Needs a Name - Now known as Grace
She does not have a name....she was in a 4 x 4 cage completely surrounded by tall brush...the man who lived in the house was taken to the hospital 2 weeks ago...died Friday...nobody knew she was there and she was found by accident late yesterday evening without any evidence of having had food or water and unable to stand. One of his sons heard a noise while there cleaning up and investigated.
She weighs maybe 50# but maybe not. The pictures, because of the heavy coarse coat, do not show the extent of the emaciation. You can feel clearly every single one of her ribs and her backbone is clearly visible as skeletal. She cannot stand. Her rear legs are parallel to her body facing toward her head and the joints are swollen the size of a man's fist...her ears are torn up and she can't see anything but shadows I don't think. There is some kind of permanent corneal damage, presenting as ulcerations. She is too weak and emaciated to stress with a more thorough examination at this time. She is covered with hog lice and has every kind of internal parasite they test for...she is severely dehydrated and starving to death. She is terrified and snappy but she is willing to eat and drink. I can stroke her back and sides (because she is so near dead) which allowed for a physical assessment of the extent of the weight loss. She is wild and it appears she was never tame, probably brought there after the dogs were through with her or got her.
Current treatment course is 5 cc Pour On Dectomax every day for the next 3 days and thereafter once a week. SMZ 980 twice a day for 10 days. Feeding 2 cups hog food twice a day for 5-7 days and 3 cups twice a day thereafter. The joint situation with the rear legs appears to be old injury and not active infection. Returned use of the legs is not an impossibility but no guarantee either. If she lives, we will reevaluate the extent of her medical situation in 3 weeks. She is too weak to stress with injections at this time and Dr Schotman feels the Dectomax pour on is the best choice for her given her situation. He said she is completely loaded with hooks, round, every other thing she could possibly have and she may not live. He was going to tell me she will never be a pet but pulled up short when he remembered who he was talking to.
She is in isolation. Any good thoughts or prayers coming this way for her would be appreciated. And she needs a name...I'm running out of creativity in that department...
We have made day three....thank you for your prayers....
Little no name ate all but 2-3 bites of her breakfast...continues to have a better look (aka is not dead)...one eye seems to be losing the cloud but the other eye not so much. She had a huge poop this morning, pig berries type of poop and then about mid afternoon had another large poop, picture attached. She is not as interested in drinking a lot of water but is drinking some...her food is sloppy wet when fed....I have not noticed particularly wet spots and have not seen her urinate since the first day....this is a BIG concern....
She has started telling us her story....that wonderful talking thing that I'm sure all of you are familiar with..the oof, oof, and the long conversation they have with you when they've come to decide that you're one of them and you just simply must know what has happened...this morning she went from laying down to up in the front and wheeled around to my face so fast and close that I was not only alarmed, but had to fight myself to maintain any level of composure, and am extremely grateful to be able to say I still have a face without a mark on it....certainly was enough to wake one up WIDE AWAKE....and on with the story she went....
Her breathing is flat out horrible...not mouth breathing but not that far from it....she allowed me to touch her all over today...touching her back legs causes her a great deal of emotional stress and as I talked to her and explained to her that I simply must be able to feel her all over to do a good job of helping her, she seemed to relax some and allow it. She let me to touch her legs and feel all around on her hips and her ribs and her backbone....it is very scary under that hair let me tell you....very, very scary...she has some scabs around her back and hip area, small ones...she is not big on having her head touched either but will allow it to a limited extent... her front legs are fine and the hair is rubbed off on her knees where I suspect she has been pulling herself along.
This afternoon I saw something which I thought was very encouraging...I think...want to think....as I sit with her and talk to her and watch her, she changes position from one side to the other...she is able to get her back legs under her...for a moment she almost looks like she would get up and then falls over and starts that horrible scary breathing....but this time she fell over on what would be her right hind leg and it must have hurt and been folded up the wrong way because she arched her whole back (while laying on her side) and raised her hips completely off the ground far enough to straighten the bottom leg and then laid her hips back down. Debbie was there and we both looked at each other and looked at her and looked at each other and said, "DID YOU SEE THAT??"
It is my hope after seeing her do that...if she does survive, which I want so much to think she will since it seems she is going to make every good effort to, and starts peeing (I have some concern about this and will check with Dr Schotman tomorrow) that there is some very real possibility that I will go out one morning and she will be standing there looking at me...and I will have a breakdown and everyone can come visit me in the hospital....which will be the same scenario if I go out one morning and find her not breathing....
I just am so guarded, almost afraid to be encouraged because remember little bitty Peanut...who another vet said she didn't think would be able to make it....had the big sores...the dogs had killed the mother and litter mates....and she hung on for a frigging week, seeming to be doing better, only to have me lose her....I just don't know at what point I can feel secure that she will at least not die...
Day 4
She ate dinner last night and breakfast this morning with her usual gusto....sloppy wet....she is urinating, not a lot but going...actually a pretty big wet spot late this morning and again this afternoon....and she is pooping....and pooping and pooping.... nothing wrong with the function of that body system....lol....
I gave her her first Twinki this afternoon....really a banana thing by Little Debbie since Twinkies are so expensive...actually she had four of them and as a result, sold her soul to me...lol....topped them off with a quart of grape flavored Pedialyte, and a half gallon of cranberry juice mixed with a quart of water...she drank every single drop of all of it....and she likes Twinkies ever so much better than watermelon.... imagine that...
She has decided that she is tame to us...and she allowed me to touch her all over as I needed to as long as I told her as I went....her teeth are light rust colored, I don't know what's up with that...she allowed me to put my hands in her mouth...and I still have all my fingers....listened to her heart and lungs since I noticed what I thought was a wet cough this morning and of course freaked right out...she was very cooperative with letting me listen but it was really difficult to tell if we had crackles, the hay, or the hair....
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I talked to Dr Schotman and he is good with the antibiotic she is on even if she did have some congestion...her eyes are clearing up (that white stuff), sorta, and she is progressively more and more alert...she will pull herself over to me, to smell me, and to be closer and she will relax and allow a belly rub...she isn't so "jumpy" anymore when I move around her or cause a strange sound near her (like dropping the water bottle)....very smart pig I'm thinking.....like I ever met a stupid pig...
Having had the opportunity to examine her today a little more closely, we have decided that we think she is between 12-15 months old....a very good thing to increase the chances of a positive outcome...her front legs, the knees if you will, hurt her terribly...the swelling in the back leg joints is almost gone....she definitely has feeling and use of the back, just not to stand...I am hoping that is a direct result of dehydration, parasites, malnutrition, abuse, and injury. I am more and more hopeful for a positive outcome and that she may even be likely to walk again once her anemia and parasites and every other thing are back in better shape....the skin has moved away from between her ribs to on top of her ribs....tomorrow she will get some fresh spinach and some lettuce....might as well make her really stinkin' rotten spoiled....
Day 5
We have more hope each day that passes...she may have turned the corner...all systems appear to have returned to function...she is taking in huge amounts of liquid now....water, cranberry juice mixed with water, cran-grape mixed with water....I believe the quart of Pedialyte yesterday was a very good idea....I think another quart or two might not be a bad idea....have some Gatorade for her also....we have increased her pellets to 2.5 cups per meal...her breathing seems less labored tonight....think some more Pedialyte....
Bought some spinach and lettuce...she is having no part of either of those....toying with the idea of Cookie for a name...she is responsive to it [actually she was very quick to associate Cookie with mmm, mmm, good] I just ran across a word while reading a discussion on the theological leanings of the new Pope. I have never seen or heard the word before but think it might make a very nice name...perhaps an especially appropriate name....will run it by her tomorrow and see what she thinks....the word is anawim [those without a voice].
I certainly want everyone to know how very much we appreciate all your prayers and caring and some very unexpected help that has been forthcoming for which we are exceedingly thankful. It will be used toward the vet bill and the special things she needs to help with her recovery...and should she not be standing in the next week or so....toward X-ray and whatever other diagnostics and treatment that she may need to make her whole again. She is such an incredibly gentle, loving soul. I will never in this life understand how she can possibly bring herself, in less than five days, to trust one of my kind. She's got it all over me. I so love her.
I won't go on and on...she seems to be gaining ground....the next hurdle will be using her back legs...she has been up on her front legs...mostly on her knees, but has had her hooves on the ground and pushed up....can't support her weight for any time...just way too weak yet....but we shall see....
Day 6
Today was the day she rolled over for her very first, in her life I'm sure, belly rub. .She rolled over and stretched right out...I almost died... I was so excited I could barely contain myself. I was trying to examine that side of her body which I don't usually have up so I can look it over....
And when I scratched her back leg, she drew her leg up and then out just like a normal walking pig does when you do that....her teats are scabbing, I don't know why, and there is a place about the size of a half dollar, right on the point of her breast bone that is like a callous and must be 1/16" thick....I'm thinking she has been down for a very long time to have something like that....and resting on that bone and pulling herself along on that bone. Finding it just about broke my heart.
It was wonderful for her to experience being rubbed all over with kindness and tenderness...her little eyes rolled back in her head....I don't think that poor pig has ever had anything happen to her body that felt good until the past few days...and even so, I wonder if her whole body doesn't just ache/hurt all the time, anyway....should probably get or give her something for that....Of course the stories she has to tell go on...and on....and on...she's drinking plenty of fluid and peeing and pooping galore...maybe we should call her Poopy Galore....
Grace as of Mid May 2005
August 6, 2005 UPDATE
Grace is doing wonderfully. She is blind I'm very sorry to say...it doesn't seem to effect her much, as it doesn't with the Osceola babies who were born without eyes. She is loving and very verbal...she has a pig for company that was losing weight within her original group and needed to be monitored...Grace has become secure in the fact that she will not ever be hungry anymore, even to the point of allowing Sloopy to eat out of her dish...she has her brand new pool courtesy of Angela, and her life is happy and good. When I love on her I cannot feel her ribs, her backbone, her hip bones, her shoulder bones, or breast bone or any bone...she is a pig again...she is parasite free but I cannot seem to get those damn lice nits loose from her heavy coat...her back leg is bad, causes her to be off balance a little but I question the wisdom of putting her through a surgery to make it better when she gets around pretty much fine.
Darlynn's Darlins, Inc. is a registered not for profit organization.
Our mission is to provide rescue, temporary or permanent food, shelter, medical attention, personal and emotional care in a no-kill sanctuary to abused, abandoned, homeless or neglected domestic, farm or feral animals, particularly potbelly pigs. In addition, to educate the public by propagating an interest in the protection of animals by teaching respect for all animals as living, breathing creatures of the earth with all the rights and consideration which should be afforded to any sentient being, by encouraging the practice of spay and neutering of all companion animals both for the optimal health of the companion and to work toward an end to the abhorrent glut of homeless animals, and by inspiring acceptance of the philosophy that the ability to make a lifetime commitment is a primary responsibility of animal guardianship.
Make a financial donation to:
Darlynn's Darlins, Inc.
2842 Rosalie Lake Rd
Lake Wales, FL 33898
Visit our web site at www.darlynnsdarlins.org to learn more!
We could always use volunteers to help with fund raising, cleanup,
repair, belly rubs, and so much more.
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