3 1/2 wk pbp

Question
QUESTION: I am the proud owner of a healthy (said the vet this past monday) 3 1/2wk pbp. the breeder starts all there litters on formula at 7 days. I received her when she was only 10 days old. she is doing GREAT!!! her diet has been as follows.... lambs formula, 1/2 childrens vitamins, gerber rice cereal with a touch of pbp starter pellets. today she became VERY interested in hay(we have no grass that has not been treated for weeds), vegetables, and fruit. Do I need to put a limit on her salad, vegetables, and fruit? also, is there any fruits and vegetables that she CANNOT have?

ANSWER:  Awww, I bet she is adorable!
First congratulations on "rearing" her.
Normally, potbellied piglets are not taken from their mothers until 6-8 weeks. The stress of being taken away and adjusting often kills them.
They tend to get "the squirts" from the stress and dehydration.
Pigs under 3 months of age have a very fragile digestive system.
And, they need their mom, to teach them proper social and survival skills.  It is hard on them to be taken away early, and later on in life, we often see aggression in pigs that are early weaned...
     At her tender  age, we would suggest feeding goats milk and baby rice cereal, as you have been . It is very nutritious and digestable!
Her digestive system is too young and primative to benefit from vegetables now (please no fruit, it has sugar in it).
But this is a great idea for later on (8 weeks).
Pig pellets are fine, too....
Looks like you are doing great!
Remember, obesity is the number one health problem in potbellied pigs.
So, always limit food of any type.
Good luck, and bless you for taking such good care of this tiny piglet,
Priscilla Valentine
valentinesperformingpigs.com

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


ms. piggy   QUESTION: we have not had to worrie about the squirts. she has actually been a little hard.we are waiting for some product to come in the mail, but i dont remember what it is called. can she still have hay? if so then how much? I work only 4 hours a day and the rest of the time she is with me. she knows how to walk on shinny floors,and walk on harness with a leash. she is also getting well socialized. I work at petsmart so she goes there at least twice a wk. and she also loves car rides.

ANSWER:  She's adorable!
A little hay for a test run would be okay.
Wait a couple of days and see if she can digest it.
She could use a bit more protein...more milk/baby rice cereal.
At this tender age, they need more fat  reserves, in case they get sick.
Later on, we like to see them lean and fit!
I bet she is a HUGE hit at PetsMart.
Please consider buying our book on how to raise a baby from the get go at www.valentinesperformingpigs.com.
Your very socialized  pig would be great for learning the tricks in the book!
Oinks,
Priscilla Valentine

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

QUESTION: thank you for your help. ms.piggy woke up sick yesterday. took her to the vet because she was coughing, sneezing and couldn't sleep (very cranky)and ate but not with the aggressive way she normally does. she was put on clavamox, received an iron shot, and got her needle teeth trimmed. she seems to feel MUCH better today. I tried the hay and it has made it alot easier to poop. she now has hay every day and a little vegetables that petsmart has for small animals( with vets approval). oh yeah, your book finally arrived today. thanks again

Answer
Good for you for taking her to the vet....it can be difficult to even find one that works on mini pigs!
Most do not know much about potbellied pigs.
I will be praying that she has a complete recovery.
If you would like to join our pig discussion group, do a search for PigInfoandChat at yahoo groups.
Or just do a search for potbellied pigs and it will come up.
We are an educational group for new pig owners!
Good luck,
Priscilla Valentine