tailsticks
Exploring the pasture
Hi - I am in Hawaii, I have three adult pet wild pigs that were all hand raised and one of them had three babies on Dec 13th.
All three nursed the first day. Then day two one was pushed out and was not nursing while the other two thrived. He could barely stand, the other two were bouncing around all over the place. So I pulled the baby/runt.
Set up baby in container with heat lamp. Got goats milk formula. First 4 hours thought he was going to die, very lifeless. Would try feeding and I think her would get a few drops - I was using a small baby bottle you get at pet stores (now I read NOT to bottle feed - ugh) and he really wasn't interested. Then 12 hours later at 2:30am feeding he bounced back with a vengeance, suckled down 1 oz of formula and passed out asleep. This continued all through the next day, he was very vocal, looked very alert, happy to take the bottle. Fabulous.
So last night, he had about another ounce before bedtime and I noticed him gaping after he sucked it down and I think he aspirated! I got up later that night to feed him, he did take the bottle, very cautiously, but he was not alert, not up screaming for the bottle, same this morning.
I don't have a vet here with livestock experience that is available here right now on a Sunday. I am waiting for a call back from my vet who only does domestics.
In the meantime - is this a certain death sentence for this piglet? Is there anything I can do other than keeping him warm?
Any advice would be great. Poor little guy.
TIA Sue
**Now that I have found this site - I will do another (unrelated to this) post re: Tx of ticks.
All three nursed the first day. Then day two one was pushed out and was not nursing while the other two thrived. He could barely stand, the other two were bouncing around all over the place. So I pulled the baby/runt.
Set up baby in container with heat lamp. Got goats milk formula. First 4 hours thought he was going to die, very lifeless. Would try feeding and I think her would get a few drops - I was using a small baby bottle you get at pet stores (now I read NOT to bottle feed - ugh) and he really wasn't interested. Then 12 hours later at 2:30am feeding he bounced back with a vengeance, suckled down 1 oz of formula and passed out asleep. This continued all through the next day, he was very vocal, looked very alert, happy to take the bottle. Fabulous.
So last night, he had about another ounce before bedtime and I noticed him gaping after he sucked it down and I think he aspirated! I got up later that night to feed him, he did take the bottle, very cautiously, but he was not alert, not up screaming for the bottle, same this morning.
I don't have a vet here with livestock experience that is available here right now on a Sunday. I am waiting for a call back from my vet who only does domestics.
In the meantime - is this a certain death sentence for this piglet? Is there anything I can do other than keeping him warm?
Any advice would be great. Poor little guy.
TIA Sue
**Now that I have found this site - I will do another (unrelated to this) post re: Tx of ticks.