Sick babies and mama

chickens454

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Ive got a few potbelly with a sickness that was very sudden. Mama had babies about a week ago and everything has been fine. As of today mama pig has thrown up twice and had less energy. One of her babies has diareah and the other is lethargic. Mama isn't running a temp.

Another sow I have is very lethargic. She's been pooping and drinking as normal but wont eat much. She is pregnant but we don't knoe the due date. She's maybe a week- 2 weeks till. She is running a temp of 103.

Any meds I can give or do anything? Thanks!
 

Alaskan

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If they are all going "off" at the same time... is something wrong with the feed?

Did you just bring home a new, potentially diseased pig?

I would call the vet... sounds bad.

Sorry.
 

Legamin

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If they are all going "off" at the same time... is something wrong with the feed?

Did you just bring home a new, potentially diseased pig?

I would call the vet... sounds bad.

Sorry.
You’re right on this one. I am not fond of ‘dial-a-spend’ (calling the Vet for every little thing) but when you have a herd problem you have a CRITICAL problem that should be dealt with rapidly. I have never had pigs….with that in mind I would call the vet..then give only fresh new known feed that is not from your main source…for at least three days. Put pure cider vinegar (1 qt per week’s water ration) and mix a very little baking soda powder into the feed (about 2 grams per 10lbs of body weight per day). for the animals with diarrhea get electrolytes into them fast. Use your oral worming syringe and give the 20cc per 10lbs body weight…repeat every 4-6 hours…push it right down the throat…with a pig you have a similar digestive tract to humans…not a rumen that can be upset by too much forced fluids…
Get your microscope, slides, stain, out and start searching FRESH from the bottom poop samples. You are checking for worms, undigested food/fibers and gram neg/pos bacteria. If you are capable, take a blood sample from a large superficial blood vessel (inside the upper front leg) - (not artery) and do a gram stain, red/white blood cell count, spin it down and look at the color of the serum…sniff at it for normal or abnormal ‘scent’. I know I’ve made assumptions here but if you can do these things you will have much more information to give the vet when she/he arrives.
Last…(But REALLY first thing!) get the healthy animals away from the sick animals. Continue separating out any animal from the healthy ones that begins showing any symptoms. If the sow is sick and pups apparently healthy get them off and bottle feed. A sick sow CAN NOT support nursing her pups for even a day or two!
Sorry if this sounds terribly urgent or overkill for your situation. I tend to paint in broad strokes when I have a herd problem. Everything can and should be done with careful consideration, plodding meticulous accuracy, keeping careful record of every symptom, observation, test result and thought along the way.…and much concern for each animal. But again…I am brushing here in very broad strokes because I don’t own pigs…I only have sheep, chickens, dogs, sometimes neighbor horses and the occasional cow. Never pigs…..(my wife just reminded me…NEVER PIGS!). Best of luck I hope for the best for your herd!
 
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