griPigs
Most people think that pigs are nasty and dirty animals mostly because they roll around in mud but they are actually some of the cleanest animals. They are not able to sweat so therefore they roll around in mud to cool themselves down. Although they are clean animals they have a variety of diseases that they can carry and transmit to humans. The most critical part of a pigs life is up to the first three weeks of life.
One of the most common problems with pigs are stress. Moving a pig to new places, vaccinating it or introducing it to new or strange surroundings or pigs can cause stress. It is easier for a pig to get sick when it is stressed. If your pig has a poor appetite, diarrhea, a rough hair coat, inactivity, excessive coughing or dull eyes he is most likely sick. The signs of a healthy pig are tightly curled tails, strong appetites and sleek hair coats. It is critical for most farmers to keep their pigs health up because if a person eats bad pork or pork that is infected with diseases it will make the person very sick.
Some of the common diseases for pigs are Porcine parvovirus, Gastric torsion, Gastric ulceration, Swine dysentery, Starvation, Coccidiosis, Colibacillosis, Kidney infection, Bladder infection and Exudative epidermitis. If your pig gets sick automatically get it away from your other pigs and get it treated as soon as possible. There are some cures for diseases for pigs but only in the early stages of the diseases. Pigs can also get lice and mange mites known as external parasites.
The disease which affects the gut and causes lack of appetite, diarrhea and wasting is Enteric diseases. Three of the Enteric diseases are Colitis, Swine Dysentery and Ileitis. Respiratory diseases cause slow growth or premature death of the infected pigs and affects the lungs. The two most challenging respiratory diseases are Pleuropneumonia and Enzootic Pneumonia.
In 2009 an epidmic in humans began to spread across the world. It was called the “Swine Flu” or “Pig Flu”. It is an animal disease and it is caused by a porcine virus called Swine Influenza Virus. It is very contagious and mainly affects pigs but can also spread to humans and turkeys. The symptoms of the disease are sneezing, nasal discharge, breathing difficulty, depressed appetite, coughing and elevated rectal temperatures. There are vaccines available for the Influenze. They don’t always pprevent infection or shedding of the virus but if it does occur the disease is milder.
Most people would never even think of having a pig as a pet in their home because they think pigs