Strategies for Hard Keepers

[haflingerzing]

We are dealing with a hard keeper that is probably not going to make weight at the fair in 11 days. Just trying to learn from this, to try to get ahead of it next time. This pig was sick about 2 1/2 months ago and got a shot of Draxxin. Then had a 10 day stent of drugs trying to clear up remaining illness. Bottom line she was never a big eater and we made a mistake by switching food trying to get her to eat. I now know that this is wrong and messes them up worse.
I would like to know from more experienced hog raisers is what to do with pigs that go off food. Beside the yogurt and probios that we tried. We tried slopping too. Once they are finicky and have been sick early on, is it pretty much a struggle? I see some people like Tru Glo. Does that help those hogs turn around. Or do you just keep presenting the food 2X a day and try to get them to eat? Or leave dry food out free feed? Just trying to learn in case we get another extreme case like this again.

[Gilbertowner]

Can you feed less and more often? What type of illness did she have and what bred is she? Like if you are dealing with a heritage hog, less food more often did the trick with us.

When she "stopped" eating did you drop her feed and slowy bring her back to her full feed like you would do with a sow that just had her litter?

Did you try any B-12 or B complex shots when she was recovering?

[haflingerzing]

The hog is a hamp. She had pneumonia and the vet gave her a shot of Draxxin. About 3 weeks later, she was still a sluggish eater and labored breathing when worked. So had vet back out to make sure everything was ok. He said allergies, prescribed prednisone trying to get inflammation down. Finished 10 days. Still had issues with eating, she only got up to about 4-5 lbs tops. Then gradually came back down to less and all the way off with the 90 degree weather yesterday. So went out with ice water in the orange pump sprayer and gave her a drink and cooled her off. She's picking at food today. So we'll see. The vet ignored me when I asked for a Vit. B shot when he was out. I asked someone else why, they said you have to give them several days in a row? Sometimes the pigs get to resenting people : ?

[HogDoc]

When you have a pig like this that goes off feed because of illness the chance that they develop an ulcer is really high. In one study 80% of pigs that were fasted for 24 hours developed ulcers and it was 100% of pigs that were fasted 48 hours.

So after treating one like this that was sick for several days and not eating at all it is a good idea to treat them for an ulcer as you bring them back on feed. The good news is that pigs like rolled oat groats so they eat the "treatment feed" and eating is the start of healing for this. I like fresh feed in small amounts until they start eating rather than leave a bunch free choice.

I would not beat yourself up about switching feed. I don't what you switched from and to but the chance that the two feeds were different enough to "mess her up worse" is remote.

Obviously I'm biased when it comes to the TrueGlo supplement but we haven't used anything that get pigs to eat better.

[haflingerzing]

Thank you Hogdoc. This is good info and very helpful for future reference. Sounds like a mild diet like oat groats in small amounts can help turn things the right direction. And Truglo is going in the mix for our hogs next year to hedge the bet.

[HogDoc]

I don't want you to think that ulcer treatment is just oat groats. You want to over the course of a few days get back to your normal feed to oats ratio but starting with straight oats is good. As soon as they start eating you start replacing oats with feed.

On the first day give them a shot of B12 and BoSe and put the 40 mg of omeprazole paste (a horse dose marked on the tube is around 12 or 13 pig doses), a scoop of TrueGlo, and 2 oz of bismuth on top of the feed if they are eating or you might have to drench it if they are not. Bismuth is essentially pepto bismol and a gallon is like $10 or 12. You do the bismuth and omeprazole for at least 5-7 days and you can go as long as 14 days. Continue the TrueGlo until you are done showing.

BoSe and B12 are prescription and omeprazole paste is extra label so you will talk through the treatment with your vet.

[haflingerzing]

Hogdoc, thank you for posting a full protocol. I'm learning so much on here. Not sure if its too late for this hog on the meds that help ulcers. She goes to market on Tuesday, May 14th. I have to talk to vet Monday. The oat groats helped and she ate good yesterday, mixed some 16% food with it. Things are looking up.

[HogDoc]

It will be up to your vet to determine withdrawal for omeprazole since it is extra label. I would guess you don't have time and BoSe withdrawal is 14 days.

[porcine]

I will share a strategy that HogDoc had shared with me a while back, We have been in this situation with a feeder getting sick early and then never fully bouncing back, particularly if you are racing against the number of days until weigh-in. One week behind in poor eating, can set you back in the finish weight. I had a gilt be 20lbs off the mark of where she needed, and it showed, even though she was around 250lb at weigh-in, her gain after the pneumonia incident set her back in performance.

I am all about the preventative approach and hogdoc gave me some excellent tips. My friend vaccinates, but not for all issues, so I have always dealt with respiratory issues in the past. when we get the feeders from my friend we always give a dose of draxxin during the hauling and change of environment for preventive measures. I feed a product that has both deneguard & CTC for the first two weeks, and during this transition I also vaccinate for mycoplasma and circovirus. and feeding the tru-glow products during those first several weeks. Knock on wood, we have not had any more issue of respiratory cases. I hate having to be constantly injecting, but I have found having a healthy start is critical given the short amount of days to work with market projects. I work closely with my vet and have on hand B12, banimine and dextromethisone along with some antibiotics for those emergencies in which I can start treatment sooner.

[4-Hmomma]

Hog Doc,
A vet here in town gave us a tube of equine gastroguard paste (omeprazole paste) and the dosage reads to give 250lb mark of paste by mouth once daily for 2 days. I am thinking this is a WAY higher dose than what you had recommended. Can you comment on a pig dosage? We also got 5 syringes of dexamethasone inj. 4mg/Ml to give once daily for 5 days. We also bought Pepto. The vet was willing to try whatever we wanted but doesn't care for many pigs. I just wanted to run all of this by you before we give it. Slaughter would be the 15th of July at the earliest.