[Gpdd] [HEALTH] What's best for a blind piggie?

[Penny Charlesworth]

I am sorry to read about Ghirardelli's sight problems but this should not
be a concern for her. Piggies' sight is not brilliant to begin with and
blind ones cope very well. Over the decades in which I have cared for
piggies, I have had a few blind ones. Some came that way, others became
blind or poorly sighted when they were here.

Watching my groups of piggies interact, one would not know if there was a
blind one there. They all behave the same. Blind ones do not run into
things, fail to find food or get bullied by the others. Their senses of
smell and hearing are acute and this more than makes up for lack of vision.
Has anyone come into their pig room in the middle of the night and heard
the piggies toddling around in abject darkness? Mine don't stop running
around when I turn off their light at night.

Topaz was micropthalmic ie. she had tiny eyes with, I am sure, very limited
vision but this never caused her any problems. My Cloud had two daughters,
one of whom went blind quite young and Cloud lost her sight in later life
but as the family lived in a larger group they just followed each other
around. We used to call daughter Primrose the seeing eye piggy,

None of my piggies ever live alone. My boars are in pairs and my sows in
groups. I never treat a blind or partially sighted one any differently from
the others.

Currently my elderly Lady Lavender has cataracts. She lives in a group of
sows with a neutered boar. She is always first to the front of the pen in
the morning to shout for food and has no trouble finding it. When I put in
the pile of veg or grass she goes straight for it and if I am giving out a
treat slice, I drop one in front of her so she can snatch it and make off
with it. I don't put the food bowls in the same place but she unerringly
finds one and she easily locates a water bottle. She runs up to and through
a pipe with no difficulty and has no problem finding a house for a nap. She
has been here for a long time and has had new arrivals added to her group.
Recently Tiggywinkle and Angelina joined her group and she was the first to
run up to them to say hello.

My ancient Halloween has cloudy eyes now but when I approach his pen with
his syringe of Tabritis for his arthritis he is instantly there waiting for
it. He doesn't see me coming but he might hear me and he certainly can
smell his medicine, which he loves.

Personally, I would find Ghirardelli a friend but I know that your
circumstances are different to mine. I hate to think of a piggy living
alone as they are herd animals and enjoy interacting with each other. I
like to think that they have someone to talk to when I am at work but I am
never gone for as long as you are and work locally. I introduce piggies of
all ages, both boars and sows and never have problems.

All the best with whatever you decide.

Penny and the Piggyfriends.