# Limping Pig



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Have you had a good look into the cleft of the foot? Often they can get sore in there. 

If his feet are long you can cut them back. Purple spray into the cleft.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I can't see anything in there but maybe I will just spray something in there anyway... Can't hurt right? I'm trying to figure out the best tool for clipping them down. I am going to tractor supply tomorrow so I'll see what they have and then I will have to youtube how to clip them. the tusks ended up being so much easier than youtube made it look. We slipped the razor wire in while he ate and apple and just a couple quick saws, it popped off. Hoping the feet are just as easy. He normally wears them down himself but this year they seem longer than usual.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Feet trim, scrub the cleft in his foot if he will let you, soak any way. Yes then blue spray.

Is he 3 legged lame or just a bit off?

Can’t remember what pain pills you can give to pigs!


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

He is gimpy but not three legged and like I said, no heat or swelling. I will clean it out and spray tomorrow. I have SMZs but that's not for pain... I do have bute and banamine... I have three different pain pills for dogs... but I think I'd rather not give him any so I can see if it makes a difference.


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

Given the age, is arthritis related soreness a possibility?


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

If he normally wears them down, but now they're long because he isn't, then you have two issues--- 1.) why is he moving less? Different footing? Sore? and 2.) that cleft can split open if something gets stuck in it, or if the hooves are too long. I agree with trimming the hoof, then seeing if he improves.

I wish we could send you a pig vet. That's all we have here.... pig and cow vets that occasionally see a horse if they drew the short straw at the clinic and have to.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

SilverMaple said:


> If he normally wears them down, but now they're long because he isn't, then you have two issues--- 1.) why is he moving less? Different footing? Sore? and 2.) that cleft can split open if something gets stuck in it, or if the hooves are too long. I agree with trimming the hoof, then seeing if he improves.
> 
> I wish we could send you a pig vet. That's all we have here.... pig and cow vets that occasionally see a horse if they drew the short straw at the clinic and have to.


It's interesting because the internet will list pigs under certain vets but when you contact them - they don't do pigs.

It was a really, really wet year so his paddock didn't harden the way it usually does. I think that is some of why his feet didn't wear down like they usually do. They don't look ridiculously long to me but I do think they are longer than they should be. I need to google them to see how much I should clip down. I probably won't do much - just a small amount to start.

He also had an abscess this year (a toothe) which I treated with SMZs. I was worried about him there because everything I read said that pigs go downhill really fast so when he got sick I thought that was the end of him. But the SMZs worked really well.

He isn't as active as he used to be but my best guess is that he is about 12 years old. I've had him 10 and I got him from a guy who's daughter left him at his place because he had gotten too big for the townhouse she lived in. She was told he wasn't going to get much bigger than a jack russel. He's more like the size of a short lab and is probably a couple hundred pounds. He is not overweight though - he doesn't have a belly that drags the ground. His legs are solid and don't bow in. I would think arthritis could be a worry but I think it's injury related. I just can't figure out where. I'm assuming down low in the hoof but it could be higher I suppose.


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

Are there any hog farms near you? Do 4H kids show hogs? If so, maybe someone there could point you in the right direction for a good hog vet. You may be getting the runaround because some clinics won't see 'one pig'. They'd rather go to a farm where they can treat 1000 pigs in an afternoon rather than spending an hour on one animal. If he's a potbelly rather than a domestic hog, some clinics classify them as exotics.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

My neighbor has a cattle/pig farm. Maybe I can get him to come by and look at him.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Any updates?


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

We had about 7 inches of snow and I wonder if the cold was good for him because the limp is minimal now. I never did figure out what he did to himself. I have not trimmed his feet yet.

I wonder if it is just arthritis? If it was - I would think cold would bother it though...


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Could be that there was something in the cleft, and the snow cleaned it, and the cold took the swelling down?


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

As far as trimming pigs feet I would say it is similar to trimming a sheep feet. 

If you draw blood you have cut back to far, if you do not draw blood then you probably haven't cut them back far enough!


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