Pellets Piggy wont eat pellets at all

[Wmarsh]

Wilbur is our 3-1/2 yr old piggy. He always ate his Oxbow pellets really well. Got sick about 4 weeks ago. Took him to vet. Had blood in urine. Got antibiotic. He still has blood in urine after of 14 days of antibiotic so calling vet back Monday. We have purchased a new pellet, Small Pet Select, found online- timothy hay based. Will not eat his pellets much- I am thinking he is only eating a tsp maybe a day- if that much. He will not eat Vit C supplements either. We give him fresh veggies to compensate. Vet recomm kale since high in vit C but he refuses this completely. so his diet right now consist of Timothy Hay (not eating that like he use to either), Romaine lettuce, and other green leafy lettuces (no iceberg - never have), red and green peppers, parsley, carrots (only couple times a week), cherry tomatoes, He weighed about 1 lb 9 1/2 oz vet apt few weeks ago. Yesterday he weighed 1 lb 11 1/8 oz so he is gaining weight. I noticed today his eyes are a little crusty so he needs more vitamin c. Any recommendation/advice very welcome.

 

[bpatters]

I wouldn't worry about the lack of pellets, except to increase his other sources of vitamin C, as you are doing. Adult pigs should be limited to no more than 1/8 cup pellets per day, and fewer is fine.

Crusty eyes aren't necessarily a sign of a lack of vitamin C. They can be due to an eye infection, respiratory infection, or blocked tear duct.

Did the vet take an x-ray to see if he had a stone? If so, that could be why he still has blood in his urine. It's always a good idea to insist on an x-ray when a pig has blood in the urine.

Kale is far too high in calcium to be fed on a regular basis. If your pig doesn't have a stone, that's just asking for one. Parsley is the same way.

Romaine has been anecdotally linked to excess urinary calcium in some pigs, but not in others. No one knows why this is the case, but if you have a pig prone to sludge, stones, or other urinary problems, it's best to switch them to red or green leaf lettuce. Cilantro will do the same thing.

You can find Vita Drops liquid vitamin C online, in most pet stores, and occasionally at places like Walmart and Target. They can be syringed to the pig or sprinkled on veggies, but don't put them in the water bottle.