Temperature in pigs: the norm, the reasons for the increase, how to measure, how to treat

An increase in temperature in pigs indicates the development of a pathological process that in a pregnant female can provoke the birth of dead cubs. Sick piglets lag behind in growth, do not gain weight and die when the temperature is high for a long time, as protein cells are destroyed in the body. Adult animals are sometimes left with other livestock and given medication. Sick little piglets are kept separately, he althy pups push them away from the feeder.

Normal body temperature in pigs

Animals suffer from invasion of parasites, become infected with bacteria, viruses.Infected meat cannot be sold, sick piglets die and the farmer suffers losses. The body temperature of a pig of an ordinary breed is normally up to 39.5 ° C, it does not fall below 38. In pregnant, lactating females, the figure is slightly higher than in males.

The thermometer in he althy gilts under the age of one year rises one division higher. In small piglets, activity remains at 40 ° C, but the cubs react strongly to any change in the external environment.

Signs of abnormality

When feeding animals, you need to pay attention to appetite, to the speed of eating food. In individuals with fever:

a rash appears on the body;
breathing is difficult;
watery and shining eyes;
ruffled stubble;
mucus is secreted from the nose, mouth.

In a piglet, the piglet acquires a bright red hue, it becomes hot to the touch, vomiting, diarrhea often joins, and the heartbeat quickens. Over time, symptoms specific to a particular disease are added.

When the temperature of the animal is high, urgent measures must be taken, with a decrease from the norm in the morning, treatment is not required, this phenomenon does not indicate a disease, but the normal physiological state of the piglet.

Reasons for ups and downs

In an adult pig, frozen, moldy food provokes the occurrence of high temperature. Rough food, products infected with parasites, irritate the gastric mucosa. The shell becomes inflamed, causing indigestion.

When eating low-quality feed, sows harden the nipples, milk stagnates in the ducts, which causes mastitis, which is accompanied by a strong and sharp increase in temperature.

The indicator increases slightly with beriberi. Sometimes when feeding with rough food, the female completely loses milk. The thermometer rises significantly when the pig is sick:

pneumonia;
gastroenteritis;
bronchitis.

Infectious pathologies are treated with antibiotics, after recovery, animals are walked in the sun, and pigs are given vitamins. In piglets, body temperature is influenced by the environment. In the heat, the indicator is higher, in the cold - lower. At the same time, small pigs eat well, do not lose activity.

How and how to measure temperature

If the piglet refuses to feed, becomes lethargic, trembles, burrows into the litter, drinks a lot, you should touch the snout, feel the ears, and only then measure the temperature. Such a procedure is difficult, even a calm animal can become aggressive, do not let it in.

Mercury thermometer

To measure the temperature, you should approach the pig from behind, stroke it, talk to it in an affectionate voice, give it your favorite food.When the piglet calms down, quickly insert a mercury thermometer into the anus and hold it for about 8 minutes. If the animal is nervous, behaves aggressively, you need to postpone the procedure for a while.

Electric thermometer

Not every farmer can afford to purchase an innovative device that has a compact size and acts like a thermocouple. Such a thermometer is expensive, but when applied to the body, it instantly fixes the value.

Electronic thermometer

In order not to torment the piglet, to quickly cope with the measurement by the rectal method, you should look for a modern electronic thermometer in veterinary pharmacies. The whole procedure with the use of the device takes a minute. Pyrometer (Infrared thermometer) The device allows you to take measurements in a second in pigs and wild boars when applied to any part of the body. The result is displayed on the LCD screen.

How to determine the temperature without a thermometer

The help of a veterinarian is needed if the pig's eyes are reddened, the bristles have faded, spots have appeared on the body, there is diarrhea, there is no appetite. You can determine that an animal has a high temperature without a device by feeling a hot patch. Flaccid ears also indicate deviance.

If the piglet is shivering from chills, trying to keep warm in the litter, hiding cold legs, this indicates a decrease in temperature. Intoxication of the organism in the animal develops:

for diseases of the urinary system;
with kidney damage;
with a large number of helminths.

The little pig is constantly cold with rickets. To raise the temperature of the pig, restore weight gain, it is advised to walk it in the sun more often.

What to treat?

Beginning farmers do not always know what to do if the animal refuses to eat food, behaves unusually. Adult pigs can hardly tolerate high temperatures, and piglets may die. At an indicator above 40.5 ° C, it is recommended to call a veterinarian. If a specialist does not arrive in the next 24 hours to bring down the temperature, the animals are given antipyretics and antibiotics are injected. Piglets are injected with penicillins or Tetracycline, isolated from he althy individuals.

Almost half of pig diseases are nutritionally related. Spoiled feed, insufficient amounts of vitamins, easily digestible protein, microelements in the diet provoke indigestion in adult animals, and cause gastroenteritis in piglets. With chronic diarrhea, pigs are given a decoction of oak bark, the stomach is washed with saline. Nursing females and babies are injected with Norsulfazol and Biomycin.

Animals with tracheitis or bronchopneumonia are transferred to a dry room, walked in the sun, coughing piglets are warmed with an ultraviolet lamp, fed with carrots, oatmeal, barley porridge.If purulent foci have formed in the lungs, the pigs will not survive. To remove mucus from the bronchi, piglets are given to drink ammonium chloride. For pneumonia, the veterinarian recommends administering antibiotics and sulfonamides.

Diseases accompanied by an increase in temperature, pigs are infected by rats, mice, pigeons. For prevention and treatment, a vaccine is administered.

FMD, in which the oral mucosa, skin, limbs, udders are covered with bubbles, the temperature rises, both adults and piglets suffer. To combat the filtering virus that causes foot-and-mouth disease, globulins obtained from the serum of he althy animals are used. For all infectious diseases, piglets are transferred to a separate room, which is regularly disinfected, the treatment regimen is drawn up by a veterinarian.

Pigs are suffering from ascariasis caused by roundworms. To cope with parasites, along with feed, animals are given piperazine s alts. Manure is burned, drinkers are disinfected, inventory is treated with carbolic or creolin solution.The veterinarian helps the farmer to determine the cause of lethargy, high temperature in piglets.