Product of Divorce

Not only are the kids effected, but so are the pets!

This is Cinderella. He is a lovely but scared boy. He used to be part of a family with a little girl that lovingly named him Cinderella. He is now an old boy at 15 years old. After the divorce the dad was left with him. Apparently he did not want to build him a proper shelter or a wallow and would rather get rid of him. He had been making sure he stayed warm and such but came to the point where he didn't want to be the one taking care of him.

Thankfully Ironwood Pig Sanctuary exists! Cinderella is currently being called Cid or Cinderfella. He arrived scared and unsure of his surroundings but has been getting used to his new shelter and our voices.

Bilbo Baggins is Still With Us!

Bilbo has been having issues with an infection in his left eye and recently had an abscess produce on his forehead. We were worried that he had a serious infection going on in his head that would not be treatable.

Pokey had this issue. Months ago he was having issues with an infection in his right eye and we discovered that he had a massive infection brewing behind his eye. He dealt with having a catheter inserted in his eye so that we could flush the infection. Lately he had been acting disoriented and wasn't quite himself. He went to the doctor earlier this week and we learned that the infection had taken over his head. It had even eaten through the bones and there was nothing that could be done. Sadly, Pokey had to be euthanized. This has been really hard for us here as Pokey was quite the fixture here. He will always have a special place in our hearts.

With this recent event with Pokey we were worried that Bilbo had the same problem.
Bilbo went to the vet yesterday. I said my goodbye in the morning as we didn't know if he would make it back. To our surprise Bilbo did not have the same problem! His abscess is treatable and there was not a large infection brewing. Bilbo had a drain inserted in his abscess. He is having a hard recovery but should make it through well.

Spike also went in for an abscess this week. We've been flushing it for a good while now with no progress. The doctor had to go in deep to get out all of

the pus and infection. Penicillin was put directly on the problem areas and then a drain was inserted. He has been recovering well and should heal well.

Abscesses are a never ending issue here. Certain pigs get them over and over. We have them on a rotating antibiotic cycle and keep a close eye on them. We also have a few pigs with infections similar to Pokey's. They get infections on their jaw that are not treatable and will eventually be what kills them.

Big Boys Need Love Too!

It's hard to see so many pigs and only get a limited amount of time with them every day. I know that there are so many that would love more attention. Not all pigs can mingle well with other pigs and some are older and more lame and simply cannot be around the more active pigs.

Wilbur came to Ironwood in 2006 with his pal Pinky. They were in a petting zoo at the Phoenix Zoo and became 'too big'. Pinky died unexpectedly within 2 years of their arrival. Wilbur is only 6 years old and spends his days alone in his own field. He is a Yucatan and cute as can be. He loves getting apples, back scratches and belly rubs. I feel bad that he used to have a pal to snuggle with and now is alone. Since he cannot be with any of our other pigs I thought he should have a pillow buddy. I found a large stuffed swordfish that I thought would be a good fit for Wilbur. If he doesn't rip it to bits it will make a good pillow and warming companion.

Boris is another boy that I feel needs a companion. As you know Boris has been sick lately and is an older boy, but he sure loves getting attention and having someone around him. I found a large teddy bear that I thought he might like. Now, Boris likes to rip his blankets up and wear them, so I'm not sure if he will rip up the bear or not. Today he sniffed it and checked it out and then cuddled with it.