A piglet that was almost killed after he was sat on by his mother and then attacked and injured by his sibling piglets is making progress after being moved to an animal sanctuary in Dartmouth, Massachusetts
The 8-week-old piglet has been named Chance and is now able to walk and run despite his injuries.
“He has a very good quality of life right now and that’s important to us,” said Michelle DeMello, a volunteer for Don’t Forget Us Pet Us Animal Sanctuary, the non-profit organization caring for Chance.
DeMello said volunteers from the sanctuary brought Chance to a rehabilitation facility on Thursday, adding that medical professionals are “pretty optimistic” about his condition.
She said they were told he isn’t in any pain but needs extensive — and costly — care.
“They evaluated his muscles, his range of motion, and we came up with a treatment plan,” DeMello said. “So, he’s going to be going in for some physical therapy and some exercise, an ultrasound, and some hydrotherapy. He’ll be doing that weekly for the next four weeks.”
Chance has also been doing regular exercises at the sanctuary to help strengthen his legs.
The goal is to make sure he is as strong and healthy as possible, with Chance enjoying laps around the yard and an obstacle course DeMello made using a few fallen tree branches.
“That’s going to be a big part of this — just making sure he stays on his feet, he’s walking around, and he’s remaining active to keep those limbs moving and keep them strong,” she said.
The fact that he is trying to use all his legs is a wonderful sign and we need to encourage him to use them.
He desperately needs his legs to be solid, as he is a feeder pig. That means is he expected to weigh several hundred pounds when fully grown.
Overall he is doing well and seems pretty comfortable. I think the meds are helping with any pain and discomfort. He takes lots of naps and in between, he moves around in his pack n play and will occasionally stand. He LOVES to eat and is being fed every 4 hours. He stands while eating but doesn’t put much weight on his front left or back right legs. As you can imagine this is quite the wobbly balancing act. He like nibbling my fingers, full body rubs, head scratches, any attention, and sitting on the couch with me and watching Bridgerton
He is fearless, funny, adorable, and I just love him so!!
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She said this little piggy initially had a poor prognosis, but he’s starting to thrive.
Volunteers at the animal sanctuary took in the piglet about a week and a half ago after a farmer in Dartmouth contacted them. The farmer said he suspects the mama pig nearly squished him to death, with his littermates then ganging up on him.
The piglet suffered injuries to two of his legs, plus wounds all over his body.
The farmer separated the pig from his siblings and made a bed for him in his basement. He and his family tended to the pig for about a month, but the animal remained the same.
But the piglet is receiving specialized care at the sanctuary, as volunteers have been showering him with affection.
A veterinarian said they didn’t have to operate, as he didn’t have any fractures or serious injuries.
“He’s been able to get up. He’s walking. He’s using all of his legs, which is great,” DeMello said, adding that he previously couldn’t move each of them.
While they are excited about Chance’s progress, they also know he needs advanced care.
Aside from physical therapy and hydrotherapy, he also needs laser therapy, enrichment toys to keep him engaged and active, and other items.
