[Gpdd] [Health] Oliver's surgery & Habitat Info

[Bina Gabbriel]

Hello, Dear Piggie Lovers,

Since posting for the first time a few days ago to introduce myself and my
herd, I've decided to have my little boar (the one born of the unknown
pregnancy in the adoption of is young mother) neutered and to keep him.

I've read enough online to know that surgery and other things
vet-and-health-related are very tricky for our piggy friends, that treatment
is a true specialty if health is to regained and death avoided.

I live in a fairly rural area (not metropolitan or suburban, but not all-out
farmland, either) and I've not been able to find a vet around here who works
enough with GP's for me to feel comfortable bringing this little guy in for
surgery, especially an elective one.

So it occurred to me the other day to call Tufts University School of
Veterinary Medicine, which is about 2 hours from me in a part of the state
that is as though it is another state ... meaning I'm rarely in that area
... to see what their expertise is in this area with GPs.

It turns out their Dr. Mayer ONLY works with GPs. Wow. So I made an
appointment for Oliver to have a pre-surgery Well Pig visit on Saturday.
Having been born here at home, he's never ridden in a car before, so my
friend Cindy is coming with to hold and comfort him during the ride. I'm to
bring samples of his food and a photo of his living quarters. And to arrive
early to fill out a form. He'll be having blood tests and the exam will take
about an hour. Holy cow! It's expensive. $170 for the Well Pig visit and
$210 for the surgery package. But they've not lost a pig to neutering
before, so it seems worth it to me since I love the little guy so and really
don't want to part with him. Or have him live the rest of his life next to
rather than as an immediate part of the herd.

I've read online somewhere that there is a period of time after surgery
where sperm are still present and motile in the ducts, and so assuming
everything goes well, he won't be returning to the herd of girls until the
vet tells me it's safe to do so without unintended pregnancies resulting. If
anyone here has experience with how long this wait time is known (or
experienced) to be, I'd love to hear. Also I'd love to know any advice
anyone has about pre- and post-op care and TLC for neutered boars.

Lastly, a short word about the habitat my pigs live in since Ellen shared
with me about hers as part of her welcome of me into this group. And since
the vet wanted to know!

I built a C&C cage based on ideas and information I gleaned from the Cavy
Cages website. I use newspaper as the base, and give them liberal amounts of
3rd cut Timothy+Grass hay for eating, sleeping & burrowing, so that while
it's food first and foremost, the hay really is part of their bedding, as
well. As other fanciers have said, they really do know the difference
between sleeping hay and eating hay, even though it all looks pretty much
the same to me in a cursory glance. There is always fresh hay in a hay rack
and on top of hideouts and stacked high into one corner, too.

The five girls live in a large area that is 20.5 sq ft (8.75' X 2.3'). The
section Oliver has to himself ... until he's sperm-free ... is 8.5 sq ft
(3.6' X 2.3'). Once they're all in the same undivided habitat, the six
little piggies will have 29 sq ft. I wish it were more, but my apartment is
small and the climate here is too hot and humid in the summer and bitter
cold in the winter for piggies to live outdoors in hutches. I also enjoy
having them indoors with me :)

So, that's the current Health & Wellness scoop from The Berkshires!

Much love,

Bina & The Pigs


-- 
Let your love be like the misty rains, coming softly, yet flooding the
river.    Malagasy Proverb

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