The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: SMarshall on February 07, 2012, 12:16:12 pm
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Hi all,
I've currently got the runt of a large black litter indoors (8 days old) and although I don't think the situation is looking good I thought I'd post and see if anyone has any thoughts.
Initially we thought he simply wasn't eating enough and so brought him in to try and get more milk into him, however he also has a twitchy hind leg that since the weekend he doesn't really want to put it on the ground.
He was eating well over the weekend, however as of yesterday he's not eating much and today has been sick. Obviously dehydration is a worry.
As I say, I don't think the situ is good but I'm willing to try...
Thanks.
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it has to be said some times just let nature take its course by all means strive to keep them all living by intervention but sometimes that fails and the piglet does not make it sometimes they take extra milk and other times they just wont unless it is mothers if it is hanging a leg and now sick it will have been stood on they sometimes just die even at 8 days old and older not so bad it is the runt even worse if it was the best one that was tramped on it does happen :farmer:
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Sounds like mum may have rolled or trod on his trotter, have a feel i you can, if he is in pain it may be broken.
Now if it is you have two options, blunt but straightforward knock him on the head and cut your losses. BUT have been down this road myself and we had a runt similar to yours called Tiny, i wrapped him a bath towel and OH took us both down the vets where they put a little pot on his leg, he soon got the hang of it and was back feeding off his mum and hobbling about witht the other piglets. This + antibiotics (he had cut as well) cost me £90+. So its up to you you pays your money and takes your choice. You may find that if he isn't feeding he'll go away to a corner and just curl up and die which isn't very nice. So if you think theres little chance of him making it i would suggest PTS by the vet if you can't bear to do it yourself. OH dispatches our still breathing squashed, injured tinies defo couldn't do it myself.
Sorry can't be more help.
Mandy :pig:
Ps Tiny made it to pork weight and was duly dispatched with his brothers!
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Hard to tell really. Our vet said to give an anti inflammatory and antibiotic jabs and he perked up. Still didn't seem to keep milk down so put him on electrolytes which he couldn't get enough off. Unfortunately he now looks like his belly is very fully and I don't recall when he last went to the loo (although no decent qty of milk was yesterday). :-s
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it may sound daft but have you checked if it has an anus then again it would not have survived this long without one :farmer:
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it may sound daft but have you checked if it has an anus then again it would not have survived this long without one :farmer:
Blind anus lambs can live quite some time, getting larger and larger bellies. Some ewe lambs with this condition can form an exit out through the vulva and do so well you don't notice for some considerable time.
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If its not drinking milk it won't survive i think you have to make that big desision to put the poor little thing to sleep. It a tough call but unfortunately part of livestock keeping, i've seen people keep animals alive because they can't take that vital descion and its only the animal that continues to suffer just so the conscience of the keeper can be gratified. if you've done all you can make the call and then concentrate on the rest of your litter making sure they're doing ok and growing up big and strong. Have a good cry about your wee fella, works for me.
Best Mandy :pig:
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i will correct myself a piglet can survive up to 2 weeks without an anus it just gets fatter Lillian reminded me of one last year not ours :farmer:
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Thanks all. He is drinking small but frequent quantities of milk (and electrolytes) and poo'ing! albeit very small amounts (corresponds with small quantities of food). Not being sick anymore either. I have decided to give him 24 hrs to know that I've done all I can and then make the decision, as you say there are other little ones to attend to (esp as a Mangalitza farrowed on Monday).
I will most definitely have a cry either way :'(
Steph
P.S. Am new to this forum (and pig keeping) but am really grateful for the advice. Thank you.