by Pig body temperature – an indicator of the animal’s health. Deviations from the norm can occur in individuals of any age. Violation always requires attention.
Leaving a pig’s elevated temperature without finding out the reasons is unacceptable. Many pathologies begin with such a symptom, so it is important to take the necessary measures in a timely manner.
A farmer who raises pigs should know what the normal body temperature of an animal is and how to measure it. Errors in measuring are the cause of false results and the impossibility of making a correct diagnosis.
What temperature is considered normal for pigs?
The normal value for a boar is +38…+39 degrees, for a female – +38…+39,5 degrees. The sow’s value is half a degree higher than that of a male.
The sex and age of the pig affect the indicator. Small fluctuations (0,3-0,5 degrees) can be observed in hot weather, when overheating causes an increase in body temperature, which is not a pathology and does not require treatment.
Metabolic processes in piglets are more intense than in adults. The body temperature of first-year piglets is higher: its norm is +38,5…+40 degrees. The highest value of the indicator is observed in a month-old piglet.
Detection of a deviation of the indicator from the norm, either upward or downward, requires an examination of the animal by a veterinarian to identify the cause of the change in the indicator.
Meat breed pigs have a lower indicator than decorative ones. The phenomenon is explained by the presence of a thick fat layer in the former, and wool in the latter.
Important! Some diseases first manifest themselves only as a temperature disturbance, and their treatment is effective only at the beginning of their development, which is why, when other symptoms are added, it becomes more difficult to save a pig or piglet.
When should you measure?
Veterinary medicine calls an increase in temperature in pigs fever; it is not a disease, but simply a term denoting a specific symptom. The increase in the indicator in an animal is accompanied by certain signs.
Measurements need to be taken when the pig exhibits:
- strong agitation or marked lethargy;
- decreased or complete lack of appetite;
- skin rashes;
- diarrhea;
- vomiting;
- unsteadiness of gait;
- pronounced tremor;
- hot snout and ears;
- redness of the eyes;
- respiratory failure;
- strong heartbeat.
A pig that is feeling unwell tries to hide. Having noticed what is happening, the owner must immediately establish the cause of the animal’s deterioration in health.
Reasons for the increase
There are quite a few factors that cause fever in pigs. A quarter of the indicator’s violations occur as a result of inflammation of the respiratory system (the main diseases are bronchitis, tracheitis, bronchopneumonia).
Infectious pathologies account for 10% of fever cases. It is important to immediately isolate an infected sick animal from healthy ones and treat it. Vaccination helps to avoid many infectious diseases.
Most cases of increased rates are due to non-infectious diseases of pigs, which can be successfully treated with timely involvement of a veterinarian. Fever passes in a short time after the start of therapy.
Piglets are more prone to fever. The main causes of the disorder are gastroenteritis (inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa), dyspepsia (digestive disorder caused by a lack of enzymes, improper feeding).
The young animals require urgent treatment: severe diarrhea is accompanied by dehydration, which causes the rapid death of the piglet.
Incorrect maintenance can provoke the disorder: poor care, low-quality food, damp premises, hypothermia.
Trauma, stress, parasitic infestation of pigs with worms cause moderate to severe fever. In summer, an increase in the indicator is noted due to a tick bite.
How to measure temperature?
The body temperature of a pig is measured in different ways. Everything depends on the equipment of the farm and the number of animals. Workers of large farms use a device that measures the animal’s temperature without contact.
The cost of the device is high. In small private farmsteads, an electronic thermometer is used. The temperature is measured in the rectum.
An electronic thermometer records the reading in a few seconds, the risk of injuring an animal with a modern thermometer is minimal. A glass mercury thermometer is dangerous and should be used only as a last resort.
When taking measurements, the pig is placed on its left side, if possible. The tail is moved to the side, held with the hand, and the tip of the thermometer, lubricated with fat or Vaseline oil, is inserted into the anus.
The electronic thermometer will show the result in a maximum of 1 minute.
The mercury device will need to be held for 7 minutes. Beginning pig breeders sometimes make the mistake of trying to measure the animal’s temperature by fixing the thermometer to the skin.
The result of such a measurement is incorrect, since due to the fat layer the temperature will be significantly lower, and timely assistance will not be provided to the animal.
Important! A thermometer used for several animals should be disinfected after each measurement to prevent the spread of the disease.
Wrong methods
Some pig breeders, due to their inexperience, measure the animal’s temperature in the wrong way. For example, they fix the thermometer to the animal’s skin with a patch.
This method does not provide true information about the pet’s health. The error in such a measurement can be 1-1,5 degrees, but in this case it will not be possible to detect fever in a pig.
The problem is that pigs have a large layer of subcutaneous fat, and fat mass does not conduct heat well. The pet’s skin may seem cool, while the pig is actually hot.
Measuring instruments
A thermometer that measures the pig’s body temperature without contact and is equipped with an infrared sensor is not required in a private farm. A farmer with less than 10 pigs will only need a pharmacy electronic thermometer.
Features of each type of device:
- Mercury thermometer. The cheapest, but dangerous device. The pig being examined must be secured as securely as possible.
- Electronic thermometer. Safe plastic device, does not contain mercury. Error appears when batteries start to discharge.
- Infrared thermometer. The device only needs to be brought 5 cm to the animal. The result is given within a second.
Important! When purchasing a device for measuring the body temperature of an animal, you should choose a high-quality model.
Cheap thermometers made by dubious manufacturers may have significant errors.
How to determine temperature without a thermometer?
A veterinarian’s help is needed if the pig’s eyes have become red, its bristles have become dull, spots have appeared on its body, there is diarrhea, and it has no appetite.
You can determine that an animal has a high temperature without using a device by feeling the hot spot. Floppy ears also indicate a deviation.
If a piglet is shivering from chills, trying to warm up in the litter, hiding its cold legs, this indicates a decrease in temperature. Intoxication of the animal’s body develops: with diseases of the urinary system; with kidney damage; with a large number of helminths.
A small piglet is constantly cold with rickets. To raise the pig’s temperature and restore weight gain, it is recommended to walk it in the sun more often.
What to do if the temperature is 41?
An increase in the indicator to +41 degrees and above in the vast majority of cases is a sign of the development of pathology. The animal must be urgently isolated from the rest of the herd.
The condition of the resettled pig is being monitored. It is important to monitor whether other symptoms appear. The animal’s temperature is measured several times a day at hourly intervals.
If the indicator remains normal after repeated measurements, this means that the animal is healthy and there was a temporary temperature fluctuation due to excitement or a hormonal surge. It should also be taken into account that a short-term increase in the indicator in a pig is possible in the evening hours and after feeding.
Having discovered that the animal is sick, they call a veterinarian. To quickly determine the pathology, it is necessary to inform the specialist what behavioral abnormalities have been noticed in the animal, its temperature, whether there are additional symptoms, what food is given to the animal, whether the pig has had contact with wild animals or sick individuals.
Once the diagnosis is made, the veterinarian will determine what measures need to be taken, prescribe medication, and determine the dose and frequency of administration. All instructions must be strictly followed.
Violations in treatment can lead to the death of a sick pig or piglet.
Low temperature in pigs
The main reason for low temperature in pigs is intoxication of the body. Signs of low temperature:
- chills;
- cold limbs;
- cold ears;
- the tendency of a pig to burrow into warm bedding to keep warm.
Poisoning occurs not only when eating toxic and poor-quality food. Toxic substances can enter the blood when:
- helminthiasis;
- overdose of anthelmintic drugs;
- due to the large number of waste products of pathogenic microorganisms;
- intestinal blockages;
- constipation;
- problems in the genitourinary system;
- non-infectious hepatitis;
- kidney diseases.
Chills were noted in a piglet with rickets. But his temperature was not measured, he could have simply been weakened. A low temperature in a pig is not a symptom of rickets and home treatment is better not limited to letting the animal out into the sun.
If the temperature is low, it is also better to call a veterinarian, and as first aid, give the pig a laxative.
But only if the piglet does not get sick after deworming. In heavily wormed piglets, after the anthelmintic drug, a mass death of parasites in the intestines can occur. A ball of dead worms clogs the gastrointestinal tract and begins to decompose, causing poisoning of the pig’s body.
Conclusion
Experienced farmers always monitor the pig’s body temperature. If there is any suspicion of an increase in the indicator, measurements must be taken immediately.
You should not wait for the animal’s condition to normalize on its own without a veterinarian – it is necessary to correctly establish the cause that caused the fever.
Pig diseases are easier to treat at the beginning of their appearance. An experienced pig breeder or veterinarian will help a novice farmer learn how to measure the body temperature of pets correctly.
