Need Some Advice- Piggy Rehab

[stasianova]

Hello! I have been a long time lurker but made an account to maybe pick some minds on something I have been working on.

I just yesterday adopted my fourth rescue boar lol (Mousse). He was not planned, he was a patient at my clinic (I'm a licensed vet tech) who either needed to be taken or he would be euthanized. He's a little 5-week old boar who had total hindlimb paralysis. I recognized it as a result of scurvy and he is now being treated. He is completely able to use his back legs now but struggles because the muscles have atrophied. I'm pretty good with most stuff in regards to piggy health, illness, etc but I've never done rehab before and they don't teach that in school lol.

I am making sure he gets plenty of opportunities to explore and use/build up his legs naturally, but sometimes he does just give up and drag them along behind him. I was trying to think up some exercises to do with him daily to help build up muscle tone. Any ideas friends?

 

[DM030819]

I've not really had any experience with this other than having a boar who lost the use of his back legs after a neurological issue. He did learn to walk again.

Is he on any pain relief? Maybe his legs get a bit achey or painful after he's used them for a while and so he drags them. A drop of Metacam or something might help.

I wonder if Glucosamine would help. I know I've used it for arthritic pigs to help with their joints.

I know most pigs don't like water but at a push you could see how he reacts. I've seen it used many time of humans and on dogs and cats.

Giving him lots of different areas to explore is good. Give him lots of floor time in different parts of the house so he can investigate.

One of my boys isn't very brave when it comes to exploring so I get him to follow a piece of dill around (like a donkey and carrot). I do the same to get him to stand up at the side of the cage.

Little and often I think is the best way. The fact that he's using his legs now is fantastic. It might take him a long time before he's running around but he'll get there.