Piggy Personality Change

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dearbarbie

dearbarbie

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Hey guys

My 6mo old boar Burt has become rather grumpy almost overnight - it started at least a week ago.

He used to be a lap pig, sit and relax on my chest, lick my finger, chat to himself quietly when sat on me and be really sweet. Now as soon as I pick him up he's sounding a bit peed off. He tugs at my top, he nips my neck (it really hurts and has bit my fingers harder than his usual 'exploring environment' nips, and makes a racket, he just wants to be put down. Could this be an adolescent thing (although assuming he's an adult now)? He used to run around the living room popcorning in circles and now he just, I dunno, he's different. We've not changed his food or anything else, apart from bringing him inside to play on a huge fleece blanket for floor time as its too cold for his outdoor run. He keep him and our other pig (separated but able to chat as they hate each other) in big 2-floor hutches in a closable gazebo. I'm even wondering if it could be the weather, but we give them snuggle heat pads every night and their pigloos have fleece covers. Our other pig seems fine with no change in personality.

Healthwise Burt seems fine - pooing like it's going out of fashion, weight is fine (weight him every 2 days) and eating up. He had a URI and gut stasis about a bit ago but he made a full recovery. I have no idea what's gotten into him and no idea how to make him happy around me anymore :(
 
Does he seem sensitive at all when you touch his back?
 
Ooh let me try as he's next to me in his 'indoor toilet box' - he has purred a few times when I have done recently and he's never done that (our other pig does) so I thought it was a growing-up thing - where on his back, and would he yelp in pain?
 
He purrs if I put pressure on at the back (above his tailbone) but doesn't flinch or anything :) I'm wearing a hoodie and he's pulled it onto my shoulder and trying to hide under it, then bites and pulls. :(
 
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I just realised actually, he's being really malting this past week, even sitting on the table leaves loads of hairs everywhere - could this be a clue? Or do I just have a moody piggy. His weight is 1kg, the highest it's been since he was ill *phew*
 
If he was sensitive he would be trying to bite you when you touched him, when Millie had mange mites she tried to take a chunk out of my arm when I touched her back. It is only a thought though but if he is moulting a lot then it would be a good idea to get him checked, especially as mange mites or fungal can strike when a pig is run down which he could be if he has been poorly. If mange mites is diagnosed then a round of 3 Ivermectin injections is the most effective treatment. For fungal I would treat with Imaverol but he needs a diagnosis first.
 
Has there been any fireworks near were you are because he could be on night alert ? X
 
Thanks Helen, good idea. He's not itching or anything. Astrid, yes, we've been bringing them inside on evenings during fireworks and other piggy is fine (currently napping on my lap)
 
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