[Gpdd] HEALTH: My Boars Ablutions

[Corinne Webb]

Hi all,

Firstly I am so very sad to read about so many of our friends crossing to 
the Bridge.  Please know that my 2 boys Bradley, Leonard and I, are sending 
our deepest sympathies to you all.

I also wanted to join in the discussion about caring for boars.  As I have 
already said above, I have 2 lovely lads at present.  I have always had 
boars rather than sows - not for any other reason than that the first piggy 
I adopted was a beautiful ginger rex called Stanley, and I adopted another 
boar (Douglas) to keep him company.  That was many years ago now, and I have 
had Gary, Marvin and Oscar join us since and sadly leave for the Bridge, 
leaving Brad and Len with me now.

I have learnt a lot over the years about the specific care needs of my lads, 
and I too, at first, was a bit daunted by the 'personal' aspects!!!  However 
with practice, patience and mutual respect you very quickly get the 
technique mastered and your boys will feel much better for it.

I thought I'd share with you my routine, which I carry out on both my boys 
every morning.

First of all I get my apron on as things can get a bit messy!!  I then 
gather all the 'tools' I need.
A dish of warm water, lots of kitchen roll, E45 cream (which is an 
unperfumed non-greasy emollient cream), my guinea-wrapping cloth, guinea 
brush and comb, liquid vitamin C for both boys (0.5ml - which is about 30mg 
of vit C), 1ml syringes warm and diluted cranberry concentrate and the 
scales for weighing (Bradley had a bladder stone removed in July and I have 
been monitoring his weight carefully).

I start with Bradley (who is just over 3 yrs old).  First thing I do is 
weigh him, then I sit down on the floor with my back against the sofa. I 
then lay him in the crook of my arm and have a look at his butt.  Generally 
it's a bit messy - sometimes his 'beans' get all clogged up overnight.  So 
first of all I use my dry kitchen roll to get rid of any of those. I then 
smear a little E45 cream over his butt and use dry kitchen roll to gently 
wipe away any poo stuck on his skin.  (I don't use water as it can make them 
sore; the cream feels much kinder on their skin)  When that's all done, I 
use my fingers to gently pull back the skin between the testicles and using 
a folded-over piece of dry kitchen roll, 'scoop' out the soft, clogged poos. 
  This IS a really smelly job, but you kinda get used to it and it makes the 
piggy feel much more comfortable afterwards.  Once that's all done, (Bradley 
usually starts firing beans at me at this point, the record so far is set at 
18!!) I push very gently at the base of his penis and push his piggy 
'foreskin' back to expose the shaft.  This can have white smelly stuff on 
it, and this can be removed very gently with warm water and dried carefully. 
  Sometimes my lads get a bit 'amorous' and mount each other.  If this has 
been the case, I check that no semen is plugging the penis - it sets rock 
hard and can cause all manner of problems if it is not cleaned away.  I know 
in a previous post someone mentioned the 2 prongs which can protrude at the 
end of a piggy's penis when it's popped out of it's skin:  these are a part 
of their anatomy and should not be pulled or anything - you could really 
hurt your boy if you do - so be very careful. Once I have cleaned, dried and 
'put away' the penis, I have a quick look at my boys feet and tummys, then 
pop them feet down on my lap.  I then use a damp piece of kitchen roll to 
wipe my fingers clean.  I then towel wrap the piggy and bend my knees up, I 
then sit him in my lap facing me, with his back against my thighs (hope that 
makes sense - I find this the most comfortable position for me and my boys). 
  Now I feel all around their chin and jaw for lumps and bumps etc.  Now I 
give the vit C - I syringe up some of the diluted cranberry with it so it's 
more palatable.  Bradley loves the cranberry and as he is prone to stones, I 
give him as much of it as he wants.  Once he's had his fill, I use a damp 
piece of kitchen roll to wipe his mouth ( I check his teeth are ok at this 
point) then his eyes.  I then use a dry piece to clean his nostrils (my boys 
both love burying themselves in huge piles of hay, so they get a bit messy 
up their noses sometimes!!).  At this point with Leonard, I unwrap him and 
brush him ( he's a sheltie - white, blonde and lilac - a very handsome 
nearly 1yr-old!!). Len is not so keen on being wrapped but Bradley loves it 
and falls asleep after I have carried out the above.  He sits wrapped, in 
the position I have described for sometimes 15 minutes, while I massage his 
face and head - he loves it!!!  I know when he's had enough ,as he starts to 
fidget and I know he needs to pee.  Once the boys are both done and home 
again, they each get a piece of cucumber which they both scream for as I 
open the fridge.  By the time I am back in the front room (where they live 
in their run), they are both on their back legs at the front begging!!

This may sound like it would take up my entire morning, but I can get them 
both done in 10 - 15 minutes when I need to - it just takes practice!!!

I also trim their nails and clean their ears every 2 weeks and bath them 
every month.

So sorry for the long post - but I just wanted to let you know how I look 
after my boys 'special' care requirements.

Love to all slaves and furries, and special thoughts to those who are poorly 
or who have left us for the Bridge.

Corinne xx

with Bradley xx (feeling all neat and tidy after his slave has performed her 
duties)
and Leonard xx (wishing that he had short hair like Brad so he didn't have 
to have a butt-trim every 2 weeks in addition to all of the above!!!)

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