need help with pig sick?

gwithrow · #1 03/30/13, 11:18 AM

I am cross posting here since I am hoping someone can offer some info to help me with this pig....she is having a very hard time getting up onto all four feet...she is about 200 pounds, and 6 months old...is being kept on a large wooded area with 3 other pigs...

today she looks swollen up and is lying around a lot, though she is still eating...I do not want to butcher a pig that is sick...nor do we want to lose it ....from what I read there is a bacterial thing that can cause an arthritis condition that is treatable with antibiotics...but I need more to go on before I just try to treat her on my own...no temperature or a slightly elevated one....if she needs an antibiotic which one? and how much ?,,,,,thanks

haypoint · #2 03/30/13, 01:33 PM

Have you been supplying her with plenty of minerals that include selenium? Livestock need minerals. The soil isn't a source for the minerals your pig needs to thrive. Last year I saw a pig die and two unable to get up, because they were fed a diet of ground corn and soybean meal and water. That is not enough.

tinknal · #3 03/30/13, 01:37 PM

Does she seem weak in the back end? It could be erisyphlis. If so you need to vaccinate the rest of the herd. You can butcher her or keep her if she can still get around and eat and butcher her whenever you want.

gwithrow · #4 03/30/13, 01:43 PM

the feed is supposed to have all necessary minerals...however, I am wondering if I could offer some loose minerals that I have on hand for the beef cows..??...say in a pan near the water....the cattle minerals that I use are higher in selenium than the usual bagged stuff ....it is formulated for this area...

she seems to just struggle to get up....weak or in pain?...once she is up for the day, and out with the others the issue seems less noticable...

if it is erisyphlis what is done for this? they all only have a couple of more weeks...I don't usually keep pigs year round...and their day is approaching quickly....

haypoint · #5 03/30/13, 02:17 PM

The pigs I saw were weak in the rear end, sort of tried to drag themselves around. Didn't have any disease. I don't know about cattle minerals for pigs. May have too much salt. No way to know without reading the labels. But if they were getting some minerals, this might not be the problem. At this point, consult a Vet.

Since you have decided that you don't want to eat her, now, you could give her a shot of penicillin. Can't hurt her.

brosil · #6 03/31/13, 10:13 AM

The only time I've ever had a sick pig was when one of them got into some onions so I don't think I can help.

luvrulz · #7 03/31/13, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wind in Her Hair

any chance she is bred?

what do her feet and hock joints look like- are her joints swollen-is she kind of knuckling over?

sometimes "bad running gear" is just a structural problem that only manifests itself as a hog gets older and begins to put on weight. If thats the problem, it will not get better and the only solution is to eat her now.

that's what I was thinking too....is she running with the boars? maybe one of them mounted her and caused her some issues.....?

gwithrow · #8 03/31/13, 03:29 PM

no way she is bred....and the problem is actually getting from a sitting position to upright....when she walks it is a little awkward...like there is a hip problem....or back...and after she has been up and walking around it seems that she has less trouble...like arthritis...it is a puzzle to me...she is young still ....once she is up, I even see her running....it is just getting that fat rear end up and those back feet under her...we have raised a bunch of pigs over the past few years and I have not ever had one with this .....she just needs to eat and continue growing for another three weeks...

agmantoo · #9 04/01/13, 05:19 PM

Do I remember correctly that you had some Noromycin 300 LA ? If so give an injection of that and observe according to the directions. The withdrawal period is 28 days prior to slaughter.

mekasmom · #10 04/01/13, 05:30 PM

Feed her more fat and less protein plus add some mineral rich foods.
I would also give some antibiotics for a couple of days. But, it is more likely a dietary deficiency of fat and minerals. It is called osteochondrosis (Sp?)

mekasmom · #11 04/01/13, 05:34 PM

I wanted to add horses and pigs are especially prone to the problem, so ask on the horse board. They might have something that they feed the horses to help that you can also use for your pig. It is an eating difficiency though. Some genetics can be involved, but if she is the only one with the issue, then it is probably a feed issue.

We raise chihuahuas, and I had one whose ears curled back. All the rest of the herd and their puppies were always fine. But this one had the problem. The vet had a name for it, but it was all related to a mineral difficiency. Even though they all ate at the same bowl, only one had the problem. Some minerals and vitamins plus fish oil capsules solved the problem within a week. Feed deficiencies show up in strange ways.

Alice In TX/MO · #12 04/01/13, 06:17 PM

Pig mineral requirement info:
http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G2322

gwithrow · #13 04/01/13, 06:17 PM

I think I will take a special Twinkie to her in the morning...filled with some extra vitamins and maybe some glucosamine, it may only be helpful for my benefit, but I don't think it will hurt...

ChristieAcres · #14 04/02/13, 03:03 AM

If you have any raw Garlic, offer her 3 cloves per day. It won't her hurt and may help. I fed my pigs garlic tucked into half a dinner roll. That is the only thing I could add to what everyone else already brought up.