Spaced out boar

[Tani]

Hi folks, it's been some time since I last visited the forum but hope you and your piggies are all well!

I have a strange one that I've not been able to sus out so thought I would ask if anyone else has experience a similar thing.

We adopted a gorgeous teddy boar from the RSPCA last year and who is approx. 1 year old. He was part of a very large rescue and we took another boar in at the same time from the same group who doesn't show the same issues.

First, he would make crying noises, high pitched, if we went near him but was ok after a while of stroking or cuddling. That eased off although he still does it when I go to cuddle him if it's fairly dark in the room or when I go to change their home out (he gets stressed and cries).

Then I noticed that he tends to be spaced out alot of the time. We notice it more at feeding times because if we try to give him anything, he will go deadly still and will only eat if I rub or stroke his back/head vigorously (I'm not talking heavy handed here, just like a massage rather than a gentle stroke). It's the only thing that brings him out of his 'trance' and he will eat until I take my hand off him - then he will be spaced out again. I keep meaning to get it on camera as it's such a strange behaviour but it's literally -'rub & chew' - 'stop & trance' lol.
Sometimes I wonder if he has sight issues and he freezes because he doesn't know it's us but his eyes aren't cloudy or milky.

He also has a bad dry skin problem and I bathe him regularly in the Gorgeous Guineas shampoo for problem skin. It helps a little but not hugely and I wondered if anyone had any recommendations for something safe but stronger? Or medicated perhaps? It's all around his eyes and his bottom area (which is really bad!).

Thanks!

 

[sport_billy]

If you leave the food in for him does he eat it? Is he only acting spaced when you are hand feeding him?

As for the dry skin, I would advise getting it checked out with the vet in case it turns out to be a fungal issue as this will require some medicated cream to help clear it up.

 

[Tani]

Hello & thanks for replying

He came from the RSPCA like that and I took him to the vets but it didn't come up as anything like fungal issues. I might take him again anyway to see a different vet to double check. I know some pigs have issues just like us humans and it's always a little better after I bath him.

Re spaced out. When we put the veg in in the mornings, it takes him a while to realise there is food but he does eventually go and eat it on his own accord. He also blanks out when there isn't food involved but most of the time we notice it more when hand feeding him leaves at night. The reason we try and hand feed him is because his little female cage mate is mischeivious and likes to pinch the food from his mouth so we make sure he gets enough as they get through them faster than a big bowl of veg
He will often sit there for a while with said lettuce or hay hanging from his mouth in a trance - even if Minnie pinches it from him, he is oblivious. We thought that he might be having mini strokes or some other serious condition but it's really hard to say.

 

[Liane]

I have experience the high-pitched crying - River did this for the first few weeks after I got her, I think she was crying for her family. She eventually settled down, although she is still quite talkative. But I haven't experience the spaced-out thing I don't think - well, except when you try and give them food sometimes and you just kinda slot it in their mouth but they don't really eat it? Or they'll chew it once and then just leave it hanging, but not sure that's the same thing.

 

[Tani]

Ha ha, yes, George totally does that with the food! You wave the food around but he's totally blank and unaware of it so I try and pop the edge in his mouth and he will just sit there for a good minute with it hanging. Only if I rub his back or ears will he 'come back' and realise there is food in his mouth and starts to eat it. The second I take my hands off him though he goes back to it hanging from his mouth. It's quite funny to watch but also disturbing. If left long enough he will start to eat but I do have to watch Minnie as she pinches it out his mouth otherwise. Sometimes I have to take him out and sit him on my lap and rub his back just to get him to eat :/

 

[Tani]

So I took George to the vets today and skin condition - nothing ado with that medical wise (thankfully). He's just a scaly boy so will have see if I can apply something. It's not red or scabby though and no bald patches.

I also got him to check George's eyes as I had a niggle that he might have site problems. Now his eyes aren't milky at all and he has no eye discharge but when he tested the reaction from his pupils at light being shone at them, he said there was barely any change. Vet said there is definately something amiss there with his site which could possibly explain some of his behaviour. There is an eye specialist I can see at the vets so I might book him in sometime to have them checked. Unlikely they can do anything but it would be good to know so I can understand how he works better.

Anyone have any experience with eye problems like this?