The pig in the kitchen

I health guarantee animals I sell, and this little pig came back after a week or so looking pretty bad. I don't know what caused it not to thrive, but when it came back it was a pretty hurting little critter, dehydrated and really thin.

This can be caused by a switch in feed from one type to another, environmental -- something disagreed with the pig in its new home, or just random cold or virus. I'll see if I can't figure out what the cause is, but I'd prefer to have a happy customer, so took this piglet back with no questions asked.

For a little critter like this, I'd much prefer to put back in with the sow, but the sow wasn't having any of that, and had already started drying up. A second attempt with another sow didn't work, so bottle feeding it is. A trip to the store for a baby bottle and some whole milk and we're in business.

What I'm after immediately is to get some fluid into the pig, but I'm not sure what it's been eating, so I start slow. Milk cut 30% with water, and a whole bottle, which is a lot for a little pig, but it's important to get something into this little guy.

After two more bottle feedings of 40z or so per feeding, the pig is responding. A lot more vocal, more interested in the bottle, eating some dry food. Looking good so far. To stop the diarrhea that the pig has I mix 1/3rd cup of active culture yogurt in with the milk. right now we're feeding a small amount of mostly fluid three times a day. I think this little guy might make it. I sure hope so.

Andrea spent most of tonight watching tv with the piglet on her lap. Sure hope she doesn't get too attached to it -- it'll be coming back for dinner sometime.