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Weight I just got a new pig and he walks funny.

Rreedy

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Cavy Gazer
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Hello! I joined this forum because I really need some advice. So I have had one pig for 2 years and I finally found him a buddy, so far they are doing great together and my little boy Skeeter loves the new addition.

So the new boar came from a family that didn't have time for him, they were feeding him unlimited pellets and fresh veggies. No hay. When we were doing the introduction I noticed he is almost double the size of Skeeter. He also seems to kind of drag his back legs when he walks. I can't see any sores on his feet so I was thinking this might be cause he is so large. Has anyone else seen this before?

Also any tips for how to help him loose weight? Oh and he doesn't have a name yet, so if you have any ideas I'd be glad to hear them!
 

bpatters

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How much does he weigh? You can't really go by comparing him to your other pig -- pigs are no more the same size and shape than people are.

What fresh veggies has he been eating? Dragging the back legs is often a sign of a vitamin C deficiency. A good quality pellet (KMS Hayloft, Oxbow) will have stabilized vitamin C, and some veggies are much better than others at providing vitamin C.
 

Rreedy

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They were giving him carrots and broccoli. The pellet brand was oxbow. His weight I'm not sure of, but he seems about the same as my kitten who is 4lb.
 

Rreedy

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I may not be describing it right... he still uses his back legs, but he will move his entire body forward before picking up his back legs, one at a time... so he still uses them, but not very well.
 

bpatters

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Get some plain vitamin C -- no multiivitamins. VitaDrops makes a liquid kind, or you can use plain human vitamin C. Kid chewables will work.

Give him about 100 mg. of vitamin C per day for a week, then drop back to about 30 mg. per day. It may well clear up the problem.

Don't put vitamin drops in water. In the presence of light, it degrades into nothing but funny tasting water in a very short time. If you get the VitaDrops (they're in an opaque bottle), you can syringe them to him mixed in with a bit of diluted fruit juice, or sprinkle them on his veggies.

You need a kitchen scale. They're the best piece of medical equipment you can have for a guinea pig, as weight loss is often the first indication of a very sick pig. They're widely available for $15 or less.
 
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