The Goat Spot Forum banner

Pig won't walk

839 Views 10 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  toth boer goats
Hi guys. About 2 weeks ago I came into our barn for the morning feed and saw 1 pig (out of 3) lying and not getting up. They usually come right over to the fence when I come in with their food. I saw 1 pig climb over her and she just squealed, didn't move. So I went it and tried getting her up, and checked her leg. It seemed like she was favoring her right back leg. I did manage to push her up and she wouldn't put any weight on it, and screamed the whole time. If I touched her leg with a bit more force, she squealed. We seperated her from the others, since she weighs a ton, we couldn't carry her, so eventually after fighting with her she got up and hobbled, we just had to guide her into a makeshift pen, and she laid there for about a week. She wouldn't get up. She has a trough with food and water, but she doesn't go there to eat, she only eats when I feed her. I bring her a bucket of hog grower and water and then she will eat. I checked to see if something was broken, I'm by NO means an expert, I was pretty much just looking to see if something was at an odd angle, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I thought she might have sprained something. I did feel her leg and I noticed a spot was warmer than the rest of her leg, I don't know what the official term is, but if you compare it to a human, it would equal her knee on the back leg 😂 well one day she broke out of her makeshift stall and hubby dear decided if she's well enough to do that she can go back in with the others. So he put her in, but now the other 2 pigs started biting her. I thought they would kill her, so we built a fence in the middle of their pen so now they are "together" but have a divider. Now for about a week she is still lying around. She changes her position from one side to the other, but she won't go to her trough to eat or drink. She will only do that when I bring it to her. I mean, it makes sense if it hurts her to walk. Yesterday and today I felt her leg and it's not warm at that spot anymore, and she doesn't squeal when I touch her leg. I pushed her up from behind and that's when she starts squealing. It seems she still is having trouble standing, when she does stand, her back end is always leaning on the fence. I pushed her to her food, and she ate a tiny bit, but then she "walked" all along the perimeter of the fence and after much trouble laid down again. While she was standing I noticed that the OTHER leg, the whole leg is at an angle. I can't bring her to a vet since I don't have an trailer and the vet charges an arm and a leg to come out here. I will try getting a picture of the legs. I'm wondering if maybe it would be better to put her down. I really don't want to do that, but she shrunk in weight to half the size of the other pigs. I thought she was getting better, but now with the second leg... Could it be that her muscles got weak cause she didn't use them for 2 weeks and that's why she is having trouble walking? Her whole back end shakes (shivers) when she is up, as if it's weak. Does anyone have any advice?
See less See more
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
Can you get a vet out to look at her? Yep, muscles will atrophy if they are not used. Other pigs will attack an injured one-
they don't like inferior pigs- it might call predators in and cause all of them to be attacked. They sure can sense weakness.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Maybe you need to get her in the freezer before she loses any more weight.
  • Like
Reactions: 2
When I went to get the pictures I also took videos of her walking, but I can't upload them here. She got up faster than she did this morning, and went to eat. She only ate a little bit, and then started walking back to the spot she always lays in. Im actually starting to think that her muscles are just weak at this point. It seems like she stands until her back leg gives out. The funny angled leg was the 'good' leg in the beginning, and she always lays on the side. I wonder if that's why it seems angled now? While she was sitting on her bum, I moved that leg around, hip and knee, and everything moved well and she didn't make a sound. Do you think if I make her walk it will act like physiotherapy and she'll be fine again after she builds up strength? If anyone wants to see videos, I can gladly email them, or if there is a way to post on here I can do that as well. Maybe I'm missing something
See less See more
Maybe you need to get her in the freezer before she loses any more weight.
That's what we are debating...
Piggie needs a vet ASAP
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Did you. Check her hoof area for abscess?
  • Like
Reactions: 1
I did, don't see anything out of the ordinary. I called the vet's office, waiting to hear from them now
  • Like
Reactions: 3
Could be so many things wrong, I highly recommend a vet.
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top