Piggy Goes To The Vet! Page 60 |
| Today's the day I go to the vet for my well visit! We have been training for this day for a month now! |  |
| I'm a little nervous. Mat told me it wasn't fun... |  |
| Dottie said it's not the same... |  |
| She said it would be like going to a piggy spa! |  |
| She told me that the Doctor will do the same things that we've been working on...rubbing my ears...rubbing my belly, looking into my eyes, holding my feet! Then she said "shots"! They might hurt...but it's quick...then it's over...just like that! |  |
| Okay...I'm ready. |  |
| She told me I'm such a good girl...and not to worry... Ya...right! |  |
| I'm in the back seat of the truck, sitting on a tarp filled with pine shavings and a blanket! This is my first trip without Mat! I just lay down when it comes to road trips! Just one warning, though...I poo as soon as we start to move...then I'm good for the rest of the trip! Dottie read that about Pot Belly Pigs...and she can verify that it's true! |  |
| We're here! Hey...wait a minute...this place is for cows! I'm not a cow! |  |
This is Dr. Emilie! She's one of the very few vets that will work on a Pot Belly Pig! Thank God for her! First thing she did was to weigh me! Yes...I'm over weight. I knew that! She said Pot Belly Pigs grow one pound a week! I grew a lot more than that! She told us how important it was to keep my weight down because of illnesses and injuries I could get being so over weight! We talked a lot about diet and calories. No more oatmeal for me...bummer! I need only 3/4 of a cup of pellets a day...the adult version...not the youth I've been getting! ...and 2/3 cup veggies...and 1/3 cup fruit. |  |
| Then she took my temperature...it was 99 degrees. She said Dottie should do that often...to find out what's normal for me! She said pigs don't show when they don't feel good. They just stop eating or drinking. So knowing their base temp is important. |  |
I'm so glad Diane came as moral support! Dr. Emilie is feeling me for any bumps or lumps! She talked to us about spaying me. Did you know I go into heat every 21 days, and it last for 3 to 5 days? And when that happens...I might not be in the best of attitude? And as I grow older...it gets worse? I have lots of blood vessels connected to my ovaries...unlike a cat or a dog. That's what makes the surgery so tricky! I want to be a happy Piggy all the time! So...once I loose the weight...then I'll be getting spayed! |  |
| She's checking my eyes now. Dr Emilie says that Pot Belly Pigs can go fat blind. That's when we gain so much weight...that it causes wrinkles that will cover or eyes. And if we can't see...we get skittish. She said we can go fat deaf, too! That's when the wrinkles push our ears forward...making it so that we can't hear! Not a good thing! Pigs live to eat! That's when we're the happiest! A responsible pig owner will want the best for the pigs health...even if it means limiting the food...and adding the exercise! No matter how much we whine! |  |
| Foot care is very important because we have to carry all this weight on these tiny little feet! Dr. Emilie marked my toe nails to show where they need to be trimmed. This should be done every 3 to 4 months! You have to be very careful, because if you cut them too short...you'll hit the quick...and they could bleed. Not a good thing! |  |
| Now she's marking the underside. This shows how close to the quick we have to trim! Thank God I have white nails...it makes it easier to see the quick. |  |
| And so it begins! Dr. Emilie takes off just a little bit at a time! My nails are tough! Tough as nails...get it? They must have been talking about mine! She's showing us how the nail starts to curl under...and the angle you need to be at to trim it right! And that even though I have two toes...they are not the same size, and each has to be cut different, according to the shape. And as I grow...the shape will change...and have to be cut accordingly! |  |
| My nails are so hard...that when she finally snipped it...it went flying! She's working her way slowly to the line she drew! |  |
| Now she's nipping off the points on my declaws...those little spikey things! There's a quick in there too...so the angle is very important! |  |
| Now she's taking small bits off, working up to her line! It's really hard to do! |  |
| It takes a lot of pressure on those cutters to snip a piece! Look at it fly! |  |
| She cutting away like Edward Scissorhands! Can you see the piece on the right side that needs to be trimmed flush with the pad? |  |
| Once again...the angle is very important! Snip...gone! |  |
| Notice the angle of the clippers, now? They're angled slightly up the side for the next snip! |  |
| Now she uses the same angle to follow around the foot, and trim the rest of the nail! |  |
| Now she's ready to work on my back foot! My back hoofs are black...so it makes it harder to tell where the quick is! This picture shows her cutting my dew claw first! Just a tiny snip to get the point off! |  |
| Diane, Bless her soul, is giving me a tummy rub to keep me relaxed through all this, while the good doctor is snipping away! |  |
| My back hoofs don't grow as fast as my front ones! Here...she's taking the tips off! |  |
| Dr. Emilie is just finishing up my hind foot! She's gonna have Dottie trim my other side so she can learn how to do it first hand! |  |
Dottie was right when she said it woul be like a day at the Piggy Spa! So I know what's coming next! The Shots. Dr. Emilie said she would make it as quick and painless as possible! Looking up at that face...I believe her! This sweet woman, wouldn't hurt a fly! |  |
| ...So here goes..... |  |
Yeouch! Oh...I did not like that! They were honest...it was quick...but it wasn't painless! It hurt for one and one quater seconds. And then...it was over! Just like that! Okay...so it wasn't that bad! Then I heard I needed two more "shots"! Now I know what they feel like! And she's locked and loaded....and smiling at me! Diane is squirming in the corner, covering her eyes! Yes...Diane...I too wish we could trade places! You're such a saint! Okay Doc...I'm ready! Ha ha...give me your best shot! Snort....Ouch! |  |
You dare offer me only a piece of apricot....for all that you just did to me? Humph! That shot... alone...should be worth at least two! Whole ones!!! And you... Dr Emilie...after telling Dottie how important is is to give me less food and more exercise! You offer me an apricot! What's wrong with that picture? Ha Ha..Snort Grunt! I'm only kidding...I know you really care about me! |  |
Dr. Emilies' assistant, Kristin, came in to check out my ...pink... John Deere... Blanket! (I got it from Santa!) Hey...Diane...she's loaded up with number three, hunh? Oh...I know it's coming... Oh! I know it's co...Yeoooouch! |  |
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Diane...Relax! It's all over! It didn't hurt! Really! I'm okay! See! All done! Dr. Emilie? What did you mean by..."See you in three weeks for a boosta"? |  |
| Oh Ya! I could use that now! Get my mind off it a little quicker! Hey...do you have another one? ...Or two? |  |
| Hey Kristin! This is for your hubby...the John Deere Fan! Hogs and kisses! Ha Ha...Snort! |  |
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