Pig Mom Gets a Win - Tusk Maintenance

I have been working hard on coming up with ways to train Winston so that we can do his annual exam with no sedation and without flipping him on his back. Both of us absolutely hate the process and its stressful so I am motivated to come up with new ideas.

Around Thanksgiving I started working with Winston on the first item on the list - tusk maintenance. I ordered this lovely tool called Bark and Boop Dog Nail Grinder from Amazon ($21). This is basically a Dremmel but its much quieter which we needed because W hated the loud motor of the Dremmel tool. We started our training in very short spurts. It was literally getting him to let me touch his tusk with the tool at first. It would touch for a split second and then he would pull away. He didn't like the vibration it causes but over time he got more used to it.

Earlier this week, I was able to declare a win when I got out the tool and once I turned it on Winston flopped on his side (the position he takes for all maintenance activities) and he let me file for as long as I wanted. His tusks grow at very different rates - one is super long and one is just barely poking out of the side of his mouth. He lets me get both now - another win. He wasn't very excited about me accessing that shorter one at first.

Now, I will say, he is a very tolerant pig when it comes to maintenance. I clean his ears, eyes, snout, brush teeth, file hooves and clean out scent glands regularly. He loves the attention. So, it was just getting him used to this new thing. I still have a ways to go, filing down the longer tusk, but once its short like the other one, it will just be a part of his regular maintenance routine and I will be able to keep them from ever getting long again. He also lets me use the tool on his hooves which makes that maintenance task much faster than filing with a nail file.

So, step one in what the vet does for annual visit is off the list. I can do both myself and I don't need him flipped for trimming of hooves or using the gigli wire to cut back his tusks. Next, I am working on building him a chute - for lack of a better word. I am working on design now and have enlisted the hubs to help me construct. I will post about it once we have started the training, but, if it works like I want it to, the vet will be able to complete his physical exam and give injections without sedation or flipping. Fingers crossed.

Stay tuned for updates!!