Creekside Farm Tiny Oinkers

Creekside Farm Tiny Oinkers provides general information and answers questions about your pigs 24-7. If you ever have a problem, you are more than welcome to call me or e-mail me at any time. A good vet is recommended with a phone number provided who specializes in small pet pigs. There is also a paper back book by Barron's Books,titled Potbellies and other Miniature Pigs a complete owners guide. This book has been in print many years and is the best one I have seen, This is also a book Potential Buyers may want to purchase before deciding to buy a pet pig. You can order on line for less than 10.00. Best money you will ever spend. CARE SHEETS: To get you started; FEEDING Instructions: Feed 1/2 cup of pellets per day, per 25 pounds of body weight. Can be divided into two seperate feedings: Recommended pellet feed: Purina Sow and Pig Complete or Potbelly pellet feed; both are sold at Tractor Supply. ( NEVER FEED: Grower and finisher or Hog Ration!!) FRESH WATER AT ALL TIMES. FRUITS: (Note) Limit the amount of fruit as to many carbs can upset the PH levels. A pigs diet needs to be high fiber and low carb to maintain good health. Too many carbs in their diet is the main cause for uti's in house pigs. Apples, Bananas,pears,peaches,plums,grapes. Although they like ripe banana peelings, they can never have citrus peelings, inside fruits o.k. Always cut grapes into, as this is a choking hazzard. VEGETABLES: Tomatoes,green beans,cucumbers,egg plant,squash,carrots,lettuce,celery,bell peppers,broccoli and corn sparingly. ALWAYS, cut up their food in small bites while they are young to prevent choking. INTRODUCING YOUR PIG TO IT'S NEW HOME: I recommend that you leave your pig in it's crate for a little while after you bring them home. Even though the babies have been socialized by us, you have to remember you are a stranger and their new home is even stranger to them, new smells, new noises. This creates a safe haven for your pig when they feel scared or frightened. Make sure they have a blanket in their crate because they like to cover up. After they have been there for a little while, open their door and let them get use to their new surrounings and new sounds. Set their food and water dish ( needs to be a non-tip-dish) next to their crate along with their litter box. (NOTE) Use only pine shavings for their litter box as they will eat cat litter which can cause great harm or even death to your pig. Let your little pig come to you by sitting on the floor and offer little bites of bananas or apple bits. They will soon learn you are not going to hurt them and they will be crawling all over you before you know it. Your little pig may scream when you first pick them up. Just hold on to them and hold them close to reassure them that they are not prey and you want hurt them. Never let them scream for a long period of time, if they stress, put them down and try again later. Do try and wait til they stop screaming to put them down, they quickly learn, if I scream, they'll put me down. You will be able to tell if they are stressing to the point it can cause them harm, a 5 minute scream can sound like eternity, but can scream longer without causing harm. Never let small children get right in the piglets face as they are likely to bite until they get use to their new family. (NOTE ABOUT BATHING) Introduce your piglet to bathing at an early age, using only a tearless shampoo like baby shampoo. To keep their coates soft use baby oil or skin-so-soft bath oil by avon. Pigs will defecate in their water while being bathed, so just run a little water at first, wait for it, use a cat scoop to catch it, flush it and continue with their bath. THIS IS NORMAL. PIG PROOF YOUR HOME!!!! Make sure your little pig can not get ahold of something that may hurt them or any objects that they can swallow. You can train them with a water gun when they get into stuff they shouldn't. The first words of english they should learn is NO! and a firm tap on the nose when they do something that is not desired by you, biting, excessive nudging, this will leave you blue as they get older, it hurts. ( I do only advise tapping the nose for biting and excessive nudging only) Pigs are very intelligent and have to learn rules just like children. If you can raise a child, you can raise a pig. TRAINING YOUR PIG: Pigs can be trained to do everal tricks such as , to sit, dance, kneel, climbing stairs, jumping over objects, the shell game, nose tricks playing a piano, etc. A recommended book, is a paperback book by Barrons books called: Potbelly and other Miniature Pigs, a complete owners manual. This book will run you less than ten dollars online. In this book, it will list poison plants and other harmful substances. First aide care, understanding pig behaviours, more info on diet, grooming, foot care etc. Also it will tell you step by step in training your pig to do tricks, pig proofing your home and yard and much, much more. If you ever have any questions about you new pig, we are here 24-7 to help you in anyway we can, please feel free to contact me at any time. These care sheets should get you started with your new pig. I post various articles everyday on the Facebook site Creekside Farm Tiny Oinkers, and also pigfacts.minipigfarm.com. There you can learn all you need to know about pigs, health, nutrition, worming and behavior issues, more on potty training, hoof trimming etc. I also run a group page called All Piggies Great and Small on Facebook, you are welcome to join. We share pictures, tell stories, help rescues and share advice among the many members. Vickie Craig- 828-582-3422 E-Mail: [email protected] THINGS TO HAVE ONHAND: ( All this info was written by a vet) Creekside Farm Tiny Oinkers Pig Education February 2 pet pig emergency supply list - updated 01/20/14 By Cathy Zolicani on Monday, January 20, 2014 at 4:38pm Updated: Jan 20, 2014 Disclaimer – if your pig is sick, go to a veterinarian. Do not try to treat the pig yourself. Murphy’s law of veterinary medicine: Your pig will get sick at night, on aholiday, or after hours. Reasons togo to the ER now: Your pig will not eat Your pig will not move Your pig is shaking violently, is stiff, or is moving in circles,has a head tilt Your pig is having trouble breathing Your pig is vomiting blood orhaving bloody diarrhea Your pigs body temperature isbelow 99 or above 104 Your pregnant pig has beenpushing hard for 1 hour, you can see a piglet or part of a piglet in the vaginalcanal, but the piglet is not coming Things to have on hand, to help your pig UNTIL you get tothe veterinarian: Strawberry Kool aid – for pigs who do not want to drink, or have low blood sugar. Can be used to give some meds since it can mask thetaste of a bitter compound gatorade(regular/original) or pedialyte – balanced electrolyte solutions to replacefluid lost if vomiting or diarrhea occur. low sodiumchicken broth – can be used to replace fluid lost if vomiting or diarrhea occur campbel’svegetable soup – many pigs will eat this when it is warmed up, when they willnot eat anything else. Long shelf life, easy to store. cannedpumpkin – high fiber to help if constipation or diarrhea occur apple sauce –many pigs will eat this when they have poor appetite. Can be used to hide medication heating pad –for the cold pig. Set on low so no onegets burned. Also adds security for newpigs – if a warmy is included in their bed,they sleep better on those first nights home. Careful of the electrical cords though karo syrup –a sugar source to help very cold or inappetant pigs sugar – 1 teaspoonful in a cup of warm water can beput on gums to raise blood sugar of cold pigs they do not have to drink it, itcan be absorbed through the mucous membranes of the lips and gums. instantoatmeal – many pigs will eat warm oatmeal when they do not eat anything else a fewsyringes of different sizes or a turkey baster so that you can give liquidsorally A digitalthermometer – to be used rectally (get one for only pig use) A fan forcooling Ice packs(or frozen peas in a bag) for cooling and in case of a injury to a leg. Put a small towel between the ice pack and the skin. Honey – a sugarsource for cold pigs – rub some on the gums. Can also be mixed in with canned Pumpkin if they are reluctant toeat it Fullspectrum light (SAD light) – can be obtained on line. Provides sunlight for pigs that are indoorsonly. Needed so that Vitamin D can beproduced and used. 10 minutes perday. Especially useful For piglets Kwik Stop –a styptic powder to help bleeding hoovesif you quick them during trimming. DONOT USE ON SKIN because it can burn thetissue Super glue –if you quick a claw during trimming, you can glue a cotton ball onto bleedingarea and it will stop. Cotton will fall off or can be removed (byyou) later Q-tips KY jelly or Vaseline (or both) – can be used tolubricate and moisten tissue. A smallamount on a q-tip Can be used to clean the outsideof the ear Handybandage material (in case of a cut, scrape, etc): disposable diapers or sanitary napkins –clean absorbant material, easy to store and always have about. Masking tape (does not stick to skin,but sticks to bandage material A couple of pairs of athletic socks orsome boots made for dogs – to cover feet 1 inch white bandage tape Rolled gauze vetwrap ASPCANATIONAL ANIMAL POISON CONTROL (available 24 hours a day. Thereis a fee, so have credit card ready) 1-800-548-2423 Pleasecontact your local ER vets before you have an emergency, so you know where totake your pigs if you need emergency care. Helpful overthe counter drugs to have on hand: (generic name is listed first, brand name in parenthesis) a. for upset stomach (vomiting, not eating,diarrhea) Omprazole(prilosec) 5-10 mg once a day for 14days Famotidine(pepcid) 0.25-0.5 mg per pound of bodyweight Zantac(ranitidine) 150 mg twice a day Peptobismol 1 cc per pound of body weight. may make the stool black – can look justlike a plastic garbage bag Kaopectate 1cc per pound of body weight. may makethe stool black – can look just like a plastic garbage bag Maaloxliquid (for stomach gas) 2 cc per 5 pounds of body weight b. for pain bufferedaspirin 5 mg per pound of body weighttwice a day. ****must be buffered. Must be given with food. ***do not give if your pig isnot eating! ***do not give for more than 3days without seeing your vet Many peoplehave asked about liquid ibuprofen children’s syrup (also called brufen liquid) –I know that this compound is frequently used in the UK, but I was unable tofind a recommended dose in the US. As amatter of fact, pharmacologists in the US uniformly advise against use ofibuprofen, acetominophin, advil, motrin, Tylenol, etc., in pigs. As such, I have not added these to my list. c. for constipation -- if no significant stool in 48 hours, seevet high fiber diet Metamucil – start with 1 tbsp power inyogurt every 6 hours. Gradually build upto 1 packet every 6 Hours DSS (docusate sodium) a stool softener 200-240 mg per pig twice a day Fleet e***a Mineral oil (can be given orally orrectally) d. for itching/hives/swollen eyes diphenhydramine (Benadryl) 1 mg per pound of body weight every 6-8 hours e. for weeping eyes: saline eye flush (in contact care areaat store) or mix 1 teaspoonful of table salt in 1cup warm water and use as eye flush terramycin ophthalmic ointment(available at feed store). Put a smallamount in each eye twice a day f. to kill many parasites: Ivermectin 1% injectable (or oral) 10 mg/ml . 0.1 – 0.2 ml per 10 pounds of body weight. mix in yogurt or fruit juice and they willslurp it right down g. for coughing pigs children’s cough syrup – (dextromethorphan 15 mg per 10 ml) – 10 ml per pig twice a day. h. for pigs that have ingested a poison 1. call poison control (ASPCA NATIONAL ANIMAL POISON CONTROL (available 24 hours a day. There is a fee, so have credit cardready) 1-800-548-2423) 2. Hydrogen Peroxide 3% (in the brown bottle, for wounds – not the fullstrength stuff used to bleach hair) canbe given orally (by syringe) to induce vomiting (dose: approximately 5cc per 10 pounds of bodyweight) 3. syrup of ipecac – 1 tablespoonful per pig, orally to induce vomiting ++++warning – vomiting is not alwaysgood after a pig ingests a poison. Callpoison control or your ER first+++++ 4. activated charcoal – adheres to any toxin left in the digestive tractand prevents pig from absorbing it – get the liquid or powdered form, thetablets/granules are not nearly as effective. Watch out – this stuff is messy and will stain anything clothforever. Comes out in the stool and thestool will also stain everything. Dose: adult pigs (over 30 pounds - 0.5 ml per pound of body weight) young pigs (less than 30 pounds – 0.1 ml perpound of body weight. Can be repeated in8 hours. i. for pregnant or farrowing sows: oxytocin -- 2-4 units subcutaneously(milk letdown, retained placenta, augment uterine contractions, agalactiasyndrome, post partum metritis) Calcium Gluconate 10% -- 20 cc subcutaneously in several (4)different spots (augment uterine contractions) Colostrum substitute (such asUltra-Start Colostrum) in case babies cannot nurse Goat’s milk or milk substitute in casebabies cannot nurse Our recommended local vet: Animals or Us Upward Rd. Hendersonville, N.C. Beverly Hargus (828) 693-7387 Specializes in mini pigs:

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