Feeding and problem with 7 weeks old piglet

Question
Hi Helen,

I have been reading your advices and I think it is wonderfull help for anyone with a piggy pet.
I have just recently got one baby boy who is 7 weeks old. He has been living with me for 5 days now and seem to find his place quickly at home. Right away he found his bed and pretty much decided on the toilet and since that very first 5 min he has been regularly going to the same spot and using his box with no problem what so ever. The only thing is that since he was brought home 5 days ago he has not made a poo not even once!At first the lady who I took it from advised me that due to stress from changing the place and people he might has problem with that for few days. However, now I am seriously concerned about his well being as his stomach is bigger and seems harder. I tried giving him natural oil and medicine for babies to ease the process as the vet advised me and no result so far!He looks as he really wants to make a poo but for some reason is not working for him. Am desparate!

I am worried might be doing something wrong with the feeding routine as I followed instructions from the breeder I have been giving him small portions 4/5 times a day of mainly warm milk or white not salted light cheese as she said that is what he is used to...Also was advised to introduce from time to time little bread in milk and grane type of bio musli with milk and slowly move to fruits. She advised me some people also give baby piglets baby food for less than 4 months as I did twice and he loved it.

The problem comes from the location as I live in Central/Eastern Europe where there is one only breeder of micro piglets originally from England and people are not much used to deal with these pets. It was very hard to find a vet but after all I got the one vet that actually is used to take care of such piglets and apparantly she is great at it. Unfortunatelly need to wait for another 3 days till she can see him and could speak only on the phone with here where she said I SHOULD HAVE NOT GIVEN HIM MILK! and advised to try again with meds...

Please advise what can i do to help him till vet can see him!Also could you just breafly tell me how many times a day and how long and how much I need to feed such baby pig as is hard to get proper info on 7 weeks old once. Mine has been taken from his mom as he was underfed and was taken to be feeded by the breeder at home with the above mention stuff. I know that can cause problems with such young piglet. Please I would appreciate much if you can give me some advise on what to do with the food and how to proceed in future. It is hard to find anything suitable just for micro pigs but I can always order to be shipped if needed.

Looking forward to hear from you!

Many thanks for your attention and consideration

Answer
I am not a veterinarian and can not prescribe medical treatment over the internet.

My fear here is that the problem is not constipation but actual intestinal blockage. In that case there is no home remedy, surgery will probably be needed. An x-ray will show any bowel obstructions.

Cheese can contribute to constipation, so no more cheese for now. If piggy seems to have an appetite, I'd offer a little canned pumpkin or cooked prunes or both. A splash of milk over the top should convince piggy that this is a good meal. If the problem is a blockage, overfeeding could make things worse.

Canned pumpkin is the usual home remedy for constipation. I know what is common in one part of the world can be scarce in another part. Here, canned pumpkin is pretty easy to find, and so is canned pumpkin pie mix. The mix will do in a pinch but plain canned pumpkin is better. Raw pumpkin does not work, so the secret is in the canning process.

Another odd technique for easing constipation is a ride in the car. This only works for pigs that are not used to car rides. Long, steady rides work best, like an hour or so on a freeway. It seems to have something to do with the vibrations. This is certainly worth a try.

Some people have had success using an enema to ease constipation. I am not a veterinarian and have never tried this. Pigs and people are very similar biologically, so much so that pig body parts are often used to fix human bodies. So almost anything that can be safely used on people can be used on pigs. So if you want to try this my only suggestion is to Google "natural enema recipe", see what you can find. Your vet may be able to give more suggestions about this over the phone.

Massaging his stomach with a warm cloth might help ease discomfort, but probably will not ease the constipation. Again, if the problem is a blockage, these steps might ease the discomfort but will not fix the underlying problem.

The best thing for him to eat is pot-bellied pig pellets. If they are not readily available look for a good quality animal food with about 12 - 14% protein. What's inside the bag is more important than the name on the outside. Check the ingredient list for recognizable things like oats, corn or alfalfa. Complete horse pellets (NOT "Sweet feed"), some hog foods, and some multi-animal foods meet these standards. Be careful with hog foods, some are designed to make pigs fat quickly with no concern for their long term health.

Get piggy to eat the pellets by mixing a few with milk, gradually increasing the amount of pellets at every meal until it's mostly pellets. Pellets dissolve better in hot liquids, so start by dissolving a small handful of pellets in warm water to make an oatmeal like paste, then mix some of that paste with the milk.

Fresh veggies provide fiber that helps prevent constipation. Because this little pig is having a bad constipation problem now, that fiber will is extra important for him.