[Gpdd] HEALTH

[grace ramp]

Last year one of my pigs, Babe, injured her cornea.  It looked horrible and the vet said that if it hadn't been treated promptly she could have lost the eye.  That was last year.  Last week, another of my pigs, this time Sugar, had the same thing happen to her.  I had a vet bill of over $200 for the visit, eye drops, antibiotic and some metacam for the pain.  I asked the vet if they were poking their eyes on hay but she said she couldn't be sure.  It might be that they just scratched their eyes.  I wanted to just give my pigs meadow grass because it is softer, but the vet said too much calcium so I'm on timothy hay.  I've tried different hay bins but they all fall off the cages walls and wind up on the floor anyway.  I've started to break up the really long, hard stalks of the hay so that they don't hurt themselves, but has anyone had this problem or does anyone have any suggestions how I can prevent this from happening again.  They do scratch, but not
 to excess so it isn't that they scratch all day and hurt themselves  Thanks.
Grace, Gus, Babe, Rusty, Sugar and Peanut (with Oreo and the Porkster at the Bridge)