Update: I've been trying to take and post the picture of the "puppy," but we had a snowstorm with unusually cold temps followed by a busted pressure tank. Due to continuing issues with the Flash Plug in, You'll have to look at the picture on Photobucket Please excuse the baby cereal. I do the best I can while moving quickly to keep him from getting chilled. He never nursed on his mother..not even once. He is growing and gaining weight.
Well, not quite a puppy....
It's a pig. A newborn pig. A rejected pig.
It's an American Guinea Hog piglet.
The sow was a first time mom and did not take to the experience. There were some influencing factors, so it's understandable. We believe babies are better off with their mothers most of the time. So, we've tried multiple times to get her to take the two survivors until there wasn't any other choice but to help them ourselves. We brought them indoors and started feeding both store bought colostrum. One of them was too weak from the get go so we figured it wouldn't survive. It didn't. The other is a fighter and is still going strong.
By fighter, I mean it fights us when we try to feed it, but we get food in it!
I have been helping orphaned animals since I was a young child. Mostly, it's been puppies. So, I keep accidentally calling the piglet a puppy as I give it encouragement. "Hey puppy, it's time to eat!" "Come on, puppy, you can do this! Keep trying little pup!" "Good night, puppy! I'll see you in a few hours." If it survives the great odds against it, and it just might, it will probably think it's name is "Puppy!"
It is indoors in a crate during it's crisis, but it will be moved outside as soon as possible.
I will try to get a picture of the new "puppy" soon. I am suppose to be cleaning my bedroom :-)!
