Livestock Sick pig

Satanta

Satanta

Stone Cold Crazy
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Mimi the Piggles is sick

She was listless yestarday, did not eat her food-a new feed we got from Cheweys. Last eve she gt pretty unresponsive, I gacve her two bananas and a hunk of catelope which she ate.

Checked overnight and again pretty unresponsive-a grunt here and there. I observed her heaving or such at one point-her sides expanded and contracted n quick succession.

This A.M. she was still in postiion from last night. Got her some banana, she eventually went out and sunned for a bit in two places but now back under her shelter, still mostly unresponsive. She ate a bit of banana but not real interested.

Nose is semi-dry.

Not sure how to procede. Vet we got her from is closed til Thursday and, it being a holiday of some sort a lot of places are not functioning because, you know, Presidents day is extremely important tho I was never in a job that closed for it.
 
psychgirl

psychgirl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Oh no, poor girl!
I hope she’s ok! I’ve no idea about that sort of care but is there any Vet at all, you could just call for advice?

What breed of pig is she and how old? My cousin has farmed and raised pigs/hogs her entire life. (My uncle was one of the biggest hog farmers in Indiana (back in the day)

I could send her a message if you’d like?
 
Satanta

Satanta

Stone Cold Crazy
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pot bellied mix, maybe mixed with feral.

Just not seeing any indications of flu or bronchial issues. Tried to get some antibiotics in her, she ignored me at firsdt then grunted-sounded mad and walked off to lay down elsewhere. Not sure I have anything to take her temp either rear-wise or orally that she would tolerate. She is a sweety but, scare her or piss her off she can bowl you down easilly to get away.
 
Satanta

Satanta

Stone Cold Crazy
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checked a bit ago. Back in her sheltered area. She gave me a couple of grunts when I talked to her.

As far as what I said above-recent example, she broke out of her pen, spent a good portion of the day wandering around near the house then shoved her way thru the chcken wire used to keep the dogs in their area. I went out and got her some food and water figuring it was a good oppurtunity to work on her area fencing. As I walked the dogs fence inside she followed me grunt, grunt, grunt...when I went to leave she squeeled and rand in front of me blocking me from leaving. I'd move to go around she'd shove in front of me.. She will follow me around like and ugly dog whenn she is out and usually come when I call her.
 
S

summerthyme

Administrator
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Could have a bellyache. Could be in heat (not as likely because they usually get pissy and go looking for a boar, rather than becoming anti-social). Watch to see the consistency of her manure.

There's no chance she could be pregnant, right?

Pigs, for all their reputation for eating garbage or anything they can get their teeth into, really require food nearly the quality necessary for human health. Molds, etc are as toxic to them as to us.

How recent was the feed change? That's always the first suspect... any behavior change after a change in feed is presumed to be caused by the feed, until proven otherwise.

You need to find a local feed mill, because paying Chewy prices for hog feed is nuts! Just call around to the ones in your area, and ask if they sell to local farmers. Most, in our experience, have a small storefront attached (sometimes just an office) where they'll take your money and direct you to a loading dock to pick up your feed. 99% of the time, it's going to be better, and cheaper, than Tractor Supply.

If you don't know of mills in your area, stop by a farm nearby, introduce yourselves as new neighbors, and ask them!

Quite often, there will be an employee who has his own stock, and can give you advice on feed and health as well.

Make sure she has plenty of fresh water, and *don't let her have much in the way of salt*! Hogs get "salt poisoning " easier than any other species. And when they get it, they DIE from cerebral edema.

Same as any other species, she can skip eating for a few days, but it's important to keep her drinking. Watch what goes in and what comes out... it may give you a clue what's going on.

You can use most human meds on a pig... people bismol, for example. But always, before using *any* new meds or remedies, do a quick Google search on that substance plus the species you want to use it on. It's rather shocking how occasionally, one species can't handle a med that most take just fine.

A couple examples... you can give horses Bactrim or doxycycline orally... works well, no problems. If you give them Keflex orally, you destroy their gut bacteria and can kill then.

Also, there's at least one new injectable antibiotic for cattle which will kill a horse.I was always mentioning that little factoid to my Amish friends and neighbors, because they were prone to thinking, "hey, that stuff worked great on my calf! I'll bet it will perk my horse right up!"

And while you can give steroids to a pregnant horse if necessary, you'll abort any pregnant cow past about 4 months along.

Also, you may need to crate her or set up a makeshift squeeze chute to take her temp or give meds. If not this time, then probably another. NEVER attempt to take an oral temp on a pig! They'll crunch the thermometer into shards in a split second.

You can use any oral or rectal human thermometer, but I'd suggest getting a glass livestock thermometer if you are going to have pets or livestock. It's the first vital sign you need to know when they're acting off.

While you're at it, get some generic KY jelly at Walmart to use with it...

Summerthyme
 
Satanta

Satanta

Stone Cold Crazy
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ST, yeah, I would never do an oral temp on an animal. The only ThermOmeters we have are the battery ones-way too short for use on a pig.

Also have the issue of her positioning-her butt is in the rear of her cover, if I piss her off she is going to simply grunt around me in circles and she is too large for me to control. I am the only one physically capable of dealing with her and trust me, that capability is limited.

Even tho I am a bit shy on the idea of giving antibiotics without having some idea of what is going on-some sort of virus? Constipation? Other? I did attempt to get some Amoxi in her yesterday-that is when she moved away letting me know it is not happening. Problem is-if she ios constipated Anti's can cause more issues.

She stopped eating with the new feed. Just left it. I mixed some other tasty stuff in with the next feeding and she mostly left it.

Yesterday she ate some banana and melon.

Put both in with her last night around 2a.m. and those were left-even the banana near her nose.

This A.M. nada.

Concerned for fluid intake ATM. Not sureif she has drank in the last couple of days either.

I have contacted a vet and awaiting a response. If I had IV units and such I might be able to give her dfluids but I do not and do not have a firm grasp on porcine anatomy plus, again, she is a big girl.
 
Satanta

Satanta

Stone Cold Crazy
_______________
Oh, as far as Heat/Pregnancy.

Never seen her go down in heat. Get grumpty, sure but this is definitely not normal.

Pregnant? Unlikely tho she did get out of her pen for several hours last week. She stayed around the property-near the house and barn. I've seen no indication of wild pigs here nor any signs of neighbors having them or them getting loose so unlikely.
 
Satanta

Satanta

Stone Cold Crazy
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Been observing her all day. She moved back to her shelter area and nada.

I took a cup of water to her and gave her a bit a spoon at a time-trying to not give too much. Held the side of her mouth pen and poured it in.

Honestly thought at first she was deceased.

FL got a baby bottle and pedialyte and I got maybe a quarter bottle in her.

FL went out and Mimi got up as she left, squatted and peed-started out as yellow then went to red.

She hung out for a few before laying back down.
 
S

summerthyme

Administrator
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Hmmmm Leptospirosis?

Doxycycline or tetracycline (10 mgs per kilogram, once daily for 5 days) could be useful.

Summerthyme
 
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