Another death on our farm...just too much!

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We just lost the mare to colic, and now I just went in to the barn and found a dead pig! He was a 5 year old barrow, fit as a fiddle, lying there with fresh blood coming out his nose and foamy-bloody stuff coming from his mouth. He was the biggest & the baddest, so I doubt anyone beat him up. My first thought upon discovering him, with the blood & all, was that something blew up in his head (no, that's not a veterinary term). What do you think?? He was perfectly normal yesterday, and was lying in a normal position when I found him.

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), June 19, 2001

Answers

Shannon,

This all must be disheartening for you. I'm so sorry your having all of these trials. And you, trying to save them and give them a good life. It just seems like there isn't enough (or maybe there is too much) justice in the world.

Thinking of you.

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), June 19, 2001.


I'm sorry you're having such a rotten time. I don't know why, Shannon, but these things often seem to go in streaks (not necessarily threes!). If the pig had an aneurysm of a blood vessel in the brain, and it burst, that would kill him. But I don't know if you would see blood coming out of the nose and mouth. Could something have fallen on him?

-- Joy F [in So. Wisconsin] (CatFlunky@excite.com), June 19, 2001.

Shannon I didn't answer on your colic mare thread, but now with a pig with foam and blood, are you sure they aren't being poisoned? Colic symptoms and the pig, are very similar symptoms of poisoning. Ant poison? Fertilizer? Anybody have a grievance with you that has access to your stuff? Your water? Do they have a feed source in common? Have you recently cleaned the horse feeders and tossed them to this pig, being the biggest he would have consumed the most. Your hay? Just some thoughts. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), June 19, 2001.

Dear Shannon, Maybe you should make sure that something isn't taking place on the order of what Vicky suggested. I think for your own protection make sure your not dealing with posin. Now hay would and could cause colic on the horse but foamy-bloddy stuff doesn't sound like it. I did have a basset hound that died from bloat which was swelling up and foam coming from his mouth before death. But no blood. I really feel for you because you need to make sure this was something on purpose.

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), June 19, 2001.

Yes. I agree with the above about poision, remember: its the people clostest to you that do the most damage.

-- mitch hearn (moopups1@aol.com), June 19, 2001.


sorry about your bad luck,i too lost two of my dear tunis sheep due to my hubby's neglegence,of course it was an accident but it still hurts,my favorite,herd leader was one of them,the others are much more skiddish but starting to come around,see he left an open bag of finely crushed corn for the chickens open in the barn and the girls got out and overate and it was too late when we found them,followed vet advice but too late,my thought and prayers are with you all it seems to run in spirts here too, my muscovy ducks are missing now too. take care,julie

-- julie (nelson3@bright.net), June 19, 2001.

My God, the thought of someone poisoning my animals is just more than I can consider, but a good point nonetheless. The other horses in the field ate the same stuff my mare did and they are fine. Likewise, lots of other animals ate the same stuff as the pig, and none of them have had a problem. I truly think this is just an awful coincidence. Funny thing, the horse was beloved, and the pig, well, let's just say I was certain he would live forever just to spite me. Went through lots of fencing with that guy, and lots of apologies to the neighbors for him getting over there and excavating their lawn. Ironic that these two animals, at opposite ends of the loveability-scale, would leave us at the same time. Thanks to all of you for your suggestions and condolences.

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), June 19, 2001.

Boy we all have days,weeks and years like that .It will get better!

-- renee oneill{md.} (oneillsr@home.com), June 19, 2001.

Its always hard when you lose an animal but sooner or later it always happens. First might not be a bad idea to check with a vet. Also you didn't mention how old the horse was but five years is getting at least middle age for a hog.

-- David (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), June 19, 2001.

Shannon,

It may not be an added poison per se but could be a fungal or bacterial problem. Did you read about the kentucky horse still births and abortions? That was a fungus.

I would suggest that you look for a comanality in the feed. Whether its hay, grain, grazing or whatever. It may be the new batch of hay, but it is something. I'd call the vet also and alert him. Maybe others are having the same problem. A couple years ago a batch of sweet feed went out from a local mill and horses started colicing all over. It was the vets that figured it out as all the horse owners had bought the same feed.

I've seen a large instance of colic at a boarding ranch due to a new load of hay coming in. Same supplier, same field, same cutting. For whatever reason this load had something wrong with it.

It of course could be a poison that is in some type of feed that ended up there unknown to the processor.

-- Stacia in OK (OneClassyCowgirl@aol.com), June 20, 2001.



You might want to have your vet make an autopsy (sp), to make sure the pig didn't die from something that might harm your other animals. Though poison sounds most likely the culprit, there is still a posibility it could be a fast acting disease. An autopsy (sp) will tell you either way. If it was a disease, it might be more prudent (healthier) to have the pig creemated as appossed to buried on the farm where any disease might be transmitted to local plants & other livestock (or you).

animalfarms

-- animalfarms (jwlewis@indy.net), June 20, 2001.


My heart goes out to you! We have lost several animals lately just due to our own ignorance! We lost 2 chicks because a board I put up fell over (they were flat as a pancake)! Before that a baby duck died right after we bought him. Next a month old bunny died in the cage, another 2 week old a cat got (and she ate others), our 2 baby bunnies died just born in the cage a week earlier because they smothered (to much hay) and the third baby we do not know why she died, the mom just stopped feeding her! We have had to kill several mice (does that count) and we lost 2 ducks cause they got stepped on by the goats. All this in 2 1/2 months. We were sure broken hearted and lost some confidence for awhile. Oh yeah and the other chick we lost cause she got smothered!

I am glad we are not the only ones but I am sorry you had this mishap. May the Lord bless you and yours with answers and the heart to continue!

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), June 20, 2001.


Some times things just happen. Now I had an abortion storm this last spring. We kept trying to figure out what was happening, we even lost a ewe who couldn't dialate. I still haven't any idea of what happened and just pray it doesn't happen this year. That abortion storm cost me 9 lambs and a ewe. I am still shooken up over it. The vets haven't the foggest idea of what happened either. So, I feel for you and I know it doesn't help to have someone say they feel for you but we do../Debbie

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), June 20, 2001.

Not a clue as to where you are, but Anthrax was just found in Texas. Bleeding from the mouth and nose at death are a sign. Might want to read up on it. The USDA site has a Mind-it post for disease in your county or state, also the APHIS site. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), June 21, 2001.

Shannon, We had something happen to a cat that was exactly as you described. Fortunately we got him to the vet in time to save him. Our vet said it was poison. He said he sees alot of it around here. It seems the farmers put out rat poison for the rats and when the cats eat the rats, they get poisoned too.

-- Ed C (Hobotacoma@yahoo.com), June 21, 2001.


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