Our rescue pot belly pig Wai is being affectionately called The Armadillo. He honestly looks like he is wearing an armoured jacket.
Today I am giving you pictures of yesterdays storm in between the pictures of Wai the Armadillo pig . We have to get used to him.
Early yesterday morning I let him outside for a short while so he could walk about in the weak early morning sun. He had not eaten or drunk all night nor peed or pooed. Not good. Walking out the door he was instantly happier. He ate weeds and grass and rooted about, but slowly – like an aged prisoner – and walked the perimeter of the field a few times. He performed all the necessary toilets, then as the sun got stronger we herded him, protesting, back into his house and shut the door for the day. He has a big window with light but can have no direct sun on this skin for the meantime. 
He does not like to go to the toilet inside so he lay in his bed for the whole day and waited. Furious with me. He growls and backs into a corner when he sees me coming with my lotions. But it was way too sunny for him. Lucky for him a storm came in in the late afternoon so I moved him out then.
Now that Rosy and I have trimmed the extraneous dried up skin that was curling up and sticking out – it is thick and hard like tough cardboard and must be so terribly uncomfortable – he moves about a little more freely. In fact the skin that is left is so hard you can knock on it. It is like a hard hat. Much of it is not even fully attached to the skin. But I have had it covered in bag balm all day and more cracks are appearing. Most importantly the hard skin around his jaws and jowls is peeling off – this may have something to do with his lack of eating.
His eyes are still mostly closed though his eyelashes are curling back out now. I am afraid to trim so close to the eye so we will wait a few days on this area. 
BooBoo likes him, and Wai the Armadillo pig likes Boo more than he likes me that’s for sure.
The storm as it hits the trees – you can see here the Elm in the center of the drive- shortened and trimmed by last weeks storm. 
The Armadillo snorts into one of his food bowls – evidently boiled eggs are not to his liking either. But he has very handsome minders.
Today will be more of the same.
Though, I still don’t understand what caused his skin to harden like crackling then fall off. It is not soft like sloughing skin – it is hard as a helmet – hard to cut even. For rat poison to do this much damage to the skin but not the internal organs sounds weird to me. This is not little bits, this is the skin on his whole body going hard, cracking, then peeling off in huge lumps.
He has been going from place to place in cages for a couple of months since being found – a number of vets and university vets, and rescues, I am so glad that he can finally get out into a field – even if he is going to be nocturnal for a while. At lease he can begin to walk some of that weight off.
Anyway – it is wonderful to have Rosy here for this week. She is a marvelous worker a great assistant when we are dealing with the growling pig, and in the evenings we are having such fun on the kitchen, she is an excellent cook. Her family comes from Lebanon so she is teaching me some amazing dishes.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Love celi
Weather Forecast: A perfect day – if you have skin.
Wednesday 06/21 10% / 0 in
Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. High near 85F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night 06/21 20% / 0 in
A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
The Kitchen's Garden 
42 responses to “The Armadillo”
I’m so happy to hear that Wai is enjoying his salad! And reading through these comments, I’m letting my mind believe there was some kind of vitamin/mineral deficiency that caused this. Much better reason than the crazed thoughts of abuse that were flying through my mind yesterday. Although the results aren’t much better.
I love how your pups seem to accept and care for your critters. Amazing!
Wow – sounds like good progress already, the toileting outside and the fact that he ate grasses, etc. while he was out there. It feels hopeful. Your plans sound really good. The zinc deficiency comment above sounds really intriguing. I look forward to seeing his eyes with those long lashes! This is amazing work.
I am so pulling for that little pig.
Good morning, I’ve been doing my own sleuthing because I cannot stop thinking of your poor boy and his skin.
I was first thinking of what some others have mentioned—an allergic reaction to a medication. I also stumbled upon this article regarding a reaction to a staph infection.
It may be that your boy doesn’t have a clue about foods other than chow. Mizuri makes a very good, balanced PBP chow. I say this because my neighbor’s PBP took forever to accept treats like carrots and apples, and he was raised in a loving home.
Gah, I forgot to add the link. It’s not a pleasant one to look at, but about 2/3 of the way down the page there is a pig with exactly the skin sloughing that Wai is having. The pig was diagnosed with Erysipelas. https://www.memorangapp.com/flashcards/127920/FA16+Food+Animal+Medicine+E5/
Ahhhh, and appears there is even a vaccine. So perhaps it’s not uncommon … says that pot bellied pigs are more prone. You’re right, not a pretty page to view but tons of info. Thank you.
Welcome, Rosy! What a trooper! Nothing better than good companionship and laughter. Enjoy and, again. WELCOME!
I think we are all pulling for this poor pig. For you, Cecilia–it isn’t easy ministering to a growling, smelly, diarrhea-suffering pig…and for Rosy. She walked into a baptism of fire. Hats off to you both.
Would Wai like some music (to soothe the savage beast)? It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve provided symphonic pleasure to your critters.
My first thought was “that looks like a chemical burn” (we recently had a rescue dog that looked like that, although just down his back). Or various vitamin deficiencies or excesses or autoimmune reactions or, or, or… Really the important thing is he’s improving and the skin looks good under the escher (hard bits on top). It’s amazing how much animals can heal with good nutrition and exercise!
Poor boy, I’m sure with your ministrations he will soon be on the mend, and as you said he has two very handsome minders. Hi Rosie!
Sorry rosy!
Whatever the future holds for this pig, he has landed in the right place. Would love to know what Boo and Ton are thinking in that photo. And what storm clouds!! Coming my way probably.
I am worried that the skin thing is another type of abuse vs the rat poison. Poor guy! Arm-Wei for short – he sounds FRENCH now…. I knew Boo would take to him! Boo is a very caring pup and knows when someone needs tending.
So many of us pulling for wee Wai, and with you as his friend and carer he has the best chance in the world. Storm photos are beautiful!
This took weeks to develop and it will take weeks to be made as ‘normal’ as possible. The difference in one day is amazing. Celi – he is nibbling at the greenery – he has not forgotten piggy behaviour !! He is peeing and pooing, so those reflexes are also there. He has been horrendously mistreated and it will take awhile for him to believe in those two-leggeds. Glad both Ton and Boo ‘on duty’!! Four legs: trusted first !!!
J > May you live in interesting times – it’s supposed to be an old Chinese curse. Well yours certainly are interesting right now, Celi, but I see only good, even if it’s not easy.
Aren’t we all “growly” when we have been through some tough experiences? Wai’s skin looks like the results of chemical burn of some kind. The best news though, is that his plumbing is working and he has a desire to be outside nibbling and roaming a bit. The body is resilient, as is the mind. He will come around when his trust in humans is better. I think your beautiful songbird voice and both you and Rosy putting gentle hands on Wai will bring him around. This reminds me when I worked in the banking industry, we had a customer who was gruff and negative and sometimes very harsh with his words. My co-worker and I generally slumped and delclared “Oh, no” when we saw him approach the front door. We always took turns waiting on him, knowing the verbal exchanges with him would be trying. Finally, after several months of his abuse, he left my teller window one morning, then turned back to look at me and my co-worker and said nicely and in gentle tones, “By the way, my friends call me “Hoop”. You can call me Hoop.” From that day on he was kinder and we got to know a very wonderful man. Who knows what is under that armadillo skin? Sometimes we find the best friend ever.