What a WEEK

That saying, --when it rains it pours-- is no joke.

I don't know where to begin. The most devastating thing i guess. Iggy the piggy went to bed on thursday night and didn't get up again till 9 days later. We still have no idea what happened. But friday evening, i realized we had a problem. Called the vet out saturday. he was nice to come out but said aspirin, and charged me two hundred and left. :( By monday i was in a panic. Called another vet, awesome gal who came out equipped to handle a pig. She and I with her vet tech got piggy sedated and amped up on anitibiotics, wormer, and banamine. And took urine to be tested. She left me with another 3 days supply of meds. Which he was so sick i was able to inject him. Anyone that knows pigs understands how dire this was if piggers never flinched when sticking him with a 3 inch needle. 2 times a day.

Piggers never got up for 4 days straight. No manure no urine nothing. he didn't move. I was syringing water and electrolytes into his mouth. He broke out in Dippity Pig, a funny name, but an actual disease of the skin. Its caused by stress and i'm sure this was a secondary infection. At first we thought Erysipelas, but vet wasn't convinced since iggy had been vaccinated for it 2 years ago. She found some lung and respiratory things when checking him, and throughout this whole time, his temp was between 104 and 106...pneumonia and respiratory infection was her diagnosis. Egads. How did he get that?

Now Erysipelas is contagious. It also made sense from the symptoms. Especially the part that its onset could be from wet soggy areas, which i have right now. So calls went out to all my other vets. The biggest worry was the parrots. The turkeys. etc.

The meds didn't seem to be working. But i gather since he is so BIG and with such a slow metabolism that it just took extra time. On friday evening 8 days from the onset i got him some appetite stimulants and put him on some trimethoprim Sulfa tabs. And within a few hours of that he was up and around. He also had gotten a can of pumpkin and some sweet potato baby food. This morning he again went out and rooted for a bit.

He is exhausted and paunch looking. He lost at least 20 lbs. But his color is back. His lesions on his back are clearing up. He seems a bit arthtitic. But i hope there are no lasting effects. He is only 2 years old. I'm so glad to see him moving about.

And so glad i found a vet knowledgeable and willing to treat pigs. Her name is Renata Schneider, Unique Pet Vet, and anyone looking for a vet in Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County i HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend her. Awesome gal. It's a house call vet service. And she drove 70 miles to see piggy. Once word gets out, how awesome she is, i'll have a tough time getting an appointment...

Now during all this time... There were other disasters happening. My mini Kiwi got a serious rash, bug bite allergic reaction, all over her face and chest area. I've been just monitoring it and putting swat all over her. She is pink and white now. and so is everything else she comes in contact with.

Tom the turkey still has the tumor on his wing.

Brandy has this granulation tissue (proud flesh) starting on her cheek where the halter used to rub.

Hemingway got a bruise on his face..

noble got out again. Which i hope the girls were already settling and pregnant before this week, since the births would coincide with the S. Florida Fair that i help donate my time to. and that would royally screw that up.

hmmmm... what else could possibly go wrong?

Oh my master bedroom and closet flooded. Thinking it was the water heater, i called them, had it removed, and then we came to the conclusion it wasn't the water heater, but too late had to buy a new one. It was the condenser unit on the air conditioner. So two service calls later. and two whopper bills...and pulling up the carpet and removing it, we solved this. But now worry there is mold starting in the walls. egads.

Add to this all clients wanted work done that week. I was getting behind so fielding calls from them, asking for their patience. Taking on a new 70 page magazine from one of my ad agencies i work with. And finishing up other projects all while trying to minister to the sick animals, and deal with service people in and out...

The house is a mess. I'm exhausted. But looking at my new phone purchase, woohoo! now i can hear people when they call.

OH and my insurance is coming up for renewal, and i want to change but that takes time and research and phone calls. Time i just don't seem to have.

it really poured here this week. I hope the coming weeks are a bit slower.

What a week! phew glad that its over.!