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The
Piggie Press, Issue #1: March 13, 2008 Hello
and welcome to the first issue! Join us for riveting piggie news. If you
have any questions or comments, please contact us!
This Wheeks Topics:
- Squeekers' Bladder Stone
Surgery: The $750 Football
- Hogg and the Poop of
Tomorrow
- Deluxe Cavy Cage
Complete
- Meet Piggie Mommie of
Glory & Her Babies
Squeekers' Bladder Stone
Surgery: The $700 Football
This 4 year old guy is really talkative, hence his uninteresting yet
accurate name. A month ago this little cutie was had red pee (blood) and
was his eating and drinking nearly came to a standstill. The first vet we
went to x-rayed and diagnosed him ($350) as having a bladder stone. She
said there was nothing we could do but operate which she thought would not
go well (and would be $500-$700), so we had "no choice" but to
let him die. Thanks to Vicki at jpgpr.com, she recommended a different vet
who felt very confident about bladder stone surgeries got him into surgery
right away ($350), fixed him up and he is doing great. We now get less
dandelions (high in calcuim) and Ursidiol every day. His eating and
drinking increased like crazy about 3 weeks after the surgery. Can you say
poop fest? It could be the meds or his new lease on life. Either way, he
was worth it! His stitches on his belly made him look like a football (get
it - pig skin). So now we call him "The Football."
See, I look like a football!
Hogg and the Poop of
Tomorrow
This feisty little guy is my first pig. He is about 5 and super
opinionated. He still looks and acts like a baby. Still popcorning and
jumping! About 2 weeks ago I noticed that our poop production (the barometer of all things)
was down and food consumption was low. Got him to the vet right away and
the doc confirmed as well as he could without and x-ray that he must be
"backed" up. Thank god I got him in or he would have been a
goner! We got him on a daily diet of antibiotics, the medication that
"moves" the bowels, critical care and the usual timothy hay.
After about 7-10 days he is back to his regular massive poop production. I
swear to god they are like bullets. Uniform, gigantic and what the
mypiggie.com shirts were made out of! If we could only use piggie poop to
fuel cars...crisis solved!
Hogg with Critical Care on his
lips from the syringe feeding.
Deluxe Cavy Cage
Complete
After weeks of planning and thinking when I should be sleeping I have
created my ideal living space for my three piggies! I used to have 3
regular c&c cages and floor time for the pigs to visit in a fenced off
area (see "before" photo below). I have two boars (Hogg & Squeekers) and a girl (Pumpkin), so
nobody can be together. The floor was getting super messy and was harder
to clean. So I combined two 3x2 (grids) and one 2x4 cage to get the base.
Then I took another 3x2 and chopped it up to be 1x2 grids for the
kitchens. This way the fleece is easy to pick up and the hay and paper and
most moisture stays in the kitchen. Way easier to clean. I clean more
times per week (about 2x) but it is faster and easier.
The first day or so they
were terrified to up and down the ramps so I had to manually move them for
the first few hours. Then they figured out that food is upstairs and fun
social time (read: possible sex or fighting if I could just chew through
this damn wire) is downstairs and got the idea. I think they still find
this very neat, even though they can't tell me. But I saw Hogg popcorning
the other day and surmised that he thinks his condo is spectacular.
I fastened the wood (scrap
I got from home depot) with eyelet screws and wire to the cage. I
industrial glued the indoor/outdoor carpet onto the boards for the ramps..
They don't chew it thankfully! I made a grid cube to support the kitchen
piece which is fastened on. There is security grid where needed up the
ramps. Squeekers woke up from his nap to be the model for the picture. The
other two are too bothered to get up to say hi. I also put a single tile
in each cage to hold down the fleece and as a place for them to cool off
if they need it.
Before in the "only
floor time" meeting area.....
After.....meeting and
greeting anytime...
Meet Piggie Mommie of
Glory & Her Babies
I am the owner of MyPiggie.com. I live with my husband, eleven year old
stepdaughter, a chocolate lab (who loves the pigs and loves their poop
even more!) and have currently three guinea pigs. We have had six total,
but three have crossed over into non-physical existence. I am a web
designer and also co-owner of The
Mutt Pack.com. My guinea pigs are super cute and
entertaining! I adore them!
Squeekers is lovingly
called "The
Football." Hogg, because he is all white and pretty round is now
sometimes referred to as "The Volleyball." Pumpkin is one of those "tiny for
her size" girls and she is black, so of course, she is nicknamed "The Hockey Puck"
and moves about as fast and crazy as one! These pix were taken last
summer.
See you next time for other
riveting piggie news!
- Lisa
Editor in Chief,
The Piggie Press
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