hi
last night i went out to feed my pigs and when i opened the door of the shed my pig, pepper came running to the door to see me, squeeking and popcorning like he always does. i gave them food and hay and heatpads and he and his brother brandi were just sitting and eating normally. i was stroking pepper and when i do this he usually stretches flat out and sticks out his legs. he did this but then it suddenly turned into some wierd fit, he was dragging himself around and his front and back legs both sticking out in front and behind him. he kept going on his side and wriggling and stuff. occasionally he would get up and scratch then start fitting again. i know they can have fits from mites or fungal infections but ive checked him, he has no bald patches or sores or scabs and has not been violently scratching at all. What he was doing was just a short itch like usual. it lasted for a few minutes and then he stopped and seemed pretty normal again. i picked him up (he wasnt out of character and hates being picked up - he had the energy to try and run away from me so it cant have been to serious) and put him in his bed and wrapped him in a fleece. his heart was beating really fast - it could have been because he was scared but I'm not sure. i gave him some water which he drank and after a few minutes he jumped out and was walking around just sat down and started eating hay. he was squeaking softly but in a chatty way, not like he was in pain. i sat there for ages stroking him and he was a bit subdued but seemed otherwhise ok. i know this sounds really weird but his body seemed really soft and squishy?! maybe i was overreacting but it was odd... i dont know, his back area and stomach was just squidgy and i couldnt feel his bones. i would have brought him inside but i thought the temperature change would make him worse and i didnt want to separate him from brandi as i havent got an indoor cage. i thought that if he was going to die, it would be kinder to leave him in a familiar environment with his brother
anyway i didnt know if he would be alive this morning but when i came with the veggies this morning he and brandi ran out to get them like usual and he seemed completely normal. i checked on him about an hour ago and he was popcorning and seemed absolutely fine.
so basically I'm really worried but I'm not sure if its anything serious, theres nothing abnormal about his skin, he is acting normal and recovered really quickly. what do you think it is? could it just be a one off fit?
also, my other piggie, scruffy who had to be put down last september (rip) had to have an dental operation. since he was very weak (we went on holiday for two weeks and he developed a dental problem while we were away and the person looking after him didnt seem to notice that he couldnt eat so he lost nearly half his body weight 8...) the vet said the anasthetic may have a bad affect and he had some kind of seizure or stroke and he couldnt walk properly afterwards. what pepper had was nothing like this, scruffy was fully conked out and writhing on his back, but pepper still seemed kind of 'with it' - if i remember correctly he was squeaking during the fit.
any help appreciated, thanks in advance
last night i went out to feed my pigs and when i opened the door of the shed my pig, pepper came running to the door to see me, squeeking and popcorning like he always does. i gave them food and hay and heatpads and he and his brother brandi were just sitting and eating normally. i was stroking pepper and when i do this he usually stretches flat out and sticks out his legs. he did this but then it suddenly turned into some wierd fit, he was dragging himself around and his front and back legs both sticking out in front and behind him. he kept going on his side and wriggling and stuff. occasionally he would get up and scratch then start fitting again. i know they can have fits from mites or fungal infections but ive checked him, he has no bald patches or sores or scabs and has not been violently scratching at all. What he was doing was just a short itch like usual. it lasted for a few minutes and then he stopped and seemed pretty normal again. i picked him up (he wasnt out of character and hates being picked up - he had the energy to try and run away from me so it cant have been to serious) and put him in his bed and wrapped him in a fleece. his heart was beating really fast - it could have been because he was scared but I'm not sure. i gave him some water which he drank and after a few minutes he jumped out and was walking around just sat down and started eating hay. he was squeaking softly but in a chatty way, not like he was in pain. i sat there for ages stroking him and he was a bit subdued but seemed otherwhise ok. i know this sounds really weird but his body seemed really soft and squishy?! maybe i was overreacting but it was odd... i dont know, his back area and stomach was just squidgy and i couldnt feel his bones. i would have brought him inside but i thought the temperature change would make him worse and i didnt want to separate him from brandi as i havent got an indoor cage. i thought that if he was going to die, it would be kinder to leave him in a familiar environment with his brother
anyway i didnt know if he would be alive this morning but when i came with the veggies this morning he and brandi ran out to get them like usual and he seemed completely normal. i checked on him about an hour ago and he was popcorning and seemed absolutely fine.
so basically I'm really worried but I'm not sure if its anything serious, theres nothing abnormal about his skin, he is acting normal and recovered really quickly. what do you think it is? could it just be a one off fit?
also, my other piggie, scruffy who had to be put down last september (rip) had to have an dental operation. since he was very weak (we went on holiday for two weeks and he developed a dental problem while we were away and the person looking after him didnt seem to notice that he couldnt eat so he lost nearly half his body weight 8...) the vet said the anasthetic may have a bad affect and he had some kind of seizure or stroke and he couldnt walk properly afterwards. what pepper had was nothing like this, scruffy was fully conked out and writhing on his back, but pepper still seemed kind of 'with it' - if i remember correctly he was squeaking during the fit.
any help appreciated, thanks in advance
I am pleased that Pepper seems brighter today but I would have him seen by the vet if only to be on the safe side.