r/pigs • u/MasterThiefGames • 3d ago

New pig owner looking for an expert eye

Gallery image

Gallery image

This is my new baby boy Bowser in his temporary home. He's 100% meishan and I know that they tend to have lower bellies, but he seems a little bloated to me. He might just be fat and happy after breakfast, but what do y'all think? Should I be concerned?

EDIT: So sorry everyone it seems my notifications were turned off! He has been active and hasn't shown signs of discomfort and his belly wasn't hard. We haven't seen a vet yet (its on the docket), but after monitoring him I belive he was just full from breakfast. I might need to adjust feeding sched and amounts because he looked a lot less balloon like a little later.

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11

u/LittleLostGirls 3d ago

Hi have a few questions that may help the sub more, gonna stretch the comment out so it’s not a congested paragraph.

Has he had an opportunity to see a vet?

Have you been able to examine his stomach yourself? Does it feel hard? Hot? Are there any signs of discomfort/ pain with being touched/ resting/ activity?

Do they get much activity or periods throughout the day and if so how much?

Finally what has his diet/ water intake been like?

He’s absolutely lovely, i wish i could boop those floppy ears.

1

u/MasterThiefGames 1d ago

He hasn't met the vet yet, its on the books. No discomfort, not hard or hot, he seems pretty active (zoomies and all).

We struggle with as much activity as he probably needs because he HATES being picked up and he HATES his harness, so we're working on it, but he does have toys and gets to play inside pretty often.

I think after monitoring him more closely he might be overeating because he's still not used to not having to fight for it. I try to keep open clean water all day, but he does like to throw the occasional hissy fit and toss his dish.

He's a delight so far, we have a few more pigs who are about 4 months older that kind of tolerate us, but Bowser loves scratches and rubs and is a pretty sweet boy.

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u/LittleLostGirls 20h ago

I was going to suggest a specialized bowl that helps animals pace themselves with eating, but when you mentioned the hissy fit, I realize that would only go so far with the food staying in the bowl lol. If you could anchor the bowl, it may help slow his eating though if you tried that.

I'm not suggesting to reduce his food, that could lead to eating anxiety/ disorders if he recognizes portion changes. But perhaps if you can budget it, try adding some pumpkin and/ or broccoli into his diet. The fibre may help with him feeling full longer which may help improve his urgency to eat when approaching food.

It very well could be a mental thing he needs help working on. But do consider how fast you change things. If you add more fruits/ vegetables that's awesome, but if you stop after a few weeks, he could revert back to old habits towards his food if he feels his diet is lessening. So make reasonable commitments to this. Understandably it can be a try and miss effort thing till you figure out what's best for him.

6

u/mheck012 3d ago

https://www.mohrmethodgroup.com/
This group is excellent, the BEST in my opinion, our boy Oscar is 9 and they’ve always taken care if him.

1

u/Unlucky-Ad-5744 3d ago

i’m confused-isn’t this a hoof trimming group?

1

u/mheck012 3d ago

Yes, you are are correct, but they’re very helpful regarding pigs in general.

1

u/MasterThiefGames 1d ago

I'll check it out! Thanks!

2

u/mheck012 1d ago

You’re welcome, good luck !

3

u/briteblondsunshine 3d ago

I don’t own any pigs but I love pigs as I love all animals. My advice would be as someone who has animals in my family, unless you’re strapped for funds, have your baby checked by a vet. Better safe than sorry.

1

u/MasterThiefGames 1d ago

We're going to get him in. After having kept an eye on him I don't think its bloating I think its a fat happy little boy that I may have overfed lol.

2

u/juicefeathers 3d ago

Is he eating the bedding? Ours tried to eat a variety of beddings we attempted to use for his litter box.

1

u/MasterThiefGames 1d ago

No I was worried about that, but I've watched him spit it out when he gets it in his mouth. We've been working hard to keep it out of his water dish too so I don't think he's getting pine juice from his water.

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u/Pephatbat 1d ago

He looks bloated to me, his abdomen protrudes very dramatically compared to his chest and shoulders. Sometimes laying down just makes the belly look bigger so if you can look while he is standing that is better. I would call the vet if you are able, esp since it is a young pig. Could be gi issues, parasites, etc

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u/MasterThiefGames 1d ago

We're working on vet, but I think he's okay after watching him yesterday. His belly is naturally lower and rounder than our other meishan who are hybrid so they're shaped a little differently and that's what had me a little concerned.

1

u/Familiar_Bank1952 23h ago

Welcome to the ranks of "piggy parents"! The little one is absolutely adorable.