The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: hunter001 on February 06, 2010, 08:52:43 am

Title: Piggy off food
Post by: hunter001 on February 06, 2010, 08:52:43 am
I have 3 pigs about 3 months old. 2 females and a male. Anyhow i noticed that the females were feeding OK but the male is off his food and also on the last two occasions I've been to see them he had a drink of water (which i change twice a day) and throws it up. his sick is clear with no solids in it.
I noticed his poo is solid too he is moving about somewhat slowly and also rooting a little

Does anyone have any advise? As i will call vet Monday if he is still under the weather

Many thanks.
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: langdon on February 06, 2010, 10:19:08 am
umm, dont know sorry as we ourselves are only knew to pig keeping.
hope he recovers soon,pls let me know how he gets on.
good luck
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: JulieS on February 06, 2010, 10:25:50 am
I think I would be calling the vet before Monday because I wouldn't think it would take very long for a pig to become dehydrated. 

I've never had a pig go off their food, but given the details that he isn't able to keep liquid down then I would personally call the vet.

Someone else may have some different advice though.  Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: Hilarysmum on February 06, 2010, 11:07:47 am
The fact that he is throwing up even water sounds serious.  Please get veterinary attention immediately.  If at all possible isolate him.  Do you have an enclosed space, i.e. stable or barn you can put him in? 
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: gavo on February 06, 2010, 11:14:42 am
Personally i'd call the vet today. It's not uncommon for a pig to have the odd off day ;and not eat BUT not being able to keep fluids down is much more worrying . You say his poo is solid it may be something simple like constipation[which is normally easily remedied ] but it could be something else.Please call a vet better safe than sorry ;as time goes by it gets easier knowing when to worry and when to wait and see a little .
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: hunter001 on February 06, 2010, 02:21:28 pm
Thanks a lot everyone I will go and see how he is now and get vet out. I will keep u all updated. Thanks again
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: Hilarysmum on February 06, 2010, 03:54:34 pm
Hope its something simple and quickly cured.
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: hunter001 on February 06, 2010, 04:16:42 pm
Well went down to see him and he seems a lot better now off his food still but drinking ok and also wondering about rooting. Have to update vet tomorrow
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: JulieS on February 06, 2010, 04:53:40 pm
That's great news that he is drinking.

Let us know how he is doing.  :)
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: little blue on February 06, 2010, 07:33:51 pm
good luck.
 We had to bottle feed/drink one of ours though he never vomitted he was off his food, feet & almost comatose. 
Keep us informed...
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: hunter001 on February 08, 2010, 01:14:55 pm
Bad news I'm affaid vet gave him an injection yesterday and he was up and about still off food but drinking. Went down again last night with a cover and tucked him in. But when I went down to see him this morning he had died. So feeling a bit down today. But thanks to everyone for they help.
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: dixie on February 08, 2010, 02:03:42 pm
Sorry to hear that, does the vet give any idea what it was? and are the others at risk?
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: JulieS on February 08, 2010, 02:25:39 pm
So sorry to hear your news.

Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: sausagesandcash on February 08, 2010, 04:10:44 pm
But when I went down to see him this morning he had died. So feeling a bit down today. But thanks to everyone for they help.

Try and remember that in a factory farm he would have had no quality of life to speak off. Your feelings are a testament to how well your boar was treated. Sometimes you can do everything right and still have a crappy ending though.
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: Hilarysmum on February 08, 2010, 06:25:08 pm
Sadly it happens, and it hurts.  But thats part of being a good pig keeper - the hurting I mean -   
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: little blue on February 08, 2010, 06:26:27 pm
Sorry to hear about your pig.  Is it anything that might infect the others?
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: hunter001 on February 08, 2010, 06:44:47 pm
The vet said it could of been a blockage. but wasnt 100% he checked the other two and they are fine. he was impressed on how clean everything was and how much clean water i have around just for 3 pigs. the other two pigs were running about and scoffing they food back.I even managed a  game of football with them and felt a lot better, in fact one has now started picking the ball up and throwing it!
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: dixie on February 08, 2010, 06:57:10 pm
Glad to hear the others are well, and its nothing contagious! good luck with them, think you have just been unlucky with that one, its unusual so dont let it put you off :pig:
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: little blue on February 08, 2010, 07:11:44 pm
thats a relief then!   ours played footy when they were little, seem to have out grown it abit now.
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: Springer222 on February 08, 2010, 11:24:27 pm
Sorry to hear about your pig, good luck with the others, don't give up its all part of looking after them, there are more highs than lows.  :pig: 
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: Daisys Mum on February 09, 2010, 06:03:08 pm


Sorry to hear about your pig. I lost one a few months back, similar thing went off her food, vomiting. Vet had no idea what was wrong gave her
 
antibiotics but made no difference, she did not die but I had her put down as I could not bear to see her wasting away.Good to hear the others

 are ok. I don't have any at the moment and was looking forward to the break but I am missing them already and they have only been gone a

week.
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: Hilarysmum on February 10, 2010, 07:53:11 am
Daisysmum how long do you think you will hold out before having another lot?
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: Daisys Mum on February 10, 2010, 05:47:49 pm

Well Hillarysmum I have just been out having a look around to see where the best place would be to put the next lot, have decided to let the hens onto the last pen to clean it up and flatten it out again, they do a great job. Have decided to wait until about the end of April, because if we have a very wet spring I am going to be short of dry land.
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: Hilarysmum on February 11, 2010, 07:50:06 am
Cant wait to hear what you get and see the pictures. ;D
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: hunter001 on February 12, 2010, 06:02:21 pm
I have just sorted out a Berkshire bore so gonna mate my pigs. the guy who is selling me the bore is gonna help me with everything so should be good. i just put a scratching post in today for them as they have dismantled the tree i had so dug me hole with the post spade put my post in and watched as the pigs walked past the post and started scratching against the post spade. hows that for gratitude?
Title: Re: Piggy off food
Post by: Hilarysmum on February 13, 2010, 11:42:45 am
Sounds about right.  I once spent a very hot summer's afternoon digging a wallow for the boar and his ladies in a new pen.  When it was finally finished, and I had filled it by dragging buckets of water 20 metres each from the stream - the boar came across, stuck his nose into the wallow, turned to the newly cleaned out and refilled water container, turned it over, then flopped with a contented grunt into the resulting puddle.

 :pig: