One of my four pigs has a slight limp in one of her back legs. She is getting up and eating fine, but we think the big male is keeping her from eating as much as she should. Went in the pen last night and saw to it that she got enough to eat. She seems to eat and water fine, but has a slight limp. Seems better once she is up and about, she just doesn't seem anxious to get up unless she has to. Should we just see to it that she gets enough to eat, and hope she recovers, or what? Totally new to this pig thing!!!!! We are planning a pig roast in a couple of weeks and were planning on taking the big male as he is becoming a bit of a bully, but now are wondering if we should take the limping female? Is she safe to eat? Like I said she seems healthy and eating good just has a slight limp? Help!!!!
could be a lot of things. Hematoma, pulled muscle, broken leg. A year or two ago we even had a pig come down with some sort of encephalitis, started out with limp in one leg, then 2, then four, to the point he was shuffling around on knees and elbows. Vet wanted far far more than the pig was worth. I wondered if it was west nile, I even offered to give the pig to the health dept, local veterinary college and, ag ext, hoping for a necropy report, to see what the deal was, but as soon as I said "pig" they lost all interest. They only wanted to deal with cattle and horses. I isolated him, named him polio pig, fed and watered him, and after about 6 weeks he was well and you couldn't tell him from the rest of the pigs.
In my experience I would expect that from what you explained that she will be just fine. As far as if she is okay to eat, I would. If you do I would be cautious about any infection to the leg but from what you said it doesn't look like it. Don't know your plans but you may want to keep you female for breeding but if not then it may be a good idea to roast her just incase it does get bad. With an injury she may grow a little slower but she will grow nontheless.
Thnx guys, she seems a little better today, gave her a special pan of food, and she jumped right up showing much more enthusiasm than yesterday, ate her food and then threw the pan up in the air and chased it around the pen. She is still favoring the leg a little but it seems better, am wondering now if she got it stepped on. Will keep and eye on her, if she continues to limp but appears otherwise healthy, may use her for the pig roast and buther the male at the same time just cause he is getting to be a bully. Thnx again, Linda
