Warning To Owners Of Long Haired Pigs!

[pig in the city]

I had a bit of a shock on New Years Eve. I got Frankie out of his cage to meet a potential new piggy mummy and she noticed that Frankie's foot was swollen.
Closer inspection revealed a tourniquet of Frankie's long, fine hair around a toe on his back foot causing swelling, redness and pain.
An emergency vet appointment was arranged and the vet managed to remove the hair. Fortunately his circulation was still intact and hopefully we have saved the toe. He is on Metacam and Baytril.
Gradually the swelling is reducing.
I have never seen this before in long haired piggies, I had a hamster who got bedding wrapped around his foot and that caused swelling, which came up extremely quickly.
I now check the feet of all my long haired pigs every day.
Thankyou @PiggyOwner for your eagle eye and for your help with Frankie, if you hadn't have spotted it he may have suffered for longer and lost his toe.

 

[Mother Hubbard]

Oh wow that looks nasty, lesson for us all. I only have 1 long haired piggy and she's a nightmare to clip, it's something I will do in future.

 

[VickiA]

Wow, that's something I'd never have imagined happening. A good warning to slaves of other long haired piggies.

 

[Galaxy&nibbles]

That's never occurred to me, thank you for shRing.

I hope he is ok and makes a full recovery!

 

[Lady Kelly]

Ouchies! But look at that face, so adorable!

 

[Deleted member 114675]

Thanks for posting this. Glad to hear Frankie's foot is healing.

 

[Jess NZ]

Thanks. I have a sheltie boy. He's a pain to trim but I'll need to give him a big, big haircut soon because it's coming into summer!

 

[Freela]

Oh no- poor little guy! I'm glad it was caught quickly. I've never had this happen to my sheltie crosses, but one of my hedgehogs got one of my hairs wound around her back foot and cut off the circulation- we luckily did find it quickly enough to save her foot, but it was very hard to remove and very scary until it became clear that the foot was going to make it!

 

[Claire W]

Poor Frankie. What a shock for you. Thank goodness he is ok xx

Thank you for sharing xx

 

[Wendle]

I would never have even considered this. How scary!

 

[lauraboara]

I will be checking Theo - thanks for warning.
Frankie is just stunning

 

[pig in the city]

I think Frankie is particularly at risk because his hair is very fine and tends to accumulate easily in clumps. I imagine coarser haired pigs would be at less risk. Frankie is a lot better and his foot is getting back to normal. Phew!

 

[lauraboara]

I think Frankie is particularly at risk because his hair is very fine and tends to accumulate easily in clumps. I imagine coarser haired pigs would be at less risk. Frankie is a lot better and his foot is getting back to normal. Phew!

I hope you are not suggesting that Theo has coarse hair - he will be horrified.. Actually he is too laid back to mind.
Glad Frankie is mending.

 

[Claire W]

Sorry if I have mistaken him for the wrong piggy but is Frankie Ellen's brother? He looks like him. Ellen also has very fine hair but hers hasn't grown as long as Frankies.

I'm pleased he is on the mend xx

 

[pig in the city]

Sorry if I have mistaken him for the wrong piggy but is Frankie Ellen's brother? He looks like him. Ellen also has very fine hair but hers hasn't grown as long as Frankies.

I'm pleased he is on the mend xx

Yes this is Ellens brother! His coat is tricky, he is a good boy with grooming though x

 

[pig in the city]

I hope you are not suggesting that Theo has coarse hair - he will be horrified.. Actually he is too laid back to mind.
Glad Frankie is mending.

I can't actually remember what Theo's coat is like! But my other piggies have coarse hair so am not as anxious about them! Happy new year to all your piggies, did you pair Colin up? X

 

[worried val of york]

Thanks for the warning. I had no issues with my late long haired Maxwell. But I would never have imagined something like that could happen.