The doctor is in!!!!

[VoodooJoint]

Jdomans, I just wanted to let you know that I recently had an aged and neglected boar neutered and he did very very well. He's fine now and is so happy to be in with his girls and honestly I have never seen my girls so happy either.

It's strange that before Gumbo (the boar) joined the girls they all got along but tried not to interact too much. Now that Gumbo has joined them and the introductions and "get-used-to-each-other" time has passed they are all much more social with each other. It's rather like Gumbo was the missing piece of their puzzle.

Of course there are still risks but getting him neutered can possibly be the best think you could do. From experiance I know how much happier Gumbo is now compared to having a shared wall. He would get so sad when the girls left his view and he couldn't go and find them.

[JenniferT]

I don't know where you live, but it can be hard to find a good piggie vet to get Dolilittle neutered. I live in Aspen, CO and had to go almost 50 miles to find someone I trusted. It was expensive (around $200) and time consuming, but I would do it again in a heartbeat dispite the risks. Of course it is an individual choice. If you think that you might be interested at some point in time I would be happy to contact my vet and see if he knows anyone in your area he recommends. Also, you can look on the American Veterinary Medical Assoc. website at www.avma.org. When I see them all huddled together in a little piggie ball I know that having Blooregard neutered was the right choice for us.
Can't wait for pics!!!!

[jdomans]

Well the doctor is home but not seeing anyone yet! LOL It is a sure bet he has mites as Jamie thought he had ear mites and put some medicine in his ear. He also shakes his head when you touch that ear. I feel I may be dealing with vitamin deficiency as well. His rump hair is coarse and greasy even though she bathed him. His only veggies were the occasional carrot and he ate junk GP food as well as cheerios and fruitloops! Other than that, he is a beaut. He is in here with me and far away from the girls. His vet check on Tuesday will not come soon enough. Oh he was in a square cage that I surmise was 18" square maybe 24" but I don't think so.

Here he is:






He has been rooting around in the shavings. JennG I thought of you while driving home. Even though I was lucky to have only gone to the north side of Jacksonville I was getting rather fretful on the way home about getting off the Interstate. I thought about you and your long drive to get the girls. I am glad to be home.

[jdomans]

Thank you all. Neutering will be discussed at great length on Tuesday. First thing is getting him healthy. one day at a time and one step at a time. Voodoo your point is well taken! Thanks. If all of my suspicions are correct it will be weeks before he even sees the girls.

[PiggieMom]

He is a cutie and is sure lucky you found him! I hope he gets healthy soon.

[WEAVER]

I hope everything goes well you for and your new little man. He is a cutie

[jdomans]

Well I just had to post another pigture. I took this just a bit ago after PMing Weaver about 4 times! Doolittle has not eaten much hay and she suggested I take it out of the hay roller as he may not know how to work it. I did and he just started popcorning around after munching down. I did give him a mix of store bought and the barn hey we use.

[WEAVER]

I am so glad he is eatting and popcorning. He is going to be feeling so much better shortly. He is one lucky pig to have you for his new mom!

[jdomans]

I am back from Doolittle’s check-up and I am so excited I could go out and shout it from my balcony!!! Dr. Bink is the man of the hour!!!! He is fabulous. I tell you, when I am a homeowner again, my dogs will go to him as well. Nice ... this man is so nice it is incredible. He welcomed all my questions.

OK so here is the scoop. He took samples of the mess in both of Doolittle’s ears, a skin scraping, hair samples, and a fecal. The skin scraping was nothing like I have read. He just took a #10 blade and lightly scraped over Doolittle’s ears. He had a slide that he put the ear samples and skin scrapings on. As far as the hair went, it came out by the handfuls. He said that was the vitamin deficiently in his diet and he had probably suffered from a bit of scurvy. He then told me their hair growth had a 28-day cycle and we would see a difference in a month. He said that his long rump hair should also become soft and long and silky!!! Woo whoo . Everything is negative. He even did a test for fungus and that was negative. He wants me to clean his ears with a vinegar and water solution. His ears are just clogged up and that is why he shakes them. I got out to the car and realized I had forgotten to ask what to clean the ears with. The girls went and asked him but didn't ask what ratio. She was cleaning dog throw up so I didn't want to be a bother. I figure a ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part vinegar as he said a weak solution. I had brought in poo from the girls and from Doolittle because his was so huge. Dr. Bink said that boar’s had larger poos. He even checked the girls for coxcydia while at it. We talked about neutering and his being by the girls now before neutering. His semi-undescended testicles are normal for some pigs. He felt around and they are up a bit and full size. Dr. Bink said that actually it is nicer on him as it can be sore on boars to drag a huge package behind them over shavings and things. He told me to leave him in here (the study) because he wants to check him again in 3 weeks for mites and fungus to be very sure and that also Doo might lose his mind being next to the girls and that they would ALL go in heat at the same time! Then we went over the care taking of the ‘bits’. Good lord no big deal at all. Doo is very clean and Dr. Bink said to check him weekly and once a month clean him with a Hibiclens solution using a cotton ball. He is against mineral oil because it just stays there and keeps things gunked up. As far as the smegma on his penis, leave it alone. It is there for a purpose and the purpose is to allow the penis to glide in and out of the foreskin. Dr. Bink had piggers himself and this is what he did.

Dr. Bink neutered two bunnies this morning, had a monkey in for a client and while I was there 3 parrots came in and a goat!!

Guess what my bill was? $28. Oh and the follow up in 3 weeks is no charge. Is that not terrific? The office building is one that has been around for 40 years I’d say. We took our dogs there when I was a child. He hasn’t done a thing to it at all. Of course I don't know what the back of the office is like. He keeps a low overhead obviously. Hey I am not there for the beauty of the building. I am there for the skill of the doctors.

I am so sad for Doolittle being in the store bought cage. I have just measured and the 4-foot table will fit in here. I will get my scrubs out of the closet and hang them on the back of the door. There is nothing else in it I need. I keep them in here for those 4AM mornings so I don’t disturb my sweetie. We will get the coroplast cut and he will be in the big boy cage tomorrow if not tonight. I have so many things for him to enjoy and there is no room in the Super Pet XL for it.



When I get Doolittle in his new set up I will send pigtures.

[nonamian_girl]

Wow, what an amazing vet!

[jdomans]

You have no idea. I am floating on a cloud right now. Just dealing with school and a creep for a dept. head/teacher, I needed this good thing in my life. I ca't stop smiling.

[nonamian_girl]

You should post his location on the GL directory.

[amfeider]

Wow! This vet seems very good.

[Slap Maxwell]

Sounds like you have a wonderful vet! As for the smegma, Maverick has so much that it was covering the tip of his penis, so I got some off.

I expected Doolittle has quite a bit and had never been cleaned out, but it sounds like he is in excellent shape!

[jdomans]

Yeah Slap just don't go nutzo about it. He does need some after all. LOL

Oh I will go post his address on GL Thanks for the idea.

[PiggieMom]

Wow. You are so lucky! I hope I find a vet as swell as yours someday. I'm glad to hear Doolittle's doing good. It's good to hear happy endings around here sometimes.