[donard]

Hi,

I just bought 2 3month old sows last Thursday. After I brought them home, I noticed one of them had a slightly runny nose, and something like a silent cough. I also noticed that she doesn't squeal, not even when you pick her up. Neither seem used to being handled. I had been told to dose them, so I gave them 0.6 ml Dectomax via intramuscular injection. (I estimate their weight at about 20-25 Kg).

They seemed fine until this morning, until the one that had the snuffly nose refused to eat. She's just curled up in her shed, and seems really listless and unwell.

Neither piglet seems familiar with pig nuts, though they happily munched on fresh fruit and veg. (with nuts hidden through it,  in a 4-1 ratio) until this morning. Both try to avoid eating the nuts.

They were running free-range when I got them, so I put them in a big pen, (about half an acre, with  grass, with a 3.5 sided shed, so they could go in or out as they pleased).

The weather has been quite cold and wet, so I didn't pay too much attention when they spent most of the time sleeping, now I'm wondering whether I've bought some unhealthy pigs, or it's just a cold?

The vet lives about 30 miles away, so I don't want to call him out for nothing.
Any and all suggestions welcome. Feel free to teach me to suck eggs, sheep, goats, cows and horses are reasonably familiar territory, but when it comes to pigs, I confess to complete ignorance!

Donard

[Pigtails]

What sort of bedding have you given them?
Most pigs / piglets are allergic to hay, could this be the reason?

Perhaps they are cold, not enough straw, that would make them want to sleep.

Between the move and the dectomax, perhaps the piglets are traumatised, give it time for them to settle in and keep them warm.
Put a "front cover" over the open area of your three sided shed, cold and draughts make for unhappy pigs,

[donard]

Thanks for the advice, pigtails.
I will take your advice regarding closing off the front of their shed. I don't think there's a problem with the bedding, it's clean hay, and plenty of it (horse feeding quality, actually - I had a couple of spare bales, and I wouldn't use it for feeding next year!)

I  will get a couple of bales of straw, just in case.

The bit that concerns me is the fact that the sick piglet doesn't squeal, my limited experience of piglets suggests that when a stranger picks them up, they tend to protest - loudly. The other one certainly does.

My gut instinct is that it's something similar to fluke in sheep, except the cough is silent.
Trouble is, I don't know whether there is a version of fluke for pigs - If there is, what should I treat it with?

Donard

[sausagesandcash]

Affraid that I can't be of much help....try exploring http://www.thepigsite.com/search/index.php?q=silent+cough&cat=8 it might be of help.

Morgan

[sausagesandcash]

or http://www.thepigsite.com/forums/

[Hilarysmum]

I hate to say this but personally I would call out the vet.

[pegusus pig]

Think i would call the vet, better safe than sorry. Let us know how she gets on.

[donard]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all the replies.
I just had the vet out, and he  it's pnuemonia. He prescribed pen-strep, 1.5 ml to start, then 1ml for the next 2-3 days, and I'm to call him back if she doesn't start to improve.

I've given her a fresh straw bed, so she should be warm enough. Now it's a waiting game!

The good news is, she at least decided to squeal, not the most vigorous squeal I've ever heard - but a squeal nevertheless. That was really bugging me!

Thanks again for the replies, I'll keep you posted.

Donard.

 

[sausagesandcash]

Fingers crossed for you, and her!! Calling the vet was the wisest decision from a welfare point of view, so congrats.

Morgan

[Hilarysmum]

Squealing must be an improvement.  Please let us know how she gets on. 

[Pigtails]

Yes, praying for the piglet too.

[donard]

Hi everyone,

Just a quick update. When I went to feed my piggy this morning, she was much improved.

She actually came out of her stall when I approached, though she made no attempt to eat.

Now this may make me sound like I belong in a lunatic asylum, but this is what happened - seriously!!

My healthy piglet ate, sick piggy went back to her stall after a run around the pen. This is where it gets weird,
healthy piggy carried some apple and a piece of veg. into sick piggys stall. I couldn't see what happened in the stall,(I was standing in hissing rain at the time) but a minute or two later, sick piggy came out and ate a few mouthfuls.

What I find strange is that the evening we bought the pigs, we gave them food in their stall. The dominant (healthy) pig, nosed the container out the door. The following morning was the same. So we figured they prefer not to mess their stall with food, and started feeding them outside.
We also noticed that these piglets like to keep their sleeping area clean - so why did the healthy pig change it's behaviour today? I also noticed her covering the sick pig with straw last night - is this nurturing behaviour, or what? I've never seen any other breed of animal behave like this, so does someone want to tell me whether I'm hallucinating, or what?
By the way, as  fond as I am of my animals, I have no fairytale illusions that they have human emotions LOL, but this is strange, it's almost as if the healthy pig is being maternal to her sister....
Any thoughts, anyone?

Donard

[jameslindsay]

I think it shows they are more intelligent and caring than we ever give them credit for. Fingers crossed the wee thing continues with her improvement.

[sausagesandcash]

leave a stethascope in the stall and see what happens.............sorry I just couldn't resist!!

Morgan

[donard]

Lol.

Donard