Bruce was purchased as a baby from a pet store as a gift for a 13-year-old girl. While she loved Bruce dearly, she was not equipped to provide him with the proper care for the 15-20 years a pig like Bruce can live. The young woman reached out for help in 2023. While we typically don’t accept owner surrenders, what struck us in her request was that Bruce was having some medical issues. She mentioned he was having trouble with the bathroom, which is very abnormal for pigs. They are fastidious in their cleanliness and bathroom habits. We accepted Bruce into our care and had him evaluated by the University of Tennessee. They found a very large urinary stone that had caused extreme amounts of inflammation in his bladder. After a fairly extensive recovery period, Bruce has fully recovered and is living his best life in our Med Barn herd.
Bruce had never lived with a pig friend before arrival to OMI, and he spent his quarantine and recovery time with another emergency medical intake named Henry. The two boys bonded, and they’re now officially a pair. Pigs are herd animals who really need a friend of the same species to achieve the right level of mental well-being. They crave companionship. Medical needs take priority during intake, but we always consider the importance of helping animals find the right level of emotional wellness, too.
