Best housing or help needed for piggie who sits in a pile of poop all day!

[Endemoniada]

I have been using dust free wood shavings and really liked them as I buy them in a huge bag for 5.60 from the Pet and Farm Place. I use about an inch deep all over and it really wicks away the wee nicely.

BUT now my little man Winston has developed a bumblefoot, he already has a skin problem, and now due to his sore foot, I've decided he needs a softer bedding, so I'm going for vetbed, even though it's gonna be hard work (not allowed to wash it in the machine or the bath).

I am still worried though that he will still be sitting in "damp" all day due to his habit of sitting in one spot in a pile of his own poop....I know the vetbet will drain away the wee, but his poops are quite damp. I clean them away when I feed him, but I can't do this more often than twice a day cos I go to work. I am hoping that as his foot heals (he has Fuseiderm from the vets) he may start walking about a bit more, but at age 4 and he's always been a bit of a lazy pig, I'm not holding out much hope of that! Even when his more mobile flatmate Womble treatens to mount him, he still stays sitting, just grumbles! He is a very happy pig though, but I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to either stop him sitting in his own poop, or knows of something they could fall through?

Also with the vetbed, I was thinking about cutting it into smaller bits, say 12in x 12in ? What does everyone think? I thought it would help in 3 ways - 1 I can get it in the bucket for handwashing ( ?), 2 it should be easier to dry and 3 it should be easier to get in and out of the cages to clean? Will it still be as effective though do you think? Also, what does everyone put under the vetbed? I was thinking of using the shavings still, or newspaper (but I only get one newspaper a week, so supplies are limited!)?

Thanks! O0 Susan.

 

[maisynpoppy]

great that your changing from wood shavings

as for the vet bed i heard it is really good, if you put a litter tray in his poo corner would he use it? then you could change it twice daily or more

 

[roninnorfolk]

i use vetbed with fleece or towels underneath and wash in washingmachine but put inside of a duvet cover cut especially for this keeps the mess out of machine and washes easy and i tumble dry this time of year (11 hutches) i use big and small bits its easier with small bits for the guineas to get underneath odd looking at a hutch with no pigs in sight!

 

[Endemoniada]

Ahh...thanks for that O0.....not good to have too small bits then, I want my piggies to keep ontop of the snuggly vetbed! Thanks for the tip on the washing machine, but fraid I still won't be able to use it! I have litter trays for all my piggies (6 pigs in 3 cages) but none of them use them! The boys use them as chaisse lounges.....feet out of either ends....and the girls tip it up constantly so I took it out of their cage! Any toilet training tips?

 

[daftscotslass]

I would ditch the shavings altogether. What about something like megazorb? It's good in that it absorbs well and won't allow the piggy to sit in wetness if you clean it regularly. Your best plan to keep piggy moving is to put the place where he lies at the opposite side of the cage from the hay and food - that way he'll have to move to get to them! They tend to poop where they eat hay.

 

[Endemoniada]

Thanks for that tip..I didn't think of that : of course he would have to move to the food....just hope he doesn't decide to "make camp" by the food dish! I will put the litter tray by the hay then, good idea O0

 

[maisynpoppy]

my litter tray is beneath the hay rack and it works brilliant, not many poops any where else

 

[Endemoniada]

That's a great tip, hay=poops. O0

I will have to change my plan...currently they are reluctant to use a hay rack, so I've been putting their hay into their little houses, hence they sit there all day and poop just in the houses!

This afternoon I moved the hay to the litter tray, and guess what, Winnie has sat in the litter tray all day! :
It's a pain because I want him to sit on the dry vetbed (when it arrives) not in the litter tray, where I'll have megazorb (when that arrives!). I suppose the best I can do is hope he lies in the house at night, so at least he'll be on dry stuff some of the time!