baby wild pig...constipation???

Question
Have acquired a baby wild pig had him for almost 2 weeks...he takes the bottle well...has had no problem with fecals or urination up until now....we noticed last night after 2nd feeding that he had no fecal, but is urinating...also this morning there was no fecal in his bed and after his morning feeding no fecal...what can I do to help him along? He is very active, not lethargic, eats well, runs and plays, and usually he has fecal movements after each feeding.... what is the norm? please educate me. Thank you!  

Answer
Pig poop normally looks like small ovals or balls. Pig people often call them "pig berries". The "berries" should be moist, yet hold their shape. If the berries are dry and hard, the pig needs to drink more liquid.

Canned pumpkin is a good fix for constipation. I don't know how old your baby is, but babies can generally start eating regular food at 4 to 5 weeks old. They can drink milk from a pan when they are just 1 day old, so bottle feeding isn't really necessary.

Try mixing the milk or formula half and half with the canned pumpkin. Put it in a pan and let baby have as much as he wants for each meal, baby should poop within a day. At that point, discontinue the canned pumpkin.

Also, if piggies are not used to car rides, going for a ride in a car can help relieve constipation. If the canned pumpkin works too well, causing soft or loose stool, don't worry, that will go away quickly.

Start baby on pig pellets by mixing a few pellets with his milk in a pan. Gradually add more and more pellets until the mix is like oatmeal. Pigs like starter pellets better than regular pellets, and they're higher in nutrition so better for babies.

There's lots of good info about piggy health at pigs4ever.com and rossmillfarm.com and farec.org also has a list of vets that see piggies.