Impactions

This is a sticky subject but one that everyone needs to know that owns a boar.  First of all, whenever you pick up your guys, rest your hand under his behind so that you feel the testicles.  If he is starting to get an impaction, you will feel a hardness within the pouch instead of the usual “mushy” feeling.  His testicles are shaped like a doughnut with the pouch in the middle.  The pouch is coated with a horrendous smelling white pasty-like substance normally.  An impaction would be darker colored with bits of poop, shavings, hair, and the secum (white stuff) forming a lump.  Use cotton swabs soaked in mineral oil to wet the inside of the pouch around the impaction.  Continue in a circular motion with as many oil soaked cotton swabs as it takes to get the impaction out.  Don’t pull on the lump, you may hurt your boar.  If it is really hard you may have to soak it in warm water to soften it and then use the oil soaked cotton swabs.  I check all my fellas at least once a month no matter how gross this task is.  Most boars don’t have a problem with impactions at all, but some do so check your boys regularly just to be an the safe side. 

(Especially those really zealous bottom draggers.)

Impactions are such a rare occurrence in my house that it be would safe to say that my boars do not get them….but then again, as soon as I said that, I would find someone, somewhere with a pouch full so I won’t even say it. I believe the reason my guys don’t get impacted is that I keep hay available for them all the time. Keeps their systems regular? J