The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Bionic on August 16, 2013, 05:03:09 pm

Title: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: Bionic on August 16, 2013, 05:03:09 pm
She didn't want to get out of bed this morning and wasn't interested in her food although she drank well.
At evening meal time she is still the same despite me putting the pig nuts right under her nose. She came out slowly, had a good drink and enjoyed me scratching her back and then went back to bed. Her tail is curly.
any advice?
Went to feed them and she was dead in the ark. I'm not sure what to do next but will ring the vets when they open at 9am
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please
Post by: Louise Gaunt on August 16, 2013, 05:19:27 pm
How old is she? One of our pigs was like that the first time she came into season. The vet gave me some antibiotics in case it was a chest infection. When I went to administer said antibiotics, she saw the apples I had taken for her companion and was straight out to eat! I don't know if it was going to be a routine thing as she went for pork not long after.
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please
Post by: Bionic on August 16, 2013, 05:26:04 pm
Louise she is 26 weeks and is booked in on her one way journey for next Wed (perhaps she knows)
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please
Post by: Louise Gaunt on August 16, 2013, 05:54:55 pm
Ours was about the same age. See if she is better tomorrow. Is there clear fluid around her vagina?
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please
Post by: colliewobbles on August 16, 2013, 05:56:08 pm
Our boy GOS went like this a couple of weeks ago and he is a similar age.  He also seemed a bit bloated.  We added oil to his food and this seemed to ease the passage (so to speak) and he is now back to his usual self.

Donna
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please
Post by: Bionic on August 16, 2013, 06:34:30 pm
Just been up and taken her temperature and its normal but she was sick twice while I was there. I don't think she has been sick before now. 
They are in a pen that is basically just mud now. The only food she has access to is what we give her, so I know she hasn'y eaten anything poisonous its just pig nuts and lately water melon and courgettes.
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please
Post by: TheGirlsMum on August 16, 2013, 08:44:54 pm
Could it be a touch of heat stroke? I know we have all suffered here, humans and dogs so think pigs could too.......just a thought
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please
Post by: Bionic on August 16, 2013, 09:08:41 pm
It hasn't been that warm in Wales so doubt its heatstroke. Keeping my fingers crossed that she just comes bounding out of the ark in the morning  :fc:
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please
Post by: rockstar on August 16, 2013, 09:44:48 pm
we hope everything goes ok and she is better soon :fc:
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please
Post by: Berkshire Boy on August 16, 2013, 10:08:02 pm
Could well be that she is in season she is the right age.
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please
Post by: shygirl on August 16, 2013, 10:19:38 pm
mine was ill with her first season, had a uterine infection and white discharge  (and so was our dog who got cystitis)
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please
Post by: sidds on August 16, 2013, 10:37:15 pm
Our OSB was like that every other time she was in season, nothing to worry about as she was up and about after a day of that
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: jimmy on August 17, 2013, 09:17:05 am
Oh no! Be interesting to hear what the vet says.
We are just raising our first three boars (Booked into the butchers in 3 weeks). They go off food a bit from time to time but here I think it's just the heat (Very hot lately). They laze around in the sun a lot.

I guess these things happen from time to time, doesn't make it easier though...
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: bloomer on August 17, 2013, 09:23:13 am
just seen the update, so sorry for you  :bouquet:


hope other pigs are ok!!!
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: suziequeue on August 17, 2013, 10:13:27 am
So sorry to hear that Sally. DO let us know what the vet says.  :bouquet: :bouquet: :hug:
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: TheGirlsMum on August 17, 2013, 10:43:17 am
So sorry, good luck with the vet we've just been through this with one pig we had to have pts
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: Eastling on August 17, 2013, 10:48:30 am
So sorry to hear about your girl.  :bouquet:
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: Mammyshaz on August 17, 2013, 10:53:26 am
So sorry Sally  :bouquet:  :hug:
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: Bionic on August 17, 2013, 11:42:41 am
Vet was very surprised that the pig had died and thinks its a case of an individual pig thing like an obstruction or something similar rather than something catching, especially as the temp was normal and she didn't have the runs.


We have already removed the other girl, she looks a bit down but I think that's a case of missing her mate rather than being ill herself.


Vet said that so long as she doesn't look ill it's ok to send her to the abattoir on wed as planned
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: Berkshire Boy on August 17, 2013, 01:35:09 pm
sorry to hear about the pig what a shame.
one of mine had a twisted gut and died very quickly a few years ago sounds like that sort of thing.
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: Backinwellies on August 17, 2013, 01:52:36 pm
Gosh Sally   very sorry to hear about your lovely girl..... especially so close to slaughter.   :hug:
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: HappyHippy on August 17, 2013, 02:21:09 pm
Oh Sally, I've just seen your post  :'(

I'd ask your fallen stock guys if they could do a quick post mortem after they collect her to see if they can establish if it was a twisted gut/obstruction - it would help set your mind at ease a bit.

So sorry for your loss
Karen x
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: Bionic on August 17, 2013, 02:23:42 pm
Karen, thats a good idea. They will be here this afternoon. I'm not relishing the idea  :'(
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: HappyHippy on August 17, 2013, 02:28:41 pm
Sudden death like that is normally quite rare, the only cases I've come across are due to poisoning, twisted gut/obstruction or colstridial diseases (more common if you have sheep on neighbouring land)

Hope your other girl is okay and hope everything goes as well as it can this afternoon (explain to the guys you're feeling a bit soppy about it - undersatandably so - and they should use extra tact  ;))
Have a  :hug: :hug: :hug:
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: SallyintNorth on August 17, 2013, 06:23:05 pm
So sorry to hear about this Sally.   :bouquet: :hug:
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: sabrina on August 17, 2013, 06:33:34 pm
How sad, hope the vet can give you a reason.  :bouquet:
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: Eve on August 17, 2013, 06:38:35 pm
So sorry to hear that, we had one of ours put to sleep this week because of a twisted gut and it's awful to lose one  :'(
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: colliewobbles on August 17, 2013, 07:16:52 pm
So sorry to hear this outcome  :(
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: Louise Gaunt on August 17, 2013, 07:23:45 pm
I am so sorry to hear about your pig. Getting some type of post Mortem examination is a good idea, so you will get some clues as to why she died.
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: Bionic on August 17, 2013, 10:26:39 pm
The knackerman came and collected her this afternoon. OH was very good and dealt with it all.
I have asked the knackerman if they will have a look to see if she has a twisted gut when they dispose of her. Not sure if they will do it though. Will have to wait and see,
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: Pedwardine on August 17, 2013, 10:39:22 pm
Sorry Sally. xx
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: Tamsaddle on August 17, 2013, 10:50:32 pm
I am so sorry to hear of your loss.    Odd coincidence, but a pig keeper friend of mine down here also lost a pig overnight very recently, for no apparent reason at all.   Off her food one morning, but nothing else wrong, and the next day he also found her dead in the ark.   Just like that - he was shocked to the core.   This pig was a two year old sow with a litter of 6 week old piglets who were all OK.   It happened towards the end of the hot weather a few weeks back when it was starting to get a bit cooler, other than that there was no clue at all as to why it happened.    He was unable to get a PM done as she died on a Friday night and by Monday when the knackers were open the body was too bloated.   I hope you get some sort of explanation, it seems to help a bit.   :( :( :gloomy:  Tamsaddle 
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: Button End Beasts on August 18, 2013, 08:45:01 am
Oh dear, what awful news. So sorry to hear of this.  :bouquet:

Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: Fowgill Farm on August 18, 2013, 12:03:31 pm
Just caught up with this Sally, so sorry for you. Sudden onset is always so difficult to deal with.  :hug:
Hope you get to the bottom of this
mandy :pig: x
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: MKay on August 18, 2013, 12:07:32 pm
It certainly does sound like Gastric Distortion, was she burping and farting when she moved and salivating a lot?
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: Bionic on August 18, 2013, 12:09:49 pm
Mkay, I didn't hear any of that but she was sick twice (that I know of)
Title: Re: Pig off her food - help please - she died overnight
Post by: Blinkers on August 18, 2013, 01:53:34 pm
Oh Sally, so so sorry to hear that - not a nice experience for any of you.   Hope you get to the bottom of it but would also suspect a gut torsion too.     :bouquet: