# Potbellied Pig with tusk growing in cheek



## brianbeth84 (Nov 23, 2014)

We have rescued a PBP that is about 5 years old.  He is fixed, drinks a lot of water and has one tusk that has curled around and grown into his cheek.  We have 3 other PBP and have never encountered this.  What are your suggestions?  I see using a piano wire and see-aw back and forth to cut it down.  Any other suggestions?


----------



## M.L. McKnight (Nov 23, 2014)

I'd suggest that you get a wire limb saw (also called a backpacking saw, wire saw, hiking saw, etc.), loop it around his tusk and saw it off. He won't like it so give him a few quiet pills that you'd give a dog to calm him down or you could give him some dried raspberry (it works on my horses). 

If you want a down and dirty method, get your pig tipsy, have someone hold onto him and lop that tusk off with a set of pruners. It will make a sick crunch, your pig won't like it but it will be over and done with in no time. 

Good luck.


----------



## OneFineAcre (Nov 24, 2014)

My wife used to work on a commercial hog farm and a university swine research unit, so I asked her.

She said that they had a snare on the end of a metal post.  It's a two person job and one person would grab the boars snout with the snare and pull on it.  The animals response would be to pull his head back against the direction that you are pulling.  When he did that, the second person would cut the tusk with bolt cutters.


----------



## brianbeth84 (Nov 24, 2014)

Thank you both.  Another question, because part of his tusk is embedded into his cheek, after we cut it, what would a dose of penicillin be or can they get SMZ?  I know the whole is going to be infected.


----------



## OneFineAcre (Nov 24, 2014)

brianbeth84 said:


> Thank you both.  Another question, because part of his tusk is embedded into his cheek, after we cut it, what would a dose of penicillin be or can they get SMZ?  I know the whole is going to be infected.


That would probably be a good idea.


----------



## brianbeth84 (Nov 24, 2014)

Here it is..


----------



## M.L. McKnight (Nov 24, 2014)

One of those snares will work in a pinch if you can get it to secure to the pigs snout, I have tried and failed miserably when using those in the past.

I'd give that pig 1cc of durapen per 100 lbs, and maybe an additional 1cc for good measure. Try that and a dose of blukote.


----------



## OneFineAcre (Nov 24, 2014)

M.L. McKnight said:


> One of those snares will work in a pinch if you can get it to secure to the pigs snout, I have tried and failed miserably when using those in the past.
> 
> I'd give that pig 1cc of durapen per 100 lbs, and maybe an additional 1cc for good measure. Try that and a dose of blukote.



She had done it many, many times with the snare.  She did say that it was not  something the average person could do without practice.


----------

