Coughing Recent choking... How can i help?

[HomeworkCrazy]

My lovely female pig Lady has started having issues with choking. I am not sure how to help her. It seems it's happening a lot since i put her with her new cagemate... does she feel competition for food? This happens a lot when i put fresh hay or veggies in their cage. She starts eating quickly and then chokes; but after she realizes she is eating too fast she doesn't do it again. It has never been a BIG issue. I've never had to help her, it's just a noise i'll hear her make when she's eating... they veggies are in small piggy sizes, i make sure of that when i'm preparing the salads...

how can i help her slow down her eating?

 

[bpatters]

My theory is that vegetables for pigs shouldn't be chopped in small sizes because it just makes it more likely that they'll get a piece small enough to choke on. If food is in large pieces, they have to eat the whole thing to get it down to a tiny piece they could choke on.

I only chop things into enough pieces to make sure both pigs get a couple of shots at everything. I serve tomatoes in eighths, lettuce leaves torn into 4-5 chunks, green beans whole, etc. You get the idea.

 

[SomethingFunny]

Are you sure she's choking? I ask because one of my pigs makes this noise sometimes, it's sort of between a throat clearing noise and a loud cough. It sounds like he's trying to get something out of his throat but, while it does happen more often when he's eating (especially if he's rushing), he also does it when he's nowhere near the food or water. He's been doing this about twice a week since we brought him home almost a year ago and he seems to be completely healthy. I'm beginning to wonder if it might be like the guinea pig version of a hiccup.

 

[totoro]

If you can, you could hand feed her so that she doesn't wolf it down so quickly? My one eats really fast and often chokes but generally sorts it out by herself, though I have hand fed her in the past and found it helps a lot to slow her down.
I try not to make the food too small or too big because if it's small she can just swallow it and if it's big I've noticed her try to just shove it all in without breaking it up. Not an easy answer really.
If you think it could be competition, could you separate them while they eat? Mine no longer eat together because the one eats it all up fast and the other takes her time. While she's taking her time eating, the other has finished hers and moved on to eating the slow ones food! So she gets double and the other pig gets less if I don't separate them! Have you noticed if the new pig is stealing her food or anything like that?
If anything does get stuck, you can put your finger in her mouth and feel for the piece of food and remove it. I found tomato is often a problem for mine. Maybe it is a particular type of food that she has trouble with?
Good luck

 

[HomeworkCrazy]

SomethingFunny
It could be.. I mean it's very recent! She didn't do that when i first brought her home!!

totoro
she is a rescue pig so socialization and trust is a big issue for her... i've tried hand-feeding her veggies and such but she won't accept them from my hand Also i could try that... i could leave Lady on my bed to eat while Avery eats in their cage... i haven't noticed any issues with the stealing of food tho but it's so hard to watch 4 piggies eat veggies at once!!!

 

[Heather_GP]

@SomethingFunny my piggie does that as well occasionally, and 8/10 times he's not eating just strutting around or chilling. Also does it mostly when I'm asleep or on my own with him, wakes me up panicked ha. I like the hiccup idea!