Stomach infection

[Piggiewinkles]

Hi,
Sadly my 5 month old pig Archie died today. My piggies live indoors and run around outside their cage for a few hours each night, and most the day at weekends. Last night Archie was darting about as usual and popcorning under the coffee table, he was eating, drinking and poo'ing as normal. This morning when I went to feed them before work I realised Archie was seriously ill, he was wet underneath and on his rear and puffed up. I rushed him to the vet but he died within a few hours. The vet said he had some sort of stomach infection that possibly spread causing septicaemia. Obviously i'm devastated to lose him even though I didn't have him very long. However what i'm worried about now is my other piggies. Monty, archie's brother, who shared a cage with him seems lively and is eating and drinking as normal, but i'm so worried the same thing could happen to him. I have cleaned and disinfected the cage but as Archie died so suddenly without any warning signs i'm wondering if there is anything I should be looking out for that I may have missed?
Thanks, Jenny

 

[pompypigs]

Sorry I can't offer you any advice but I'm sure someone will be along soon who can xx
I'm so sorry that you lost Archie xx

 

[flips]

Terribly sorry for your loss. Hoepfully someone will have some words of wisdom for you.

 

[Wiebke]

I am so sorry for your loss; it must have been such a shock!

Sadly, gut problems can develop very quickly, but thankfully, they do not seem to spread from one animal to the other very much, I think.

I don't think there is much more that you can do.

I hope that you can find a new friend for Monty soon in a local rescue.

 

[Piggiewinkles]

Thanks for the kind words, i'm still in tears now, have been all day. I've kept piggies since I was about 6 years old and over 20 years on I still get just as upset as I did when I was a kid when one of them died. And sadly some people just don't understand that to me they are one of the family! Sometimes I think I care about them more than humans!
Hopefully someone will be able to give me some advice on warning signs for these types of illnesses as i'd hate to lose one of the others to the same thing. Looks like tonight i'm sleeping on the sofa near them so i can keep checking they're ok
As for a rescue pig, my partner has said we can't get anyone as he can't bear to see how upset I get over them. I do still have 2 piggies, monty and ernie, but am worried about putting them together in case they fight. Plus Ernie is a lot bigger than monty as he is nearly 2 years and monty is only 5 months. Sadly Ernie got left on his own when his brother Bert died of bloat after only a few months of having them. Both Bert and Archie were the smaller ones of their litters so perhaps their tummy's weren't as sterdy to cope with illnesses

 

[ollie]

so sorry for your loss its heart breaking losing one of our babies :0

i'm sure your oh will come round when you know its the right time

i lost beckham last year to bloat & always said i couldn't have another black piggie as would remind me to much of my becks :0 but i got ben & he is so cute i fall in love with him & him me i think

dont know anything about other tummy problems so cant say anything but sure someone else can

 

[alcesterpigs]

Diarrhea can have a number of causes.
Unfortunately, there are a number cases caused by severe infection. Typically the pig is fit and well but within 12 hours or so it will be dead.
Treatment is to no avail.
Over the years I have seen a number of pigs die from this condition. This is in spite of starting immediate and intensive treatment, ie multiple antibiotics, rehydration fluid and pain killers.
It is a distressing condition. There was nothing you could have done for him.
I have only ever seen single cases of this condition in groups of pigs.
I did not start the other pigs in the group on drugs "just in case" they may have had a problem.

 

[Laura-CCC4]

I am sorry Archie passed so suddenly. When you say he was wet underneath, do you mean diarrhoea or urine? Just wanted to be sure as it's normal for them to expel urine as they pass.

Some illnesses cannot be foreseen, just knowing your pigs and what is normal for them goes a long way to being able to spot illness early.

Sending hugs to you and Monty. xx

 

[alcesterpigs]

The fatal form of diarrhea is often very liquid, almost like water, it can contain blood and mucous. Pressure on the pig's abdomen is enough to cause expulsion of the contents of the digestive system.

 

[Modwyn]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[Piggiewinkles]

Thanks everyone.
Archie was very wet underneath, and it appeared to be more clear liquid than the brown you would expect from diarrhoea, but it definately wasn't urine.
I spoke with the vet and she said he had been passing diarrhoea, and the infection probably passed through the lining of his stomach and that's what could have caused the septicaemia. She thinks he had septicaemia because he was extremely cold.
Monty seems to be ok, I slept on the sofa last night so I could keep checking on him and he's fine. It's just worrying because archie went from being healthy and well and within 12 hours I was having to bury him in the back garden
I guess if it was anything he could've caught he would've by now.
This forum and everyone's words help with the grief because people who don't keep piggies don't understand what it's like to lose one of them x

 

[alcesterpigs]

Why only one pig in a group should get the infection and where it comes from is something I have yet to find out.