2.5 week old orphan

Question
QUESTION: I'm having trouble getting my 2.5 week old, 2.5 lb baby to eat, so I'd like to ask you to expand on your boost/carnation instant breakfast recipe. At what ratio do you use each of the ingredients? Thank you so much!

ANSWER: I use 1 bottle of Boost, 1 envelope Instant Breakfast, and 1 can of plain evaporated (not condensed) milk. This is a general formula, so feel free to experiment with it to find what will work best for your baby.

Your baby might prefer goats milk. It is available fresh, canned and powdered at most health food stores, and sometimes in the health food section of supermarkets. You could try replacing the canned milk with canned goat milk, or add powdered goat milk to the recipe above.

Everything in the recipe can be stored at room temperature as long as the containers are not opened. Keeping them on the counter will make a room temperature mix. If you've put some mix in the fridge for a few hours, try warming it up a bit in the microwave, but make sure to heat it for just a few seconds at a time, and stir, stir, stir, stir it up like crazy so there are not "hot spots" to burn piggy's mouth.

Another option might be to get some sow replacement formula from a feed store or internet supply (like Valley Vet Supply or Jeffers) and add that to the mix.



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QUESTION: Ok. She is now eating well. I feed her whenever she's hungry, which is about every two hours. She goes a little longer at night. Her feed is as follows: 1 part gerber rice cereal, 1 part Mazuri mini pig youth pellets, 2 parts full fat plain yogurt, 4 parts goat's milk. She is pan fed. I also have water and youth pellets available free choice, and she has access to clean, fresh dirt to snuffle around in. She eliminates normally, and has several bowel movements per day. She suddenly looks very fat to me.  She has a big 'ol belly. I am just concerned that I may be feeding her too much. I don't want to set her up to be overweight as an adult.

ANSWER: Baby piglets often have fat, round tummies just after eating. It can be really hard to judge how much a piglet is growing just by looking. The best way to tell if piggy is eating too much is by weight.

Piglets should gain about 1 lb per week. If piggy is gaining more than that, it's time to cut back gradually. If piggy is gaining less than 1 lb a week, then what piggy is eating now is fine for the time being. Keep monitoring piggy's weight, and keep an eye on how many treats piggy gets per day.

If piggy needs to cut back, I'd start by reducing then eliminating the yogurt and rice cereal over the course of several meals. The pellets and goat's milk will have plenty of nutrition.

In fact, now that piggy is eating well, I'd reduce and eliminate the yogurt and rice cereal anyway Pigs usually wean their babies at about 8 weeks old. So the goal should be to have piggy eating pellets, veggies, occasional treats, and water by 8 weeks, and weighing about 8 lb. When the cereal and yogurt are eliminated, begin diluting the goat's milk with water, but offering the same quantity. For example, if you're giving 3/4 c milk, dilute it to 1/2 c milk & 1/4 c water.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks! I will start reducing the yogurt and cereal, diluting the milk, increasing her pellets, and start offering her veggies. I will also weigh her tonight, and hope she's around 4 lbs!

My concern right now is bloat. Her belly got so big so fast. Almost overnight. She is still eating fine and has frequent bowel movements, but she has never had the typical "berries". She's always pooped a log of berries. She still likes to do laps in the living room, while spinning in circles, although maybe slightly less frequently in the last day. She still enjoys belly rubs, but today she would prefer that I not rub her directly on her midline. I don't know what a normal respiratory rate for a piglet is, but she seems to be breathing pretty fast, almost like a little dog panting. There is so much conflicting information on the net about pbps, it's enough to make anyone's head spin. I can't even figure what a "normal" temp for my little girl is! I've read to give her pumpkin. I've read to give her oil. I just wants to do right by her. I love her so much!

If you could tell me the symptoms/likelihood of bloat, and how to treat it, I'd really really appreciate it! I'd also like to know if her poo sounds normal to you, and if not, how I can remedy it. Any help you can give as far as vitals on the young ones would be be so very helpful!

Thank you so much for your time. I apologize for all the questions. I
A nervous piggy mommy!

Answer
What goes in affects what comes out. Right now your piggy is getting a lot of dairy, and that makes softer stools.

If piggy has just started eating well, it will take a couple of days to a week for her body to adjust to the new amounts of food.

If she seems really full or uncomfortable after eating, try giving her smaller meals at more frequent intervals.

There is a lot of conflicting medical information about pigs floating around on the internet. For a very long time there just wasn't any good source of basic medical information, so a lot of personal experience and plain old misinformation appeared. Forgotten Angels Rescue and Education Center (FAREC) works with veterinarians to provide accurate medical information about pet pigs to the general public and animal workers. FAREC, U of TN, and a panel of veterinarians worked together to establish the first veterinary school class in miniature pigs.

So, www.farec.org is an excellent source of reliable current information.