[Tamsaddle]

Of our two Tamworth piglets born 7 days ago with a foot deformity, one seems to be healing up nicely, scar tissue is forming over the wound and the two toenails look fairly OK.  With the other which seemed less bad at the beginning, both the toenails now seem to have fallen away and the end of the foot looks very messy, even though infection is being kept at bay with antibiotics, wound powder and purple spray.   When it started getting slightly oozy on Day 4 and the piglet was walking around on 3 legs only, I decided to bandage it and since then it has been able to put some weight on its damaged leg.  But there has been no improvement of the actual foot, or any sort of re-growth, when the bandage is removed and changed.
 
I have soon got to make a decision what to do.   At the moment the piglet is very small and light, and is able to charge around easily on its bandaged foot.   It does not appear in any way ill or in pain, squabbles with its siblings and feeds just like the others.   But at some point this open wound right on the bottom of its foot, and lack of toenails if they never grow again, will start to impact on its life, especially when it gets bigger and heavier.   I haven't been back to my vets again as they have as little clue as me what it is and what to do, and would love to be able to find some expert pig vet who could advise - but I could whistle in the wind forever down here.
 
The choices as far as I can see it are to put it down humanely, soon, or to soldier on, dressing it every 2 days, for an unknown period of time with a completely unknown outcome.   Do you suppose a pig could ever manage in the longer term without a proper foot and trotters, especially when the mud and wet weather return and it has a considerable weight to support?   I know of quite a lot of 3-legged dogs and cats, but have no idea whether a pig could learn the same sort of walking skills.    I would love not to have to lose this piglet as 2 of the original 8 born alive are gone due to squashing and standing on, so we now only have 6, but at the same time I do not want it to suffer, which as of today, does not appear to be a problem for it at all.
 
Does anyone have any views, or alternatively, know of a really expert pig vet who could help, even perhaps operate on its foot?   Thanks in advance - Tamsaddle
 
 
 
 
 
 

[Fowgill Farm]

Oh Tam what a choice to have to make .
Well if it were me i would put your piglet to sleep humanely partly because we are on terrible clay ground and in winter it is a nightmare for Xmas porkers with 4 good legs, even now one day of rain and its bogging again. Also as he gets bigger weight will become an issue and he will also have to fight his corner to get fed at the trough so will more than likely be bullied. And unless the oozy part starts to heal and harden you're going to be forever filling him with antibiotics to keep infection at bay which will mean he'll not be good for meat anyway.
It a tough thing to do but sometimes you have to make these descions even though they're hard, i've struggled on with trodden on piglets a few days old myself before making the desicion and cried buckets of tears, but concentrating on getting the siblings strong & healthy soon takes over.
Anyway HTH & 
mandy 
ps forgot to say we have had a piglets leg put in plaster before but it was a clean break and no infection, he lived with slight limp to go to pork weight and was our best fighter pig!

[hughesy]

We have a four week old saddleback who had a similar problem. We think she was trodden on in her first day or two and at the time we didn't think she'd make it. However although she's definitely the runt her foot seems to have healed cleanly and she is running about just as well as the others. We were on the verge of taking her on a one way trip to the vet but decided to wait a day or two. Glad we did now.

[Berkshire Boy]

Like Hughesy I had a week old trod on by the sow and it healed up and no problems later on. If it is not in pain and doing well I would give it a bit longer.

[Malc]

If the piglet is otherwise happy and healthy, stick with it. As long as you do the work and keep the infection at bay it should heal, although it may be an idea to bring the pigs inside if you can where it will be easier to keep it clean. The toenails will probably grow back too, although they may be an odd shape. If the pig grows up fit and healthy, it will be immensely satisfying. good luck.

[Tamsaddle]

Many thanks for the input.   For the first time today I feel things may, just may, have turned a corner.  Both piglets' feet looked a lot better, with a nice hard scab forming on the leg wound, and the toenail-less foot looking cleaner and more healed up than before.   I kept them indoors for 2 hours on clean towels on the floor to observe how they would manage without bandages, and both were able to walk on all 4 legs without any obvious pain or limping.   So fingers crossed, am definitely going to keep this up for at least another week unless there are new setbacks.   They scampered back to mum once they had been re-bandaged, started feeding at once, and seem to be putting on as much weight as the others.   Fortunately she takes no interest in their tiny bandage boots, and within a few hours the white bandage has turned grey and is almost invisible.   Tamsaddle        

[Berkshire Boy]

That's good news. It always amazes me how tough little piglets can be.

[Fowgill Farm]

Well done Tam. perseverence & time will hopefully pay off and you won't have to go the route i suggested which is difficult but sometimes necessary.
All the best
mandy 

[Tamsaddle]

Yes indeed.  I am still braced for the worst as you never can tell what tomorrow will bring, but for the time being I am feeling relatively optimistic.   Tamsaddle

[Tiva Diva]

We had a gilt with a similar problem. Once the toenails fell off she developed callus at the end of her trotter, and made pork weight with no problems. Two warnings: I'd be careful about the infection: if it persists or spreads you have to ask if it's humane or cost effective to keep treating it, especially if she needs systemic antibiotics (hope she won't!). Secondly, it's worth getting a note from you vet to say that it's a developmental problem not an injury, as some abattoirs can be funny about deformities.
Good luck!

[Tamsaddle]

Interesting that someone has experienced something similar, and with a happy ending.   Good points Tiva Diva, thanks, especially re. the abattoir, I would never have thought of that.  At the moment I am thinking about 3 weeks old should be when we make a final decision about their future, based on whether they are able at that stage to manage without bandages and repeat antibiotics.   If so, they should have months before slaughter in which all traces of antibiotic should disappear, I hope.        Tamsaddle