bad bite wounds / feeling "bummed out"

[pigsmakemesmile]

I wanted to let everyone know about my recent experiences with my 5 boys.
I had enlarged their cage last week to give them a lot more room. In doing so that next morning, I checked on them and noticed that Pigster, my newer pig's his eye was injured-seems like they were add it during the night. I checked the other's to see if there were other injuries involved but I didn't find any-at least I thought. Yesterday, when I was visiting with the boys before work, I noticed Ben, very first pig, had blood on his hinder. So I examined him, clipped the fur down to the skin to get a closer look. I found deep wounds that had purulent smelly drainage (infection). So I cleansed him and the wound, used diluted peroxide and just gently cleaned it. Poor baby, broke my heart. Ben's wound looked severe enough to warrant a visit to the vet. I feel like such a bad pigmama, maybe I should of left the cage the size it was. So I took Pigster to my regular vet last week who examined him and said what I thougt-a bite wound to the eye, so he was placed on Terramycin ophthal ointment twice a day for 5 days and a recheck if no improvement. Today marks the 5th day for his treatment and the eye has healed completely. Ben on the other hand was taken to a different vet last night, one who came highly recommended. For the vet to get a better look at his injuries she took Ben and left the room saying, "me and the pig are going to meet with the shaver, we'll be back". 20minutes later she came back with my guy and he was nearly bald, turns out he had a lot more wounds than the ones I found. I feel like "expletive." He's an Abyssinian and has long swirly hair. The vet said in all her years of practice this is the first case she's seen were a pig had wounds like these from another pig. She put Ben on Baytril twice a day for 14 days. She compounded the antibiotic so I can give it in liquid form. She also was concerned about intestinal upset so she also prescribed Benebac-it's good bacteria for pigs intestinal system, similar to acidophilus. She said he'll be ok. I was pleased with how she examined him- was very down to earth. What a crappy week, first with my pigs, then my car needs over 1000.00 dollars in work and my daughters tuition is due next week and christmas just around the corner. I work full time and am looking for a part time evening job. Sorry for the rambling. I don't put a price when it comes to my pigs and their vet bills, they mean a lot to me but it's kind of happened at a not so good time. I know that others have had situations occur that weren't at good times either. On top of all this I've been reading a lot about how animals and pigs are neglected and abused and even wrote to a store to let them know they need to do a better job taking care of their pigs and other animals that I visited in their store. With all that, it's justs put me in a bad mood. I wish I had the power to change the world and make it a better place for animals and people, but I can't- can only pray about it. I know I started off talking about Ben and Pigster's wounds, Just wanted to mention my experience with this in case others are in a similar situation. I decided not to make any changes with their cage anytime soon, I did want to add another section. What would you all advice. I really don't know what they could have been fighting over that would have caused wounds like these. Ben's visit was last night. His wounds are scabbed over today and actually look like they're going to heal nicely. Again, sorry for the rambling. Needed to vent a little.

[CavySpirit]

All 5 boys live together in one cage? I've never been able to keep 5 boars together in a cage. I know it's possible in a larger free-range environment. On the rare occasion when someone gets it to work, it's just that, rare.

[petersons]

I have never had 5 boars together either. I hope ben is alright though.

[ctinaw]

Awww the poor pigs - and poor you. I can only imagine how stressful that was. Maybe instead of enlarging the cage you could split the cage into two separate cages and maybe place them next to each other so they can all still "talk" but there would be less squables over whatever they were squabbling about. Maybe you'd know which ones would be best to group together. Perhaps a group of 3 and 2. That is my only idea.

Good luck with your boys!

[pigsmakemesmile]

I've had Ben and Jerry who have been together since the beginning - about a year. Chubbs and Pigster came to me together, they're brothers. Popcorn I got 3 weeks ago, I've been wanting him since the summer, he belonged to my 2 nephews who finally gave him to me because they are moving. Except for Popcorn, the others have been cohabitating together since late August early September and they all seemed to be getting along well. It wasn't until I re-established their living quarters by makeing the cage larger, that they squabbled. I wonder if it's to determin who is going to own what piece of land. It's a 3x6 play and eat area with a ramp that takes them up to a 2 x 8. The cage is a shape of an L and I intended to make it the shape of a U by adding a 3 X 4 off of the loft.I ran out of grids, my nephews are giving me their grids, I just didn't get them yet. I want the cage to be really large because they are in it so often, I want them to feel they have a continent to play on. I dedicated and entire room to them for the winter and spring. In the summer I want to constructed a super large piggy-pen that would be predator proof for stays outside during the day. I'd bring them in at night. At least there are 5 pigs in this world guaranteed not to be abused nor neglected and experimented on that are safe with me.
Thank you for your replies. I was thinking about dividing the cage but I'd like to give it more thought. Sometimes I wonder what I get myself into.

[CavySpirit]

You're going to have to make the call. Sometimes, when a pig has been wounded so bad, he'll not forgive the attacker and sooner or later will seek revenge. I think you've got a tough road to get them all to get along. Your cage sounds great though. Definitely big enough. But, when they don't want to get along, no amount of cage space is going to fix it.

I'd try to tough it out a couple of more weeks, as long as you don't see more serious wounds. Otherwise, you'll need to figure out how to break up the group and divide the cage.

[pigsmakemesmile]

G'morning, it's 7am and I just checked on my boys and gave them their early morning treats. I examine them every morning starting with their eyes. Everyone seems good-no new wounds. Ben's seem to get better day by day and nothing new found-should be easy to find since he has nearly no fur left from the shaving. Thank you for your suggestion, I'm gonna give it a few weeks and see how they do. I sure would hate to break up this precious herd of mine. It would defeat the purpose of having them all together. But I have to think of their safety too. I thought to help lift me out of this mood I'm gonna go to an annual christmas craft fair at my daughter's high school. I wish that I could find little things on pigs. Oh my lord...I don't believe this, my husband is walking into the living room with the hugest smile with Ben in his arms....This is a first. He's never held one of my boys before...he even gave Ben a carrot too. I wish I had the camera. Thank you everyone for your replies. Got to go.

[clotho]

Try not to feel too discouraged. You didn't know Ben was hurt - and you did all the right things once you knew he was.

I too question whether 5 males will be able to get along - even in a big cage. I know some people have managed it - but I have read way too many stories about males doing ok and then fighting and having to be separated.

I hope it works out for you - but if not, you can always have them divided by grids so they can still "visit" each other. Have you figured out which of the males hurt Ben?

I have three males in a 3x4 grid cage with an extra two cubes of space tagged onto one side. Two are littermates and they are almost a year old now. The third is their little brother from another litter and he is about 9 months old now. They have their spats and chase a bit and rumble a lot. I am concerned I may need to separate them eventually, but we will stick it out until there is major bloodshed before doing that. The youngest one had a tiny bite wound on his nose the other day, so I cleaned it and put a tiny dab of antibiotic cream on it and it's healed up now.

If you can manage to keep the 5 of them together, that's great! But I think you should always have a back up plan for how you will separate them just in case.

In my case, I know I can split the boys' cage into two parts - one side big enough for 2 piggies and the other side big enough for 1 piggie. So if worst comes to worst I can put one piggie on his own, separated by grids from the other two.

I have been so tempted to get another male, but I keep reminding myself I"m lucky the three I have get along ok - there's NO need to upset the balance in that cage by trying to add another!!!