Treatment For A Vomiting Mini Pig
WHAT TO DO FOR A VOMITING PIG
What to do for a vomiting pig
By Cathy Zolicani, DVM 10/2014
Pigs will vomit for a number of reasons:
Some causes of vomiting are very serious, some are not. Pigs can get a number of infections that cause upset stomach. Also, remember that pigs don't just eat plants when they are outside...they eat bugs and spiders and worms and things (ew). Pigs also do not make good decisions as far as eating plants, despite what you may have heard, they WILL eat toxic plants if they find them to be palatable (Taste good). Your pig may have ingested an insect that caused this reaction. Spider ingestion will often cause 12-24 hours of vomiting.
If your pig is vomiting, and you do not know the reason, SEE YOUR VETERINARIAN. If there is an underlying cause, such as liver disease or pain, the vomiting will continue until the underlying cause is taken care of. If you see blood in the vomit or the vomit looks like coffee grounds, this should be considered an emergency and you should take your pig to see your veterinarian immediately. If your pig is refusing food and vomiting, your pig should be seen by a veterinarian.
First aid for the vomiting pig (UNTIL YOU CAN GET TO YOUR VET)
1. Withhold food and water for 6 hours to let the stomach rest. Giving food or water right after vomiting will cause more vomiting. In pigs under 10 pounds, rub some Karo syrup or sugar water (1 tsp sugar in 1 cup warm water) on their gums every hour or so to prevent dips in blood sugar.
2. After 6 hours, offer a small amount of water – no more than ¼ cup. If the pig refuses to drink, it is still nauseated, so don’t force it. See your veterinarian. If it drinks, wait an hour to make sure it keeps it down, then offer ½ cup every hour for 6 hours. If no vomiting, return to free choice water.
3. If there is no vomiting 1 hour after the pig drinks water, offer a small meal of soft food (soaked pellets, rice cereal made with water not milk, applesauce, mashed potatoes, that sort of thing). Wait 1 hour to see if vomiting occurs. If vomiting starts again, with hold food and water and see veterinarian. If no vomiting, offer small soft meals hourly.
4. Over a few days, increase the size of the meal but decrease the frequency, until you are on a normal schedule. Feed soft food for about a week and then return to normal diet, schedule and amounts.
By Cathy Zolicani, DVM 10/2014
Pigs will vomit for a number of reasons:
- they eat things that upset their stomachs
- constipation
- they gorge on things they should not eat
- some infections cause vomiting
- internal parasites
- intestinal obstruction
- some toxins cause vomiting
- organ based disease such as liver or kidney disease
- pain is a big cause of vomiting in the post-operative pig
- drink or eat too fast
Some causes of vomiting are very serious, some are not. Pigs can get a number of infections that cause upset stomach. Also, remember that pigs don't just eat plants when they are outside...they eat bugs and spiders and worms and things (ew). Pigs also do not make good decisions as far as eating plants, despite what you may have heard, they WILL eat toxic plants if they find them to be palatable (Taste good). Your pig may have ingested an insect that caused this reaction. Spider ingestion will often cause 12-24 hours of vomiting.
If your pig is vomiting, and you do not know the reason, SEE YOUR VETERINARIAN. If there is an underlying cause, such as liver disease or pain, the vomiting will continue until the underlying cause is taken care of. If you see blood in the vomit or the vomit looks like coffee grounds, this should be considered an emergency and you should take your pig to see your veterinarian immediately. If your pig is refusing food and vomiting, your pig should be seen by a veterinarian.
First aid for the vomiting pig (UNTIL YOU CAN GET TO YOUR VET)
1. Withhold food and water for 6 hours to let the stomach rest. Giving food or water right after vomiting will cause more vomiting. In pigs under 10 pounds, rub some Karo syrup or sugar water (1 tsp sugar in 1 cup warm water) on their gums every hour or so to prevent dips in blood sugar.
2. After 6 hours, offer a small amount of water – no more than ¼ cup. If the pig refuses to drink, it is still nauseated, so don’t force it. See your veterinarian. If it drinks, wait an hour to make sure it keeps it down, then offer ½ cup every hour for 6 hours. If no vomiting, return to free choice water.
3. If there is no vomiting 1 hour after the pig drinks water, offer a small meal of soft food (soaked pellets, rice cereal made with water not milk, applesauce, mashed potatoes, that sort of thing). Wait 1 hour to see if vomiting occurs. If vomiting starts again, with hold food and water and see veterinarian. If no vomiting, offer small soft meals hourly.
4. Over a few days, increase the size of the meal but decrease the frequency, until you are on a normal schedule. Feed soft food for about a week and then return to normal diet, schedule and amounts.