Author Topic: Pig trotter/lame problem (Read 3496 times)

Silverfields · « **on:** August 23, 2015, 09:33:36 am »

Hi all... I'm a first-time pig keeper on my smallholding... they are 14 weeks old and i've been away for a week and just noticed that the girl (we have a girl and two boys) is a bit lame on her front left leg and the trotter has curled upwards... she has a worn patch on her knee so I'm guessing its been a problem for a while... she can stand on all four legs... any ideas? I've read on the pig site about OCD but nothing i've found mentions the curled up trotter so not sure if I've diagnosed that correctly... would be great to get a steer before I think about calling the vet!

devonlady · « **Reply #1 on:** August 23, 2015, 01:59:39 pm »

I'm far from being a pig expert but she seems very young to have an overgrown foot! It sounds more like a deformity of the foot and if it is not bothering her for getting about then maybe keeping it trimmed will do her.
Is there a pig keeper nearby who could advise?

harmony · « **Reply #2 on:** August 23, 2015, 09:04:39 pm »

Young pigs should be up their toes like ballerina's. It sounds as though your gilt is down on her pasterns which is affecting the hoof growth. It shouldn't really cause her lameness at this young age. Have you checked she has nothing stuck in her foot? Or cut it? I assume you are finishing these pigs?

Worn patches on knees generally occur because of a lack of bedding. If she had caused it by not being able to get up and was having to eat on her knees she would be very lame and both knees would be worn.

I would monitor her. If she gets worse then call the vet. It shouldn't be necessary to trim her foot if she is going off to slaughter around six months of age.

CharingPorkPantry · « **Reply #3 on:** August 24, 2015, 09:23:33 am »

Hello,

Not sure if this has just come on or if you have only just noticed it but I have a sow who was sat on by her mama at birth and has a deformed leg. We call her 'big leg'!

Big leg has a very oddly shaped foot, very low on her pastern with one toe pointing upwards and the little side bit curled up. She has always been a bit strange in her gate because of it but has never gone truly lame. If she had we wouldn't have kept her for breeding but she has managed a winter litter last year and looks no worse for it.

Obviously if you can't trace the cause of the problem, it has come on suddenly or she is in pain, you need to be getting a vets opinion.

hughesy · « **Reply #4 on:** August 24, 2015, 09:00:41 pm »

We also once had a gilt that was trodden on by her mother when very young injuring her foot. It healed ok at the time and never gave her any problems but as she reached 4 or 5 months the hoof grew out in front and started to curl up. It didn't bother the pig and she was going for meat anyway so we didn't feel the need to do anything about it.

LisaBellamy · « **Reply #5 on:** August 27, 2015, 02:48:49 pm »

id check if there's any actual cut to the foot. Ive just had a similar problem with my Tamworth, he got up one morning and was limping quite badly but still managing to get to the trough. I found a quite obvious split in the cley so decided to call out the vet who gave him an antibiotic shot. Touch wood he seems to be ok - Ive been especially worried about infection as he's wading through mud all day due to the constant rain we've been having here and its been impossible to keep it clean