Mini Pig Fever Treatment
What to do if your pig has a fever
By Cathy Zolicani, DVM
Fevers result when a pig has an infection (viral, bacterial), an inflammation (allergies, malignant hyperthermia), or an intoxication (ingestion of some toxins, bites from some snakes or bugs). Often, the fever has a purpose in the body – most bacteria or viruses can only live in a narrow temperature range, so the body, as a defense, raises the temperature to try to wipe out the invading infection. So, fevers can be a good thing. Normal body temperature for every pig may be different. This will vary greatly from region to region and environment to environment. ALWAYS know YOUR pigs baseline temperature. In order to determine what is normal for your pig, take your pigs temperature prior to your pig getting sick. You can do it several times a day for a week to get an average, but knowing what your pigs normal baseline temp is will help you determine if your pig has a fever. Normal ranges anywhere from 98-101 in most pigs with the majority around 98-99 degrees F.
If your pig has a temperature above 104, it should be seen by your veterinarian right away.
If your pig has a temperature of 103-104 for more than 72 hours, it should be seen by your veterinarian.
UNTIL YOU CAN GET TO YOUR VET:
1. Increase fluid intake – Mix ¼ prune, apple, or cranberry juice with ¾ water. Offer Gatorade, mixed ½ Gatorade with ½ water. Offer ice cubes or popsicles.
2. Environmental cooling – Have icepacks wrapped in small towels in bed for the pig to lay on if it wants to. (Or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel). Put rubbing alcohol on its feet for evaporative cooling. Use cool, but not cold cloths on head, neck and abdomen. Avoid bathing your pig at this time. If the animal's temperature is over 105 degrees, moisten the pet's hair coat with cool (not COLD) water and pay particular attention to the ears and feet, which are sites of heat exchange. Direct a fan on the moistened areas.
3. Medications:
a. NO ASPIRIN – Some conditions that cause fever, such as erysipelas, causea disruption in blood clotting in the body. Aspirin makes this worse.
b. Children's Tylenol (acetaminophen) 5 mg per pound of body weight every 8 hours for no more than 3 days. This equals out to be 1ml for every 6lbs of body weight given the usual tylenol brand suspension. If fever persists past 3 days, see veterinarian. Always give with a small meal/food.
FEVER IN VERY YOUNG PIGS CAN BE VERY SERIOUS – IT CAN INDICATE PNEUMONIA, WHICH CAN BE FATAL IN A VERY SHORT TIME. YOUNG PIGS (UNDER 5 MONTHS) WITH FEVER SHOULD SEE A VETERINARIAN RIGHT AWAY
There is a lot of discussion about the use of Children's Tylenol in pigs, Acetaminophen is toxic when used in large doses, the 5mg per pound suggested here is not a toxic dose and should not cause any liver damage in a pig. Some argue that acetaminophen is damaging to human livers and they are correct, more than 2000mg a day for several days, can cause irreversible damage to the human liver, that is why the dosing instructions are so important, 5mg per pound of body weight is sufficient to treat a fever while not doing any damage to any organs. Tylenol is contraindicated in the use for other animals, but has proven to be safe and effective for the use in fever and pain control in pigs at these small doses.
Fevers result when a pig has an infection (viral, bacterial), an inflammation (allergies, malignant hyperthermia), or an intoxication (ingestion of some toxins, bites from some snakes or bugs). Often, the fever has a purpose in the body – most bacteria or viruses can only live in a narrow temperature range, so the body, as a defense, raises the temperature to try to wipe out the invading infection. So, fevers can be a good thing. Normal body temperature for every pig may be different. This will vary greatly from region to region and environment to environment. ALWAYS know YOUR pigs baseline temperature. In order to determine what is normal for your pig, take your pigs temperature prior to your pig getting sick. You can do it several times a day for a week to get an average, but knowing what your pigs normal baseline temp is will help you determine if your pig has a fever. Normal ranges anywhere from 98-101 in most pigs with the majority around 98-99 degrees F.
If your pig has a temperature above 104, it should be seen by your veterinarian right away.
If your pig has a temperature of 103-104 for more than 72 hours, it should be seen by your veterinarian.
UNTIL YOU CAN GET TO YOUR VET:
1. Increase fluid intake – Mix ¼ prune, apple, or cranberry juice with ¾ water. Offer Gatorade, mixed ½ Gatorade with ½ water. Offer ice cubes or popsicles.
2. Environmental cooling – Have icepacks wrapped in small towels in bed for the pig to lay on if it wants to. (Or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel). Put rubbing alcohol on its feet for evaporative cooling. Use cool, but not cold cloths on head, neck and abdomen. Avoid bathing your pig at this time. If the animal's temperature is over 105 degrees, moisten the pet's hair coat with cool (not COLD) water and pay particular attention to the ears and feet, which are sites of heat exchange. Direct a fan on the moistened areas.
3. Medications:
a. NO ASPIRIN – Some conditions that cause fever, such as erysipelas, causea disruption in blood clotting in the body. Aspirin makes this worse.
b. Children's Tylenol (acetaminophen) 5 mg per pound of body weight every 8 hours for no more than 3 days. This equals out to be 1ml for every 6lbs of body weight given the usual tylenol brand suspension. If fever persists past 3 days, see veterinarian. Always give with a small meal/food.
FEVER IN VERY YOUNG PIGS CAN BE VERY SERIOUS – IT CAN INDICATE PNEUMONIA, WHICH CAN BE FATAL IN A VERY SHORT TIME. YOUNG PIGS (UNDER 5 MONTHS) WITH FEVER SHOULD SEE A VETERINARIAN RIGHT AWAY
There is a lot of discussion about the use of Children's Tylenol in pigs, Acetaminophen is toxic when used in large doses, the 5mg per pound suggested here is not a toxic dose and should not cause any liver damage in a pig. Some argue that acetaminophen is damaging to human livers and they are correct, more than 2000mg a day for several days, can cause irreversible damage to the human liver, that is why the dosing instructions are so important, 5mg per pound of body weight is sufficient to treat a fever while not doing any damage to any organs. Tylenol is contraindicated in the use for other animals, but has proven to be safe and effective for the use in fever and pain control in pigs at these small doses.
How To Check A Mini Pig's Temperature
How to take a pigs temperature
If your pig is sick and you've never taken a temperature, you don't know what the normal baseline temp is for your pig. Normal can range from 98-100, but most pet pigs normal temp is between 98-99 degrees Fahrenheit. Pigs temp needs to be taken rectally with a digital thermometer. You can use a lubricant, like KY lubricant, to ease the thermometer into the rectum about 1 inch. Most pigs do not protest you checking the temperature, even when they're feeling okay. If you are not familiar with the pigs anatomy, the rectum is on the back of the pig, if you have a male pig, it should be the only opening, if you have a female pig, there should be two openings, the rectum is the top of the two openings. You can not accurately measure a pigs temperature by feeling any part of the body, much like people, if exposed to the sun, the skin may be hot while the core body temperature is much lower, so please do not try and rely on your touch to determine whether or not your pig has a fever. Each pig may have a slightly different core body temperature, so be sure to get a baseline temperature when your pig is NOT sick so you know what is normal for your specific pig. If you get an abnormal reading, either high or low, its recommended that you recheck the temperature again to be sure your battery operated thermometer is functioning normally. Please be sure to label this as a rectal thermometer for your pig!!
If you get an unusually high or low temperature using a digital thermometer, check and be sure the batteries are ok. Sometimes, when the batteries are running low, the thermometer will show inaccurate readings. Thermometers can be purchased from the dollar tree for $1.00, try to have a back up thermometer and replace yearly at the very least to ensure accuracy. Also, be sure to label the thermometer as one you use for your pig so no one accidentally uses it in the household :)
If you get an unusually high or low temperature using a digital thermometer, check and be sure the batteries are ok. Sometimes, when the batteries are running low, the thermometer will show inaccurate readings. Thermometers can be purchased from the dollar tree for $1.00, try to have a back up thermometer and replace yearly at the very least to ensure accuracy. Also, be sure to label the thermometer as one you use for your pig so no one accidentally uses it in the household :)
This is one type of digital thermometer, any type is ok to use, but make sure the batteries are working properly before using that temperature as a way to determine if your pig is feverish.
To recap, when a pig has a temperature it is called a fever. The hypothalamus, which sits at the base of the brain, acts as the body's thermostat. It is triggered by floating biochemical substances called pyrogens, which flow from sites where the immune system has identified potential trouble to the hypothalamus via the bloodstream. Some pyrogens are produced by body tissue; many pathogens also produce pyrogens. When the hypothalamus detects them, it tells the body to generate and retain more heat, thus producing a fever. The presence of a fever is usually related to stimulation of the body's immune response. Fever can support the immune system's attempt to gain advantage over infectious agents, such as viruses and bacteria, and it makes the body less favorable as a host for replicating viruses and bacteria, which are temperature sensitive. Infectious agents are not the only causes of fever, however. External or environmental situations should be considered, for example, a heat stroke or a toxin ingested causing the systemic response. Always check your pigs body for signs of illness on the outside thoroughly for lesions/abscesses and monitor for signs of distress. There is a general health form that you can use as a guide in order to have the answers to any questions your veterinarian may ask you. You can download and view that form by clicking here.