Disabled Senior Silkie Sheltie Salt & Pepper

Please adopt Edgar (Gergie, Gergert) to pay for his dental surgery which he needs DESPERATELY. The vet says Edgar's molars have points, which make it difficult, uncomfortable, and possibly painful for him to chew and eat. He needs a surgery to have the points on his molars ground down flatly, so that he can eat without discomfort. The vet says he looks to be very full of life and will likely live to the age of 10+ despite his current health condition which can be fixed with a dental surgery and an owner who is eager to support his recovery, lifelong. He has an eye issue and the vet says it is not a bacteria or viral issue, but instead, it is caused by his need for dental surgery. The discharge around his eyes must be gently cleaned every morning and every night with warm water on a washcloth and a Q-tip.

I will consider an adopter who is committed to feeding Sherwood Free-Choice pellets and Sherwood Emergency Recovery through a syringe three times a day. Gergie must have a mix of Small Pet Select hays, especially both Oat Hay and Orchard Grass as well as 3rd Cut Timothy Hay. He gets Meadow Hay sometimes too.

What is most important is that he gets a lot of timothy from the pellets and the syringe liquid paste food. The pellets must always be "seasoned" with HealthyGut Guinea Pig pro-biotic powder to that Edgar can process and pass stool. Secondly, he needs Small Pet Select Oat Hay for the high fat and protein, but it is very thick and tough to chew. For this reason, he also needs the softest 3rd Cut Small Pet Select Orchard Grass in addition, because it is the softest option. This softness is vital because this is the easiest for him to chew and best for his digestion and he might just choose to starve instead of eating thick, tough hay.

Gergert is impacted chronically and must have his anal sac cleaned out, at a minimum, once per week. To treat the impaction, he must be fed Oxbow Digestive Supplement Tablets. He is addicted to the molasses due to the previous owner, but he needs this for the Fenugreek. The Fenugreek has been his saving grace. On top of this tablet treat supplement, you must put on a "icing" or "frosting" of the pro-biotic medicine known as Bene-Bac. This is to help lubricate his digestive tract so that he can poop.

Because of his impaction, he needs to be kept extra sanitary and hygienic. You will spot-clean his cage to remove all the poops three times per day and examine them to discern if his digestion is ok. You will wash his fleece in Free & Clear laundry soap and distilled white vinegar 1 time per week at a minimum. When you wash the fleece, you will do two rinse cycles, not just the standard 1 rinse cycle, to ensure sanitation. No fabric softener sheets. He must have frequent hair cuts around his rear end and his skirt area to keep everything sanitary, about once every 3 months. He needs Small Pet Select Pelleted Hemp Litter on top of his fleece.

It is best to clean out his anal impaction at least twice per week, but he cannot tolerate the shock of a bath. He is too cold to handle that level of stress and temperature change due to this disabled senior immune system. He enjoys a Lixit or LivingWorld type of water bottle. Monitor the water level difference everyday in the water bottle for Edgar because, if he stops drinking normally, it could be a sign that something might be wrong and he may need to see the vet immediately. This is because of the mix of his digestive issues and his dental issues.

Despite all this, his age and his disability, he is a loud and spirited old man. I really was shocked when he did not die after the first few days of being in my care, and I was even more surprised when he came out of his shell to show us his powerful personality. I have tried to bond him with my sprayed sows, ages 4 and 6, but he tried to mount them relentlessly and the ladies aggressively fight back. No blood was drawn, but it was too much chasing and nipping at the face. With my intact boar, age 2, they mounted each other back and fourth and never seemed to be able to resolve it after hours and multiple attempts, but still no blood, just too much stress. I cannot tell if he is just too dominant, too nervous, or if he just needs his privacy and personal space to recover in solitude in his own solo cage? Gergie seems to best enjoy watching the herd from his solo cage and does not chew the bars to get to the herd. He will, however, bar-chew if I do not give him his treat fast enough once he hears the bag crinkle.

Gergie has a special fascination with paper; I think his trauma from his past abusive owners means that the paper products like toilet paper rolls as toys comfort him. I find he will focus on them exclusively if given the opportunity. He seems to show little interest in enrichment or toy, honestly, he is extremely human-focused and responds most to humans and pigs and social interactions. I have tried everything as far as toys and enrichment and treats and get 3 different types of monthly guinea pig subscription boxes. He only really engages with the timothy toys and seagrass/wicker toys almost exclusively. He does not seem to show interest in most of the extra treat items like the Veggie Burst Chews or Freeze Dried Fruits/Veggies or Peas and Carrot Flakes, or other Rosewood treats. He is a picky eater and refuses rainbow organic cherry tomatoes every time. He will eat herbs like organic cilantro and organic parsley. He will eat carrot tops and a little bit of baby rainbow organic carrots. He primarily loves leafy greens. He needs 5 of the biggest, greenest outer leaves of the head of the organic romaine lettuce every day. He will eat them up fast and beg for more with loud, shrill wheeking, as if he will die without just one more leaf.

He is a 6-7 year old Silkie Sheltie long hair salt & pepper. He is an intact boar. His soft, shiny fur is black, gray, and white. He has some black skin and paws and even much of his fingernail quick is black, too. Be careful and confident in skill when clipping nails on the black pigmented fingernail quick. He must be bushed every day, especially because of his anal impaction, the fur can get stuck up in his anal impaction if you are not vigilant. He needs a soft, boar bristle brush. He must be brushed gently because of his emaciation. His skin is fragile, but healthy. If you do not brush him very very gently, it will be painful because his spine and tailbone and ribs are showing and easy to feel. He enjoys a C&C cage that is 2x3 to 2x5. He does well with sitting in your lap in freeze mode if you just keep talking to him, but he will definitely scamper if he hears a loud, sudden noise. He gets startled more easily than the rest of my piggies. I would really prefer an owner who is knowledgeable like me about ethically-sourced products for Edgar like those sold at The Dragon Herbarium. Based on his weekly health check, you will alter his herbal blend for his needs. He really enjoys Bob's Red Mill Hemp Hearts, Flax, and Oat products for a special treat.