OK, I am probably stupid, but I brought home 4 piglets last night

[ragdollcatlady]

I know it's probably too late now....So sorry about your piglets .......I found an article on the problem with farmers piglets dying like SIDS. It was treated with MCT (Medium Chain Triglycerides) derived from coconut oil and Bromelain, derived from pineapple....Farmers had much better survival rates....I'm going to try and find the article, but figured I'd post now so if you have pineapple and coconut oil, maybe your last little piggy can benefit....

I hope its OK to post the link here...and I hope it works... http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/coconut_oil.html
Kat

 

[Cornish Heritage]

OH so sorry to hear about Sausage They really had a rough start in life though so don't blame yourself.

Interesting link on Coconut Oil - will have to look into that some more.

Thanks,

Liz

 

[mama24]

I do have coconut oil. I'll put some on her breakfast. Thanks! She woke me up with her coughing about an hour ago, but I haven't checked on her. I've just been lying in bed reading in my phone. Time to get up! I'm going to be tired today.

 

[mama24]

She seems to be doing better today. Still in the house and still sleeping all the time, but she's eating again.

I saw my farmer friend who I bought my goats from at the farmer's market. He said it sounded like maybe the little piglets' mama died and never nursed them, so they never got any colostrum. That would explain why they just dropped like flies, poor things. I think the big one's going to make it. My kids call her Bacon.

 

[drdoolittle]

I really hope that at least this one makes it. It's so hard to try everything you can and still lose them. Keep us posted.

 

[mama24]

Bacon seems to be getting better. She's still coughing and snotty, and her breathing isn't quite normal, but she gets up when I check on her and grunts like she's looking for food. She's started eating almost like normal again. Her eyes are almost swollen shut and gunky. Is this likely viral or should I try a different antibiotic? When I first got them, none of the local vets seem to want to bother with pigs or I would take her in. I could probably try a pet vet, but then I'd pay through the nose, probably. I'd like to avoid that if I can.

 

[mama24]

She ate all of her dinner tonight. I only gave her 3 slices of whole wheat bread in some raw goat's milk, but it was more than she's eaten in days. She ate only the bread, eggs, and milk this morning out of her bowl and left the fruit and veggies, so I only gave her the bread and milk tonight. Maybe when she's feeling better she'll start eating her veggies again. I do think she's feeling better. She's also definitely a lot less afraid of me than she was before. I even picked her up so I could listen to her chest, and she only squealed while she was being lifted and then just grunted after that, instead of squealing the whole time. She seems to like getting petted and scratched, where before it seemed to terrify her so I would rub once and stop b/c I didn't want to upset her. She still sounds stuffy and coughs, but she's definitely getting better. I'm probably going to move her back out to the barn again tomorrow. She definitely doesn't stink nearly as much as she did a few days ago, or even yesterday, and her poop is much more solid. We had guests over yesterday, and they wanted to see her. I was a little horrified when my husband took them in b/c I knew the room smelled really awful, but all my friend said was, "wow, poor pig must be really sick. Pigs shouldn't stink like that." I forgot her grandfather's farm in Germany where she spent her summers as a child had pigs.

 

[Cornish Heritage]

She still sounds stuffy and coughs,

If you think she is actually sick as well as being thin from underfeeding then I would recommend giving her some Excede. This is a stronger antibiotic for pigs with respiratory problems. HOWEVER it is EXPENSIVE - $125 a bottle so if you have a vet that will just sell you a dose that would be the way to go.

Liz

 

[drdoolittle]

I agree with Cornish Heritage----I think your little pig needs some kind of antibiotic. It sounds as though she may have pneumonia----nothing to mess around with. I'm glad she's been eating-----have you tried running the shower on hot with her in the bathroom with the door shut? This may break up her congestion.

 

[mama24]

Thanks! I gave her another shot of the LA200 last evening before I took her down to the barn. She was very happy to be back down there and immediately started following my milking does around trying to nurse! I think she's doing better. She still has a little cough, but it's definitely getting better. If she doesn't continue to improve or gets worse again, I'll keep calling vets till I find one that will see her or at least give me the antibiotic.