[Gpdd] re: [HEALTH] <drinking>

[Lauren Cordeiro]

Hi Allison,
How much a piggie will drink will depend on how much water they get from veggies. On days when I just come back from the grocery store and we have an extra-large piggie veggie buffet, the water bottle will stay more full than usual, and vice-versa. Do you put a supplement in the water? Some pigs don't like the taste of that. Just make sure he is getting his water somehow, and that he is peeing.
 
Is he eating any of his food at all? Have you tried switching food? Also, when you open a bag of hay, does he go after it right away? (and does the hay smell fresh when you open it? I made the mistake once of buying a "value size" bag of hay, and half of it was brown and tasteless and the pigs didn't touch it) Also, you should give him a constant supply of hay, mostly grass hay like Timothy/ oat/ orchard grass.
 
How often does he sneeze? Does he have any discharge from his nose or eyes or does he sound congested when he is breathing? I've come to realize my pigs sneeze every once in a while, and it's not something to panic over. They even "cough" (loudly) occasionally when they are chowing down on their veggies.
 
What type of veggies do you feed him? Perhaps you could try something new. All pigs have their own preferences.
 
All piggies eat their poos and actually this is very nutritious for them. If anything encourage him to eat those poos! :P
 
It's hard to guess what could be the cause of his laziness/tiredness. If you think something is seriously wrong, obviously your vet would be the one to talk to. However, from your description it sounded like as soon as he had some new places and toys to explore, he was his old active self again. Perhaps you could make or buy new toys and rotate them frequently, and change around his living space to spice things up a bit for him. Pigs get bored too!
 
I hope this can give you some ideas. Best of luck,
 
Lauren, Pooh and Piglet


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