Author Topic: 8 month old gilt dragging her back legs (Read 9476 times)

yankieGirl · « **on:** August 24, 2011, 12:19:36 am »

She walks a few steps then grunts and her back legs collapse. She drags them along until she can get them back under her then after a few steps down again! Help...what is wrong with her?

HappyHippy · « **Reply #1 on:** August 24, 2011, 07:34:35 am »

It could be any number of things, depending on what other symptoms are present

Does she have a temperature ?
Still drinking ? (Has it been hot where you are and has she always had water ?)
Is she off her food ?
Any sign of trembling ?
Coughing, sneezing, discharge around her mouth, nose & eyes ?
Any rash or blotches ?
Has she been mixing with other pigs ? Bigger pigs or boars ?
It could be an illness, a muscle tear or general leg weakness, but without more details it's hard to even hazzard a guess - sorry.
Come back and give us more history & background
HTH
Karen

Tamsaddle · « **Reply #2 on:** August 24, 2011, 08:42:41 am »

I just hope beyond hope she hasn't got the same problem as our beautiful 16 month old Amber - a spinal abscess, which in our case, over only 3 to 4 days, became worse and worse (the paralysis) and eventually we were told we had to put her down as she wasn't responding to antibiotics. I got a post mortem done which is how I know for sure it was a spinal abscess, on the area above her back legs 3 vertebrae from the end, and they also said they was some signs of bone decay suggesting the problem might have started weeks earlier. What we will never know is how on earth the abscess started - we check all our pigs daily and cannot recall any wounds, bites, scratches or injection sites on her that could have become infected. However, don't despair, your pig may not have anything so drastic. Also, on the same day the vet attended our Amber, she had been to see another pig with exactly the same problem, and that particular one responded to the antibiotics and has pulled through, so back leg paralysis/spinal abscesses are not always fatal.

The really important thing, especially if the leg dragging and/or paralysis gets any worse, is to make sure she gets adequate water to drink, as she wont be able to get to it herself, and food if she will take it - and also make sure if and when you call the vet that they give her an antibiotic suitable for the possibility of a spinal abscess. Just for info - Amber never had a temperature, or rashes/blotches, or sneezing or discharges, and the only thing we can recall before she started dragging her back legs was what appeared to be a mildly sprained foot, but no wounds of any kind, then an occasional slight wobble as she walked around, all within 3 days of the paralysis starting. She was however off her food, but only after the leg dragging started, not while she was slightly lame. Also normal weeing and pooing until that point. The very best of luck, and I really hope your pig gets better quickly, but I thought I should warn you just in case it is the worst - Tamsaddle

Eve · « **Reply #3 on:** August 24, 2011, 11:27:20 am »

Could be osteochondritis dessicans, which we were told is like a piggy version of growing pains. One of ours last year had it, saw it happening only twice over a month or two, the second time it was considerably worse than the first time and it lasted for a few hours. Didn't see it again and he went off to slaughter a month later as planned.

Berkshire Boy · « **Reply #4 on:** August 24, 2011, 11:39:48 am »

Sounds like it could be mycoplasma arthritis,this doesn't respond to most antibiotics and you need to use Lincomycin[Lincocin] and Tiamulin. If that is what she has the antibiotics will clear it up.

yankieGirl · « **Reply #5 on:** August 24, 2011, 11:53:48 am »

6:30 am update...

Upon going outside I observered her laying on her side outside of the barn (I thought she was dead). I called to her and she got up headed for the inside and her right leg gave out.

Once inside I fed her and she is eating with vigor and wagging her tail. She stands eating and every so often he leg buckles, she recovers and continues eating.

The only thing that seems different than other days is the sunburn on her back. We had a day of clear sunshine and very cool temps. She does have some cracks on her back. Maybe I should put something on them.

ANY ADVICE IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED

HappyHippy · « **Reply #6 on:** August 24, 2011, 12:05:51 pm »

My advice would be GET THE VET OUT

It's the only way you're going to know for sure, it's obviously not just a sprain, the cracks on the back could be a sign of underlying infection rather than just sunburn - it could be a million things, but no-one on here is going to be able to give you a proper diagnosis only idea as to what it could possibly be - if your pig is suffering and you don't know what to do phone the vet, the sooner you catch whatever it is, the better

Karen x

Rich/Jan · « **Reply #7 on:** August 31, 2011, 04:43:04 pm »

Yankigirl - did you get a diagnosis - I'd be very interested as one of my berkshires had lameness in the front leg - erysipelas - 9 days treatment with antibiotics and shes OK but we did catch it very v. quickly - within 12 hours.

Tudful Tamworths · « **Reply #8 on:** September 11, 2011, 11:18:16 pm »

Get the vet out. First guess, bearing in mind her age, would be mycoplasma arthritis. Order one or other of these antibiotics (vets don't stock them as a matter of course) - lincocin or tiamulin. If it's MA, you should see an improvement within 24-48hrs. If those don't work, it could be a spinal problem.
Please let us know how you get on.