[mack5522]

I bought  3 berkshire pigs about three weeks ago they were all boars about 30 pounds . I castrated them that day and have been feeding them medicated pig feed . they have all healed nicely are puting on weight , doing good . yesterday I checked them about 8 am then started building fence . at about 10 am I went to my pick up to get some water and noticed that one of them was laying down when I checked on him he was dead . like I said at 8 he was fine . there were no marks on him any where , the temp was fairly cool he had plenty of water . do any of you have any idea what could have caused this . at first I thought snake bite , we have copperheads , and pigmy rattlesnakes in our area . I checked him closely there was not a mark any were on him and no swelling any where. the only thing I feed them other than his feed was some watermellon rinds and some old peppers .

[Wildman]

Sunds like a bad heart to me, our pigs had peppers but did not eat much so I stopped them, it did not harm them at all. Take a look inside and see if all looks OK.

[pigsatlesrues]

I would agree with wildman, take a look inside.  It sounds quite likely to be the heart though.

We had a mum with a week old litter die as the vet was standing over her.  Her temperature dropped dramatically over two hours and as the vet was taking blood that was it. She was a potbelly x, and the vet said it was probably genetic, so worth talking to your supplier and check out the possibility.  If there is a problem, don't go back.  Maybe try and find out who else has had piglets from your source as well. Someone else may have had he same problem.

Sorry anyway,

Kate 

[mack5522]

thanks for your replys, I did check it out and I believe your right IM not a Dr. but it did look like a heart atack. thanks again

[Linda]

Hi

Probably not the case here, but anyone else reading might want to know that abcesses can kill pigs very quickly.  The person we bought from had a pig off her food in the morning and when he checked on her a couple of hours later, she was dead.  He opened her up to try to find what had happened and she had an abcess in her throat.  Apparently because of their foraging habits it's easy for them to cut their mouth or gullet and for it to get infected.

Linda