Post by robynsa on Dec 6, 2015 7:46:03 GMT -5
Last night I drove past the pigs and noticed something sticking out of Munsie's vagina. I stopped and it looked like placenta. I looked around for pigs but nothing. I checked on her every couple of hours through the night. I saw fluid coming out from time to time. Just a little. Temperament-wise she was acting like she was going into farrowing stage but was acting fine (normal). This morning she wasn't waiting for breakfast but got up and ate when we put her bowl closer. I've been watching her all day. She's been moving around, scratching, doing all her normal stuff but not quite herself. I figured, gearing up for farrowing, but the "placenta thing" has been on my mind.
When I went to check on her a little while ago I saw manure behind her. As I walked down I saw two crows hanging around and that struck me as peculiar. The manure looked too shiny, and on closer inspection I realised it was a mummified piglet. I walked around the whole paddock and have found 7. One is still soft and pliable so must have been passed recently. No smell from any of them, and no smell from Munsie. She is acting more "herself" now and is currently in her wallow, and gave Kevin Bacon a hiding when he tried to share her wallow. She is breathing fast but no faster than Kevin and Rozalia. It's 36 degrees here today, so that's nothing unusual. I put their sprayers on for fresh, cold water.
I called the vet when I found the first one, and he said that I must keep an eye on her and make sure she keeps passing them, but that normally the situation resolves itself. If he comes out he will palpate and give her oxytocin. Honestly I'm not sure how successful that will be as she is still fighting fit and won't take kindly to that. I have a friend with a high calibre rifle and if it gets to the point that she is suffering I will not hesitate to call him.
I've googled and there are various reasons for mummies - mycotoxins would be #1 on my list with this drought and the plethora of weird sh*t that is happening with animals all over the place right now. She may have had mouldy feed. That being said Rozalia eats the same food and most certainly didn't have issues with her 16 piglets who are now 3 weeks old and fit as fiddles. She did have a stillborn and 3 died a couple of days after birth, but the rest are absolutely fine. Another reason could be being pushed around - honestly she pushes Kevin around a lot more than he pushes her but it's a "maybe".
I'm looking out for obvious signs of distress: heavy breathing, lethargy, straining, appearing to be in shock, etc. None of that at this stage. I will naturally be keeping an eye on placenta being passed (though it seems one part has been, already) as well as any dodgy smells or secretions. Anything else I should be keeping an eye out for?
When I went to check on her a little while ago I saw manure behind her. As I walked down I saw two crows hanging around and that struck me as peculiar. The manure looked too shiny, and on closer inspection I realised it was a mummified piglet. I walked around the whole paddock and have found 7. One is still soft and pliable so must have been passed recently. No smell from any of them, and no smell from Munsie. She is acting more "herself" now and is currently in her wallow, and gave Kevin Bacon a hiding when he tried to share her wallow. She is breathing fast but no faster than Kevin and Rozalia. It's 36 degrees here today, so that's nothing unusual. I put their sprayers on for fresh, cold water.
I called the vet when I found the first one, and he said that I must keep an eye on her and make sure she keeps passing them, but that normally the situation resolves itself. If he comes out he will palpate and give her oxytocin. Honestly I'm not sure how successful that will be as she is still fighting fit and won't take kindly to that. I have a friend with a high calibre rifle and if it gets to the point that she is suffering I will not hesitate to call him.
I've googled and there are various reasons for mummies - mycotoxins would be #1 on my list with this drought and the plethora of weird sh*t that is happening with animals all over the place right now. She may have had mouldy feed. That being said Rozalia eats the same food and most certainly didn't have issues with her 16 piglets who are now 3 weeks old and fit as fiddles. She did have a stillborn and 3 died a couple of days after birth, but the rest are absolutely fine. Another reason could be being pushed around - honestly she pushes Kevin around a lot more than he pushes her but it's a "maybe".
I'm looking out for obvious signs of distress: heavy breathing, lethargy, straining, appearing to be in shock, etc. None of that at this stage. I will naturally be keeping an eye on placenta being passed (though it seems one part has been, already) as well as any dodgy smells or secretions. Anything else I should be keeping an eye out for?
