Mini 4 week old piglet eaten cat litter

Question
Hi Helen
My baby mini pig (4 weeks old) has eaten our cat litter - I'm not sure how much - I noticed she was constipated and started to give her a small amount of brown sugar & small amount of oil in her milk (change in the environment & new home etc). Earlier today she was trying to press out her stool and a small amount of cat litter passed thru - the first time I realised she had eaten the cat litter - there has only been a small amount that has passed thru - slow progress. I assume she started eaten the cat litter 5 days ago but only noticed she seemed constipated more than usual yesterday. Do you think I should see a vet right away or give it another day - she has made progress over the last 24 hours with small amounts of the litter working thru her system. What other remedy do you suggest? Also what will the vet do to assist her in getting all this litter out?
I look fwd to your reply.
Thx a mill
Penny

Answer
For reasons no one quite understands, pigs do like to eat cat litter. Ordinary clay cat litter can cause constipation, or worse, blockages. Treated cat litter, like non-clumping and odor-control kinds can even be poisonous.

If your piggy is eating cat litter, then switch to something else right away. Pine shavings, shredded newspaper, or even just an old towel all may good litter.

I am not a veterinarian and can not offer medical advice over the internet. But, in my opinion, if the only observed problem so far is mild constipation, chances are piggy will be ok.

Canned pumpkin is great for relieving piggy constipation. Also, if piggy is not used to riding in a car, a short ride will also help things move along.

Bloody poop can mean bowel damage, so if that happens, piggy will need to see a vet. There's a list of vets that treat pot-bellied pigs at www.farec.org