Sick Gpig and Food for weight gain.

[thegpiglioness]

I have a question about how to help a skinny piggy gain weight. My piggy Noboz,(the pig that is my avatar pic.) was diagnosed with middle ear syndrome which has caused her to have symptoms of Horners syndrome and facial paralysis on one side of her face. Middle ear syndrome is when the bulla (inner ear) is filled with thick fluidy infection and its very slow healing. She is going in for surgery tomorrow to drain the infection to give her relief, but in the mean time she has lost weight because it is hard for her to chew with one side of her jaw. Noboz is a very picky pig when it comes to food. I have had her for 6 months and only NOW has she started to eat salads and a small piece of carrot every once in a while. She will eat orange pieces, but I don't give them to her as often. She enjoys her pellets and hay though. I think this is because her previous owner before she went to the shelter probably didn't expose her to anything but pellets and hay.

Anyways, my question is how can I help her gain weight? This is because if she is having trouble eating now after surgery is done I'm worried she will have even MORE trouble eating. I have been sitting down with her and giving her mixed veggies baby food(consists of carrots green beans and peas) and blueberry and apple baby food as much as I can. She will only lick so much off my finger until she starts to not want anymore, and 1/2 of it gets all over her face anyways. But the good thing is that now she will munch on some salad and I have also been giving her some oat hay as some variation along with her timothy hay so maybe she will be enticed to nibble more things. She also loves her critter berries so i try to give her more of those than I would if she wasn't sick and skinny.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
~TheGpigLioness

 

[Ly&Pigs]

Get some critical care and mix it with some plain pedialyte. You can order critical care through the oxbow website. Oxbow Pet Products | Welcome

 

[thegpiglioness]

Update on poor Noboz-
Today Noboz went to have her surgery done. The surgery cost $658.00. She has a drain placed in her, in the side of her head but more under,if you know what I mean. I have to give her these meds.:

• Metacam 1-2 times a day for pain.
• Buprenex injections 2-3 times a day for pain.
• Her oral antibiotic Baytril 2 times a day.
• Her eye drops 3 times a day.
• Her eye lubricant at least three times a day because she has no tear production in her left eye.

I need to keep her eating and drinking as well as much as possible. I am going to use Oxbow's Critical Care (the vet suggested as well as Ly) mixed with unflavored pedialyte (as Ly suggested) and need to feed her at least 5-6 cc's of it a few (maybe more if I can) times a day. Noboz drain is to come out either this Thursday or Friday depending on how much fluid drains from her inner ear. I am SO not going to give up on this Pig, although I have no clue how I am going to do this. I hope once I get a routine going with all of her needs it might be easier.
Wish me Luck!
Thanks!

~TheGpigLioness

P.S.-I will try to give you all updates on her progress.