bad news on ellie all around....she will go the way of penny...(a commercial food animal bred to achieve maximum weight with minimum time and effort to maximize profit) and the fact that she and penny escaped that butchered fate does not mean they escape the consequences of mankind's greed.
penny died crippled at 5 months old, her femoral leg joints shattered from her unnatural size. how long does ellie have?...the vets don't know, it depends how long we can control her pain from her leg joints that are deforming from her growing weight. if ellie had been bred as a replacement sow for breeding this would not be an issue...they breed them with bones strong enough to carry their adult weight but the meat pigs are bred only to live for a few short months....the weiner piglets are slaughtered by 3 or 4 months old.
i am just so sad inside my heart tonight, and once again she came to the barn on her knees. i will have to figure out how to help her stay comfortably mobile for as long as we possibly can. and i will have to figure out a way for me to live with losing her a little bit more every day.
the vets have increased her pain meds, and Dr Patrelli is ordering her some special naturopathic concoction from Florida. and my job is to ensure that whatever lifetime she has is one that she values every day. the vets said maybe she might see another summer...i guess we will just take it one day ay a time.
Ellie has known nothing but unconditional love from you since day one, Carol. Except for the fictional Wilbur and Babe, I know of no other farm pigs as adored and respected as Ellie. You two have a bond that is as strong and true as any I have ever witnessed. I know how much you love your girl, and I'm sorry, so sorry, that you are so afraid for your beloved friend.