WARNING: Unsafe hay holder
Specifically, the Hay Manger from Super Pet.
http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=6455 That thing.
We've had one of these types of holders, usually to keep leafy veggies off of the cage floor as we just put hay in loose, since we first got Tweak.
Today, we came home from work around 5pm to find she'd managed to get it down off of the cage wall and get WEDGED into it.
Her head, neck and one front leg were caught in the hinge area.
I have no idea how she managed to get herself wedged like that, but there's no way a safe cage accessory should even allow for the possibility.
We thought she was dead when we found her, as she was cool and limp, but as soon as I moved the entire thing, she perked up and tried to pull herself out again.
We ended up having to use a wire cutter to get her out of it, and while she's alive, the vet isn't sure if it'll be for long mostly due to the fact that she's close to 8 now and that sort of stress on any pig, let alone a fairly old lady, is pretty bad.
Our exotics vet, thankfully, is open until 7pm every night, so once we got her out of the holder she got an immediate visit.
She's very, very stressed and has a hard time moving her back end (though she sure could squirm when I washed it off).
She did, however, start wheeking at me when I had her wrapped up in the towel after the vet cleaned her up (the my husband was home around 2 and she was fine, so we figure she was stuck for around 3 hours!), and she did want to eat and drink so I'm taking that as a good sign.
Just a caution for those of you that might use this style of hay/veggie holder.
Tweak is a fairly small pig, so it might only be a risk for smaller or younger pigs but...
We'll never buy anything similar to that design again; even if it was weird, rare instance, it's not worth risking it happening a second time.
Here's a pic of the destroyed holder:
http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=6455 That thing.
We've had one of these types of holders, usually to keep leafy veggies off of the cage floor as we just put hay in loose, since we first got Tweak.
Today, we came home from work around 5pm to find she'd managed to get it down off of the cage wall and get WEDGED into it.
Her head, neck and one front leg were caught in the hinge area.
I have no idea how she managed to get herself wedged like that, but there's no way a safe cage accessory should even allow for the possibility.
We thought she was dead when we found her, as she was cool and limp, but as soon as I moved the entire thing, she perked up and tried to pull herself out again.
We ended up having to use a wire cutter to get her out of it, and while she's alive, the vet isn't sure if it'll be for long mostly due to the fact that she's close to 8 now and that sort of stress on any pig, let alone a fairly old lady, is pretty bad.
Our exotics vet, thankfully, is open until 7pm every night, so once we got her out of the holder she got an immediate visit.
She's very, very stressed and has a hard time moving her back end (though she sure could squirm when I washed it off).
She did, however, start wheeking at me when I had her wrapped up in the towel after the vet cleaned her up (the my husband was home around 2 and she was fine, so we figure she was stuck for around 3 hours!), and she did want to eat and drink so I'm taking that as a good sign.
Just a caution for those of you that might use this style of hay/veggie holder.
Tweak is a fairly small pig, so it might only be a risk for smaller or younger pigs but...
We'll never buy anything similar to that design again; even if it was weird, rare instance, it's not worth risking it happening a second time.
Here's a pic of the destroyed holder:
Ohhh I have that hay holder in that same color!!! Good to know. Hope Tweak recovers soon.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing.
Lynx, just in case I do something dense and delete that pic during a clean-out of my photobucket account, if you want to add the picture of the holder to the site go ahead. :)
I'd hate for anyone else to have to come home to find their poor little pig stuck like that.
I still can't figure out how she managed to DO it. :|
I'd hate for anyone else to have to come home to find their poor little pig stuck like that.
I still can't figure out how she managed to DO it. :|
Oh no. Glad she is okay. I didn't like those holders but for a different reason.