing he enjoys)?
 
Danielle Smith said:
I honestly think he's just a bit fed up of the necessary poking and prodding; if dominance stuff isn't working I can't think of anything else. Have you tried just having regular laptime with him (if that's a thing he enjoys)?
Click to expand...

Oh yes he rather likes that! Especially if it's near the girls (although they're a massive distraction XD). Plenty of treats of course too. He doesn't like sitting still though, he has things to do you know! He's a very busy pig :))

I was thinking about giving him a bit of a break but I'd still be concerned about food & water intake :/
 
Exactly the situation I was in, it's so hard! In the end I just had to trust Tubs for 24 hours to look after himself; if he had lost 20g or less I just let him do his own thing and eventually he stabilised and started to put weight on again. There was a couple days he lost over the threshold and I had to start force-feeding him again which was upsetting but necessary, but as soon as he showed any interested in hay and/or pellets it was back to no supplementing (veg does not matter as much, you can syringe your pig some Vit C tablet dissolved in water).

Just because I took a chance to film while I was giving Fudge her Avipro, check out my cute pig (and an alternative feeding/medication-giving position).

 
Danielle Smith said:
Exactly the situation I was in, it's so hard! In the end I just had to trust Tubs for 24 hours to look after himself; if he had lost 20g or less I just let him do his own thing and eventually he stabilised and started to put weight on again. There was a couple days he lost over the threshold and I had to start force-feeding him again which was upsetting but necessary, but as soon as he showed any interested in hay and/or pellets it was back to no supplementing (veg does not matter as much, you can syringe your pig some Vit C tablet dissolved in water).

Just because I took a chance to film while I was giving Fudge her Avipro, check out my cute pig (and an alternative feeding/medication-giving position).

Click to expand...

Aw bless she's gorgeous! What a good little model :)

That's the sort of position Iggy has to be in for his bum flush, although he does try to flip :doh:

As he's back on the baytril I think he's eating less so I'll give that a go for his feeds and see how it goes.

It's med time and bum flushing time now, fingers crossed I still have hands left! :))
 
@Danielle Smith so we've been trying your feeding routine and for the best part it's worked well! Thank you! :)

He's still having a good old bite at me though, I really wish I could kick this behaviour.

I think I'll start a separate thread for the biting in the behaviour section.
 
Just been catching up on this thread. I am so sorry you and your boy are having to go through all this. You are obviously a very caring owner and are doing a fantastic job with him. Your Mum sounds wonderful, what a fantastic support she is while you are at work. Sending Iggy bucket loads of healing vibes, come on Iggy you are going to have a wonderful life with your wives, it's time to get better and move in with your girls.
 
Thanks :D

Hopefully his illness is soon to be over and then it's the epic battle of 2017 as to who is boss :))

I do feel a little sorry for the girls now, he's a bloody handful to say the least XD
 
Betsy said:
If he is a handful surely that is a good sign?
Click to expand...

Oh definitely! He's a lot stronger than he used to be, he's just more sassy too XD

I think he's finally gaining weight slowly but surely too, I don't mean to brag but he's 630 grams today :cool:

I just wish I could see inside him to see how the infection is doing, I'm desperate for it to be sorted so I can bath the smelly git! :))
 
I desperately need to bath mine:nod:. I had to give Meg a foot bath yesterday as one on her hind feet was gunked up with hay and looked really uncomfortable. :vom:. I soaked it for about 5 minutes before the hay came of it and then it was really sticky - weird!:hmm: I don't know what and earth she had stepped in as she was in the hutch from Friday night til Sunday afternoon. I had to use some small animal shampoo on it about 3 times to get rid of the stickiness. She wasn't too happy about being manhandled either!:no:
 
Betsy said:
I desperately need to bath mine:nod:. I had to give Meg a foot bath yesterday as one on her hind feet was gunked up with hay and looked really uncomfortable. :vom:. I soaked it for about 5 minutes before the hay came of it and then it was really sticky - weird!:hmm: I don't know what and earth she had stepped in as she was in the hutch from Friday night til Sunday afternoon. I had to use some small animal shampoo on it about 3 times to get rid of the stickiness. She wasn't too happy about being manhandled either!:no:
Click to expand...

Oh dear, yuck! :))

Well I've been bitten about 8 times in the last 15 mins. I dread to think what a bath would do to my hands!

image.webp

You wouldn't have thought this innocent face would be so mean!
 
Betsy said:
How is Iggy doing?
Click to expand...

Thanks for asking! :)

He's doing okay, he's not putting on much weight still but as he's still on the baytril I'd imagine that's why he's not eating much.

Got a vets appointment for Wednesday so hopefully we'll get the all clear, and fingers crossed it won't come back!

He's still biting though :))

image.webp

Not that you'd believe it with this cute little face! That was just before one of his feeds, he gets a lot messier and so do I! XD
 
I bet you do! Hopefully his enemas will stop after your vet trip! It isn't nice for you or him!:vom: I was concerned as I hadn't heard from you in a few days.:eek: I think all of us in Forumland care what other people and their piggies go through! :nod: It is a lovely community.:D I hope your fingers are OK after the biting. :hmm: I can sympathise with him why he bites. He's had enough!:yikes: He's just trying to tell you that's all!:nod: If the vet gives him the all clear are you going to try and bond him with your girlies?

Love the piccie btw:love:
 
Betsy said:
I bet you do! Hopefully his enemas will stop after your vet trip! It isn't nice for you or him!:vom: I was concerned as I hadn't heard from you in a few days.:eek: I think all of us in Forumland care what other people and their piggies go through! :nod: It is a lovely community.:D I hope your fingers are OK after the biting. :hmm: I can sympathise with him why he bites. He's had enough!:yikes: He's just trying to tell you that's all!:nod: If the vet gives him the all clear are you going to try and bond him with your girlies?

Love the piccie btw:love:
Click to expand...

Aw bless you heart! Thanks for worrying about him, it's nice to know other people care! You're quite right, I always worry about other peoples animals too!

Yes it would be nice to stop the enemas, the sounds he makes are heart breaking, but he's a good boy at putting up with it.

He's certainly had enough and if I'm honest, so have I! I can't wait for him to be happy and healthy. He will be bonded with the girlies (I hope!) so I'm going to dedicate a day off to it and bring in reinforcement. I can't tell you how nervous I am, this has to work D:

Thanks, he's a real poser that boy! :P
 
What a cute picture. I do not believe that he bites you. How could a face that sweet possibly bite? :lol!:
 
Eileen's Mum said:
What a cute picture. I do not believe that he bites you. How could a face that sweet possibly bite? :lol!:
Click to expand...

I know right? Butter wouldn't melt I tell you! :))

Tiamolly123 said:
Aww he's so cute, I'm sure you are wrong about him biting. Definitely not him. Hugs to you both, it sounds a pretty grim time for the both of you.
Click to expand...

That's it everyone take his side, everybody does! :P XD Yes it's not been the best time for us but he's definitely worth it!

He's gunna have to get a little Saturday job to pay for the vet bills though, anyone need a little handy man to help mow the lawns, weed the garden or trim the veg patch? :D
 
Oh I'm so sorry to disappoint him! Mine have their work clothes on most days. Dennis has his white trousers on permanently if he had been a girly his name would have been Jean!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top