Author Topic: Meningitis (Read 4154 times)

ramblerskitchen · « **on:** October 10, 2011, 11:29:29 pm »

Hi. I hope that someone out there can give me some honest advise. I 9 saddlebacks which are all from the same litter, aged 5 months. When I bought them, there were three runts who I took for nothing as the man selling them was struggling financially. The three runts were separated from the rest so that I could make sure they were getting enough feed etc. I put them all back together about 2 months ago, and although smaller they have been fine.
On Wednesday/Thursday 2 of the larger pigs were off colour, i had moved them into a new field on Sunday and | assumed that they had over eaten. Moved them back, and within 24 hours were back to normal selves.

On Friday, 2 of the runts were a bit unsteady and off colour. By Saturday morning neither could stand and were twitching and was heart wrenching to watch. The vet arrives within about 2 hours and diagnosed meningitis. He administered antibiotics and anti inflammatory injections to the two little ones and to one large sow who was not her usual self.

As the two were unable to move, they were hand fed and watered. Unfortunately the boy died overnight on Saturday, but the little girl is still fighting. Vet came again on Sunday, more injections and left me three to give her this week. She is getting stronger and eating and drinking, BUT she is still unable to stand, although she is trying so hard.

Am I being unrealistic, or even cruel in trying to save her? The vet did say that if she had not been better on Sunday he would have destroyed her.

Does anyone have any experience of this and is she likely to be able to recover and stand again?

Thanks for any advise. Sarah

landroverroy · « **Reply #1 on:** October 10, 2011, 11:45:22 pm »

I have had experience of this with lambs. Sometimes they will get better but you have to nurse them constantly for about 6 weeks.
You need to help them up on their feet and support them every day or they will not get the use of their legs back.
You say your piglet is improving so I would say she has a good chance of recovery if you're prepared to spend time with her.
The vet's advice is what he would give to a commercial farmer as financially he would see the piglet as not worth the time required to nurse her better.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #2 on:** October 11, 2011, 01:25:26 am »

I expect you've already read up what info there is on the Pig Site
http://www.thepigsite.com/pighealth/article/295/streptococcal-meningitis and
http://www.thepigsite.com/diseaseinfo/66/meningitis

landroverroy, I cannot of course speak for your vet nor Sarah's, but I can most definitely state that my own puts animal welfare ahead of any commercial considerations and would end the suffering of any piglet with meningitis that hadn't a fair chance of recovery.

Sarah, I hope your little girl continues to improve. If you feel she is in too much pain for the probability of a recovery, don't feel bad to ask the vet to end her suffering, or to ask him/her whether you should be considering that step. Best wishes to you and her.

Blonde · « **Reply #3 on:** October 11, 2011, 02:41:47 am »

Quote from: ramblerskitchen on October 10, 2011, 11:29:29 pm

Hi. I hope that someone out there can give me some honest advise. I 9 saddlebacks which are all from the same litter, aged 5 months. When I bought them, there were three runts who I took for nothing as the man selling them was struggling financially. The three runts were separated from the rest so that I could make sure they were getting enough feed etc. I put them all back together about 2 months ago, and although smaller they have been fine.
On Wednesday/Thursday 2 of the larger pigs were off colour, i had moved them into a new field on Sunday and | assumed that they had over eaten. Moved them back, and within 24 hours were back to normal selves.

On Friday, 2 of the runts were a bit unsteady and off colour. By Saturday morning neither could stand and were twitching and was heart wrenching to watch. The vet arrives within about 2 hours and diagnosed meningitis. He administered antibiotics and anti inflammatory injections to the two little ones and to one large sow who was not her usual self.

As the two were unable to move, they were hand fed and watered. Unfortunately the boy died overnight on Saturday, but the little girl is still fighting. Vet came again on Sunday, more injections and left me three to give her this week. She is getting stronger and eating and drinking, BUT she is still unable to stand, although she is trying so hard.

Am I being unrealistic, or even cruel in trying to save her? The vet did say that if she had not been better on Sunday he would have destroyed her.

Does anyone have any experience of this and is she likely to be able to recover and stand again?

Thanks for any advise. Sarah

I have had meningitis in pigs and yes you do lose a few but with the right medication and having to do all the pigs in the group you will pull them through. fine one day and sick the next. .

Berkshire Boy · « **Reply #4 on:** October 11, 2011, 09:32:25 am »

Hi Sarah.
I had a weaner about 5 years ago that had meningitis. Took it to the vets and they put it on antibiotics etc and after a week or so was back on its feet. The vet said it had affected her sight but she managed fine. I had bought her as a breeding gilt and as she grew she was fine, she wasn't blind but had limited vision but you wouldn't have known to watch her. I thought I would give her a chance and put her to the boar she had a litter of 8 and raised them all fine, we had 3 litters from her but unfortunately the last litter was too much for her and she died.
If I was in the same situation today I wouldn't have bred from her but I would have given her a chance to reach slaughter age. Older and wiser now

ramblerskitchen · « **Reply #5 on:** October 12, 2011, 12:04:00 pm »

Thanks for your reply. She is getting stronger every day and eating really well again, but she is still not standing up although she is now able to hold her weight on her front legs whilst sat down which is an improvement. She is having her last injection today so am keeping my fingers crossed she continues to recover.

Thanks for your replies. Sarah x

ramblerskitchen · « **Reply #6 on:** October 30, 2011, 02:24:50 pm »

Just to update you, unfortunately I had to make the horrible decision to have my pig put to sleep. She seemed to be getting stronger, and was eating and drinking well, but reliant on being hand fed. She could not stand and over a few days her legs became weaker and weaker.

More advise sought from the vet, who said we would try another longer course of Antibiotics but he gave her changes of survival as 50/50 and was not sure she would ever regain use of her legs.

I could not watch her suffering any longer.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #7 on:** October 31, 2011, 12:56:53 am »

Sarah, so sorry to hear that.

It has to be the right one to end suffering when the chances of a full recovery are so slight. It's so much harder to make that decision when you've been treating them for so long and there does seem to be improvement - so well done, both for trying so hard and for so long and for making the difficult decision for her. {{{hugs}}}

Southfields · « **Reply #8 on:** November 02, 2011, 08:23:53 pm »

We had this with one of our weaners it was awful to watch her suffer and we made the immediate decision to have her destroyed. The vet said antibiotics might have helped but she was suffering and the outcome may still have been the same.
I always use my gut instinct and i stand by the decision i made that day.