SNAKES AND LADDERS

You can breathe again. Piglet is back in the game.

After I sent you that sad message yesterday Piglet began to vomit. He had pure water diarrhea and thick white milky vomit. It did not look good.

I cleaned him up. He went to sleep again against my arm wrapped up in a towel. After a while I put him down to sleep and took all his bedding out to the wash. Everything.

Even Blue Ted.

I was beyond tired but realized I had to change tack.

I drove fast to the store and bought some Gatorade. Gatorade is great for sick pigs but I have never used it on new borns. Piglet had not given up – he was still on his feet so I could not give up either. It is curious this determination that takes over.

I got two syringes, took out the needles- loaded them up and every fifteen minutes for the rest of the day I shot a mil of Gatorade at a time into his protesting mouth for one hour then the same of milk for the alternate hour. This went on for hours.

Boo stared mind thoughts to me until I let him in.

Though all he wanted to do was take the covers off the 5 day old piglet and lick him.

All day I walked the tiny piglet so he could not lie down and begin to die. I am a great fan of walking as a remedy for bowel problems. Remember how I used to force Wai to walk about the halls of the barn – jollying him along with my stick- forcing him to walk his way to health. And so I walked this baby every hour. On the hour – round and round the house until he veered off and walked himself into bed. Then I went back with my rags and mopped up the diarrhea and or vomit. Then I gave him the equivalent in Gatorade straight down his throat and let him sleep for Fifteen minutes.

Boo and I remade his new bed out in the lounge so I could top him up on fluids easily I unplugged the heater and left it in the laundry. We did not want hot and sleepy.

With the extra fluids and forced exercise slowly – very slowly- hour by hour he began to regain his life. After a while he stopped the gagging and vomiting. Then he began to pee again. By 4pm he suddenly accepted his bottle with enthusiasm.

By 5pm he was jumping out of his bed at the sound of my voice and drinking an ounce of milk at a time.

By 7 he was running about getting into trouble.

He woke me every 90 minutes in the night for milk and drunk everything.

Now, he is back asleep in his cocoon of blankets – he still has a runny bottom but it is thicker already and mostly when he gets up. As long as he holds the course he just may recover fully.

Poor Piglet landed on a snake in his board game and slid all the way back to the beginning now bit by bit we claw our way back up.

ACT II commences. Or is it ACT III.

This morning Anna is driving down from Chicago to help me with the chicken shed and duck house. Lots of heavy work today.

So. There we are then.

Piglet will be awake soon for more milk – I am going to see if I can sneak past his bed and take a shower first.

I hope we all have a better day than yesterday.

Celi

C