Hog first-aid kit?

ChrisM

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Because of my inexperience with larger livestock (I keep bees and chickens) I paid a vet to make a house call only to administer two shots to one in my first group of hogs.
Turns out it was no big deal.
I sure would like to learn to be able to diagnose common ailments and have the correct medicines and tools on hand.
So please lend me a hand with making a list of needles, medicines (prescription and OTC) and any other first aid items that I should have on hand.
Also, is there a "WebMD" of sorts for pigs where I can study symptoms, diagnosis and the treatment of common hog ailments?
I don't intend to deal with larger life threatening issues yet but I can't pay a vet for the equivalent of the sniffles or sprained ankle again.
 

ChrisM

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So nobody makes sure to keep certain things handy?
What size needles, what antibiotics, what are those little things that you learned to keep in case of emergencies?
 

Latestarter

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I would imagine it's pretty much the same general stuff animal owners keep. Is there something or are there things specific to hogs? Aside from when they are newborns, I think hogs are pretty sturdy animals. They aren't like goats or sheep that go out of their way to die overnight... Luckily, I live within a short drive of a TSC as well as an AG store and both are open basically 7 days a week. They're closed on major holidays of course, but other than that meds and supplies can be had within a couple of hours when/if needed. If it's a life or death situation, then it's likely that I'd need a vet in any case and there'd be limited stuff I could do to help in the first place. Unless you're on really good/close terms with your vet, some of the best, most common stuff (like banamine) is prescription anyway.
 

mysunwolf

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I agree with Latestarter, I just don't treat my hogs for much. It's a different story if you have breeders. But with feeders I generally try to start with healthy ones and keep them that way.

For my breeder hogs, I keep:
-16 and 18 gauge needles
-3cc and 6cc syringes
-injectable Ivermectin
-bluekote
-LA200
-banamine (Rx)
-beer (seriously)

For diagnosing and treating disease, check out this page on The Pig Site.
 

Latestarter

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That's an awesome site link MSW! Thanks for sharing it. I bookmarked it for future use :D
 
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