Today I am going to extend the tween piggies paddock by taking down their electric fence and hoping the regular fences will hold out. They have finished all the green feed in center of the field and dug up most of the thistle roots.
Time to finish the outer edges.
Tane and I will go to visit the vet again this week. His fourth leg does not work much at all anymore – it is his hip – it has never been good. Usually he just limps sometimes but lately it has got a lot worse. It comes and goes but now his fourth leg pretty much does not reach the ground he kind of swings it out as he walks. I have agonised over his prognosis, this is a crippled pig.
We have tried many different interventions but the next step gently suggested by the vets is to probably put him down. If an animal might be in pain we are bound to put them out of their misery.
But he eats well and chases me (in a crippled fashion) around the field looking for more. He talks and fights to steal Tima’s food. His tail wags when he sees me coming. It is just this one leg that is not working, hurting his back too probably. He is slow to get going in the morning but never fails to get up and get going. He has adapted and does this curious thing – he actually holds his back legs up and balances on his front legs when he turns a corner, swinging his whole rear end around then setting off on his new course.
I know I should let him go. But I look about me and see many people with aches and pains and legs that don’t work and having to use walking sticks or walkers and groaning every time they get up and down – we don’t put them down. We let them limp around and keep on going. We don’t tell their minders that the next step is for the person in pain to be euthanised so they will feel no more pain. I know this is a weak argument and I know pigs are not people but I just don’t feel that Tane is ready to end it all – he is not angry, he does not fight or bite or growl, he sleeps against the fence in the sun with Sheila sleeping on the other side – almost touching. No fighting.He still tries to escape when the gate is being opened and runs with his crazy crooked limping gait across the fields towards me when he sees me coming with a bucket. His gaze is straightforward and clear. He is always starving.
Tane and I are going to look at the vet and ask him if there are other options. I want a course of pain relief and anti inflammatorys again though we have done these before, this problem of Tanes is not new but surely there must be something else we can do for the old fella. Who is not old.
I have to be careful that I am not putting the little boar through hell because I cannot bear for him to die. I know this too. We have all had to put animals down but it has always seemed right – whereas Tane is very much alive. But with a dicky hip. I will not accept it – though I may have to one day.
He will have the warmest bed with a beautiful big blanket this winter.
Poppy’s piglets – ever the opportunists.
Poppy does this very cute thing.
When her naughty babies are finally asleep in their own room she stands outside their little door and watches them. Just standing there staring in, quietly watching them for ages. Just like any Mum. Thinking aren’t they beautiful when they are Asleep.
Her naughty babies. We managed a whole day yesterday without an escape.
Tia and BobbyT3 are already in the farm routine. At night they sleep inside the barn (being babies after all) and in the morning after their breakfast and after the big cows have gone out into their own fields, their big door is opened and they are set free to wander out and graze in Pat’s Paddock.
In the late afternoon before the milking they bring themselves back up to the barn, their gate is shut, they have their dinner, talk to the big cows over the gate, listen to the milking, then snuggle down into their straw beds for the night. Tia is always gently friendly allowing a head scratch her big black eyes shiny and guileless.
I hope you have a lovely day.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
33 responses to “Farm Stuff”
I think those same thoughts every day about my dear old dog. He has a tender hip & back knees, but still seems to enjoy his life most of the time. I am not ready to part from him yet. There always seems to come a day when we know the time has come. I am trusting there will be a sign, but I haven’t seen it yet. I am with you that Tane might still have some good times left. I know you’ll do the best thing for him~ when you must.
Sigh .. these animals really can pull at our heart strings, if only Tane could speak human. Laura
Go with your gut. You know your animals better than anybody. You will know when it is his time, and it doesn’t seem like this is it for him. He is given excellent care and a happy life. What more can a pig ask for? It sounds like he is pretty happy to me!
I can commiserate with Tane on the hip pain. I am not that old, and I have been hobbling around in pain for years! Hope nobody opts to put me down too soon :*) My chiropractor works on dogs and has great success, but I doubt it’s very affordable and getting a pig to town for that could be a problem even if it were an option. I hope you find a helpful answer, but I think that you will know when it’s the right time. He is a sweetie! Your new girl calf is plenty adorable as well.
You and me both! I thought about myself when reading about Tane. It sounds like he had found ways to adapt well. Hope you can find a good outcome for him.
He will let you know when he’s ready. I have a couple very old sheep hanging around. They let you know and you just trust them. As long as they can still get up on their own and enjoy their days, I believe there’s no harm in letting them do so. He’s important to his friends.
It doesn’t sound to me like Tane is on his last legs yet. There’s no way of telling if he’s in pain, but running across the field suggests he’s still got a lot of spirit and joie de vivre 🙂
You will know when the time is right and he will give you signs. If he seems happy, let him continue with his life but you know that in your heart. ❤️🐷
It is heart wrenching to see anything suffering even a little. The right decision will come. Either way, He knows he’s loved in a way most animals never are. I hope you have a wonderfilled day as well.
I’m glad somebody is not going to put me down over my bum ankle which at times is so painful, I could amputate it myself.
I truly believe you will know when it’s time.
I wish I could remember what we put our old reining horse on……….. It was a very small pill. They give it to dogs for joint pain. It did wonders for him. He had a hard life before we got him.
We also put him on B-L pellets which is a buteless pain med for horses……….
I have taken my animals to a chiropractor when they have had problems. Is there one about who could see what he/she could do? Perhaps when he was having his mating with his ‘wife’ he threw his sacrum out. When my hip is bad it’s always the sacrum first. I also have seen good results by giving animals Glucosamine because they need the sulphur to heal soft tissue. I like that little piggy and hope he can be healed.
I wish you the best in dealing with dear Tane. Sounds like he needs a lift, poor dear. And, yet, he looks happy and hungry…you will know best. The naughty babies are darling as ever. And I love the story of how Poppy watches them. Take tugs my heart in one direction, and that tugs it in the other. x
How do you find the time to run your farm and come up with such glorious posts?
Thank you for giving Tane more time. Of course he should never suffer, and you are a farmer who has to think about your farms best choices, but as you say it seems that you will know when it is time and this is not it.
So sad about Tane’s leg. Getting old is not for sissies! Even for pigs, apparently. Our little pup has epilepsy and takes 13 pills a day to control it. Many times, when he seems dopey from drugs, I wonder if we’re doing the right thing or if it might be kinder to end it. But then he does some cute pupish thing, full of life and happiness, and I’m glad haven’t chosen to put him down. Animals are tricky. They steal our hearts.
I will be praying that Tane has a successful visit with his doctor.
Thank you for believing that a life can have good quality even though there’s pain in it. If I were an animal, they’d have put me down about 6 months ago. Now, of course, I’m a whole lot better, but I still have pain every day, and I don’t believe I’m quite ready for the Long Sleep… It sounds as if Tane has come to an accommodation with his disability, and manages cheerfully and with dignity to enjoy the pleasures that you and life offer him.