The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: nelson on May 23, 2012, 01:01:30 pm
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Our Berkshire boar has just been diagnosed with Meningitis - the vet said he has a 50 50 chance. He is being treated with duphamox and a daily Ultra B injection. The vet said we will know by the end of the week if he has a chance.
Trying to keep emotion :'( out of this as it is so upsetting to watch him - he can walk and will get up if coaxed so able to give him water.
Any other advice/support would be welcome
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was that an opinion or was it detected by a microscope there are six other possibility's salt poisoning and heatstroke being two :farmer:
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My stock boar developed meningitis shortly after he arrived,he was only 5 months old i think the journey braught it on he was braught up from dorset.This weather can bring it on as well sudden change from cold to heat happens a lot in commercial pigs. Anyway i managed to save him and he has sired many piglets. I gave him the appropriate doses for his size of pen and strep in one side of his neck and lincocin an anti-inflammatory in the other side for thee days but he was down and wouldnt get up Importantly you must get as much water into him as possible i use an old plastic juice bottle and try to get it into the corner of his mouth and massage his throat to induce the swallowing affect,you waste a lot but he will get some, It wasnt a one off i save a few commercial pigs this way when we had them.
Good luck i hope he recovers
Arl
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Hi Robert
Lucky has been unwell for about a week or so - the vet showed us a classic sign this morning of flicking backwards and forwards of the eye (I am in France and language is a slight difficulty.)
To begin with we thought he had a flu bug - the weather has been humid, cold, hot and wet. He rallied the weekend and it is only the last few days that he started shaking his head.
I do trust our vet here he is a kind man and I think if Lucks was in a bad way he would of suggested the alternative.
I think at this moment - how often to I need to get him up to offer him a drink without affecting his rest???
Hope that doesn't sound stupid
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Thanks Arl
Just read about the swallowing affect in a book and will massage his throat and will get a juice bottle to do this.
He has gone back in the arc now having used the side to keep upright. He is a big boar and I am so hoping that he will pull through.
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lots and lots of water its a pain doing it but i can see you are attached to him. And if you have somewhere out of the sun that can be darkened the light hurts their eyes nad the heat makes it worse.
Really hope he makes it
Arl
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Okay that would make sense with the eyes - he has gone in his arc. He has a sow with him - that he serviced 4 weeks ago and a castrated male - he is a litter brother of his. They have been together since birth. I am reluctant to move them but thinking about it now - I could bring the trailer down and separate the paddock off - why is it when in situations like this it is difficult to make decisions.
Arl how often did you feed the water?
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So sorry to hear about your boy :(
I'd go for trying to get a litre an hour into him - the more the better :thumbsup:
Sports bottles (the ones with the squirty tops) are good too.
I can send reiki for him if you post a photo and your location - won't do any harm ;)
Karen :-*
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Keep trying with water until hes had enough of you and then give him a break and try again in an hour. i actually kept my boar in the trailer so i could get air circulating with the vents down but parked it in the shade. Dont know if this is feasible for you but i was able to prop him up on the sides with a bale or two
Arl
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Hi Nelson
i have a sick boar too, not been off his feet since friday, on Monday called vet to PTS but vet said he was too young to go yet and gave him mega drugs, today for the first time he has got up for his breakfast so don't give up hope yet. I do the bottle in the corner of the mouth drinking too, couple of litres every couple hours if you can especially with it been warm.
Everythng crossed for you.
best Mandy :pig: :bouquet:
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Hi
HH
here is a pic of our Lucky we are located in France Cours 79220.
An update: we are going down to his paddock on the hour (basically from our house watching his every move)
he is drinking from our salad cream bottle and I am massaging his throat - and (men) my voice requires his belly rubbed as he picks up his trotters when he hears it. But that is a small price to pay. I would rub his belly 24/7 to make sure he gets through this.
Mandy - just found that he responds when feeding the water to corner of mouth.
The Ultra b injectin contains
B1B6 Sodium and 3 other bits - should I use electrolites in the water.
The vet is ringing us tomorrow via a translater so will be able to ask normal questions if that makes sense.
PS his mum won the Christmas pig of the year 2011 TAS contest.
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Electrolites would be good if you've got them :thumbsup: It all helps ;)
He's a gorgeous boy sure enough (and who wouldn't be with a TAS Champion mum :love: :pig: :trophy: )
I'll send reiki regularly for the next few days - keep us posted with how he's going :-*
Karen
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Thanks so much for support. We have been feeding him water hourly and he is drinking. He has moved himself several times today from the mud wallow to the arc and back again. About an hour ago he ate two apples and 4 thistles - which I wouldn't of expected seeing what he was like this morning - he is now sleeping peacefully outside the arc it is a warm night. I am hoping he is turning the corner.
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Bless him, hope he recovers quickly :pig:
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Good signs Nelson, hard work and diligence nearly always pays off. My boar up this morning but looks funny as hes wearing cut off Umbro socks belonging to OH to protect his knees which are a bit sore. Still drinking from bottle.
All the best
Mandy :pig:
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Thanks Silvia and everyone and Mandy hope you boar is brighter
Slightly scared this morning as he was still where we left him and reluctant to get up - so we gave him some help ;) .
He responded and once he had got his balance (still walking like he is very drunk and rolling his head) he went over and started grazing and then had a few apples - what really astonished us is that he ate some hard feed - the first in a long time.
He then collapsed and went for a sleep. We have had to turn the electric off in the pen as he keeps falling on it.
We are hopeful. The only problem is - getting the injections into him - we managed the anti biotic this morning but he didn't like it one bit >:( another sign of improvement. He needs another Vit B today so.
Keep saying going to look at options to make giving injections easier - so will do that now.
Lorraine
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Hi Lorraine,
I had a weaner with meningitis a few years ago, it affected her sight but she managed well, we even kept her and had a few litters from her and she was a good mum even with little sight. We did notice that every now and then it would come back usually stress related and we had a couple of her weaners go down with it but all recovered. The weaners would get it usually when weaned but would only affect one in the litter.She has gone now and never had it since in the rest of the herd.
You may find with your boar he will make a full recovery but something may trigger it in the future.
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if you goggle the pig site then pig diseases click on meningitis it tells you all about it the funny thing is it does not mention boars :farmer:
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Thanks Robert and BB
Interesting reading - maybe he started off with a Middle ear infection and it went on to Meningitis (Maybe) the symptoms for both are similar from what I have read - as for audjeskys - we have to have an annual test here in France - it is obligatory so i think the vet would of had this in mind. If my French was good enough I could ask these questions. Must try harder.
I have just managed another Vit B injection - using the pig board between me and the pig - needle in as he got up it went in and down with the plunge.
Lorraine
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Hi we use a slap shot with good affect
http://www.farmandcountrysupplies.co.uk/slapshot-flexible-vaccinator.ir?cName=farm-smallholding-medical-healthcare-needles-drenchers-pour-on-applicators-syringesgunsapplicators (http://www.farmandcountrysupplies.co.uk/slapshot-flexible-vaccinator.ir?cName=farm-smallholding-medical-healthcare-needles-drenchers-pour-on-applicators-syringesgunsapplicators)
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My Alex is 2 now and it has never bothered him or any of his offspring since thank goodness
Arl
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:wave:
Thanks for support this week - Lucky has improved each day and he is now eating his full ration plus apples. We still have a course of Duphamox to finish and his daily Vit B injection.
He comes out of his arc when called now ... his balance is improving (still staggers) and thinks about his moves but he is not shaking his head and his eyes have stopped flickering.
Long term not sure what effect this illness will have - just happy to have him back today. :)
Bon weekend
x
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Great news sounds like he's over the worst of it,all the best for the future. :thumbsup:
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Great news Nelson :thumbsup:
Karen x
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Good news hope he continues to improve x
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Oh, sending lots of positive thoughts to you. Hope the recovery continues to go well.
Apples - food of the Gods :) Can't think of better medicine for him.
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:wave: Just thought I would update on Lucky's recovery.
He is up and running but.... we think he is blind or deaf on the left side - difficult to explain but almost like he has had a small stroke. He has his personality back and we know he is well... I guess the time will tell when we put our sow back with him hoping this has not affected his fertility.
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Not offering any experience here, we only kept piggies once and didn't like killing, just wanted to say good luck, it's such a stress having sick animals...we're all with you :fc:
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Aww! Much love to Lucky and hope he's still able to find the lead in his pencil when the time comes :innocent:
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Can't say anything except Good Luck. When my sow had difficulty farrowing (her first vet visit ever) I was surprised how uncommercial I was and how I just wanted HER fixed. I am so glad he's feeling better!
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Hi he should improve with time, and you have done really well to save him, obvious you put a lot of effort in its not a very high survival rate for meningitis.
Well done and i hope he gets back to as near to his old self as possible.
Arl