[Greenfarm]

Hello, I have a GOS gilt which is around 6 weeks in pig but has now gone off her food and appears as though she is a bit wobbly on her feet  (almost as shes had too much to drink!).  She seem bright enough in herself and is out roaming around the paddock.  Any advice on what it could be causing this would be appreciated.  Many thanks Andrew

[Fowgill Farm]

Andrew
its not good if she's off her feed, a definite sign something is not right, you say shes a bit wobbly. This could be due to over eating something like apples or pears, turnip or beet that have fermented in her tummy (is that a possibility?), she may have an ear infection which would affect her balance or worse. Personally as she is in pig i would give the vet a call, he'll probably suggest a precautionary antibiotic jab and a jab of metacam (anti inflammatory), he'll either come and do it for you and charge accordingly or if you feel proficent in jabbing her yourself go and collect the jabs from the vet. You only pay for the drugs then. They won't harm her piglets so long as you don't stress her too much and in my opinion in having lost a sow this year to blood poisoning and not spotting it in time, better safe than sorry.
HTH and she's feeling better soon.
Mandy

[Greenerlife]

definitely get in contact with a vet.  Not to panic you but i lost one of my pigs after seeing him a bit wobbly on his feet, it was listeriosis, which is treatable.

[Greenfarm]

Hi
Thanks for the advice.  I have the vet comming 9:00am tomorrow.  I had made the decision if she was no better today then I would call the vet. I moved her in to a shed on her own yesterday so I could see exactly what she was eating and drinking.  She is drinking as normal but is off her nuts.  I limit my pigs to only a couple of apples a day so she has not eaten too many apples.  However, coincidentally she is still happy eating apples and the odd maize cob.  Today she is still wobbly on her feet, it is just as I said in my first log as though she has had too much to drink.  She has the nick name 'gobby' as she has always let you know she is there!!!! and she has still not lost her voice!  So in herself she seems ok.  Thanks  Andrew

[farmershort]

Just on the off chance, have you tried varying her diet a bit?

pigs are bloomin close to us humans, perhaps the food thing is just some wierd craving? not that I suggest you feed your pigs ice-cream & roast potatoes....

the wobbly bit is not a good sign, but this could be because she's been off her food?

oh, also, AFAIK apples cannot ferment in a pigs stomach - It's only ruminant animals which have this issue I think.

[Eve]

No, pigs can get apple-drunk, too. As can pigeons from eating too many berries - poor things kept flying into my window! 


 

[Greenfarm]

Hi
Just been down to check on her,  she has started picking over her nuts again (about a 1lb) but is still wobbly on her feet.  See what the vet has to say in the morning.  Andrew

[Eve]

Good luck, hope she's eating a bit more nuts again in the morning.

[farmershort]

No, pigs can get apple-drunk, too. As can pigeons from eating too many berries - poor things kept flying into my window! 


 

I bow to your greater insight I genuinely thought it was just ruminants... everyday is a schoolday, as they say

[Eve]

  Thanks, I think I'll just conveniently forget I'm rather ignorant on some other subjects 


Greenfarm, how is the lady doing?

[Fowgill Farm]

One of my very large sows unbeknown to me decided to spend a morning in the sugar beet store. I found her collapsed in a heap later in her paddock, she was breathing heavily and very woozy. I was just about to call the vet when she let out the most enormous burp, got up and staggered off to bed. At this point eversuffering discovered what she'd been up to! needless to say next morning she had one helluva a grumpy hangover
Greenfarm, hope your girl is feeling better.
best mandy

[Greenfarm]

Hi had the vet this morning.  She thinks its an inner ear infection.  I have now given her a jab of Metacam and 20mils of Alamycin LA.  That was fun trying to get that into her!!  She is still nibbling over her food as this morning there was hardly any left in her feeder.  Hopefully tonight she would have eaten some more through today.  Have to give her another 20mls of Alamycin in 3 days time. Thanks again for your help.  Andrew

[Eve]

Hope she keeps getting better over the weekend, Andrew. If it seems she's still not getting enough food in then starch-rich bananas are usually gulped up in a nanosecond.

Mandy, I just had to laugh when I read your post, thanks for the warning, I'll make sure my piggies never make it near a pile of sugary internally combustible food! I bet she didn't say "pardon"? 


 

[Fowgill Farm]

Your're right Eve!
Greenfarm glad you've got a diagnosis, suspected an ear infection. Keep her warm and tempt her with some treats, apples & bananas always work for my lot. The other thing you might like to do is wipe round the inside of her ears with cotton wool with a dab of baby oil or olive oil, you'll notice a build up of gunk in her ears which might have contributed to her malady, my pigs have their ears done regularly but watch out becoz when you do it the first time they flap their ears like mad and a slap in the face from a pigs ear stings a bit!!!!
HTH
mandy

[Greenfarm]

Hi
Thanks for all the advice.  Just to let you know she is almost back to full health.  Eating nearly all her nuts in one go now plus all the addition treets she has been getting!  Gave her the second jab of Alamycin today to ensure that it has fully cleared the infection.