Chapter 4

HOG REGULATOR AND TONIC

Nux Vomica, one pound; Hardwood Charcoal, two pounds; Sulphur, two pounds; Common Salt, three pounds; Sulphide of Antimony, one and one-half pounds; Glauber Salts, two pounds; Bicarbonate of Soda, four pounds; Hyposulphite of Soda, four pounds; Nitrate of Potash, one pound; Quassia, one-half pound; Gentian Root, one pound; Iron Sulphate, one pound; pulverize and mix well.

To everyone hundred pounds of hog weight, give one tablespoonful in feed or swill once or twice daily. For hogs weighing two hundred pounds, the dose would be two tablespoonfuls; for a hog weighing fifty pounds, one-half tablespoonful.

Hogs, like other animals, require tonics, bowel regulators and worm expellers. For these purposes, I have prescribed under a number of the diseases of hogs, which I cover in this chapter, the above general tonic and regulator which I have used in my personal practice with marked success, especially serving the purpose of aiding hogs in their convalescence from debilitating diseases and in their recovery from a general run-down condition.

Aside from its general tonic and regulative effect, this prescription contains nerve tonics, intestinal antiseptics, laxatives, worm expellers, and aids digestion, etc.

If regularly given to hogs, and sanitary conditions are maintained, this tonic and regulator will largely fortify them against contagious diseases.

ABORTION

CAUSE: Sows may abort at any state of pregnancy by slipping, falling, receiving kicks, or by being caught while crawling through or under fences. Sows may also abort when allowed to crawl into quarters where there are other hogs. Contagious diseases, such as Cholera and Pleuropneumonia also produce abortion. There is also a contagious form of abortion in sows, but this is very uncommon, as the disease spreads very slowly.

SYMPTOMS: There is no warning given, as a rule; the sows expel their pigs before any signs of abortion are noticed.

In other cases the sows refuse to eat, become uneasy, shivering and trembling of the muscles, and straining or labor pains are noticed. As a rule, when a sow aborts, she will not prepare a bed, as she would normally.

TREATMENT: Preventive is the only safe and sure treatment, although when the first sign of abortion appears, and there are no signs of the membranes coming away, remove the sow to quiet, warm, clean quarters by herself, and if straining, give one dram of Chloral-Hydrate in her drinking water every two or three hours.

When a sow aborts, burn the pigs and afterbirth, and disinfect the pens with a Coal Tar disinfectant. Keep this up for several days, and do not breed until all discharges from the vagina have ceased flowing.

ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICINE TO HOGS

To administer medicine to hogs may seem easy, but, nevertheless, it is a difficult task. Never lay a hog on his back to drench him, as in so doing there is great danger of strangling. The proper method is to stand or set him on end, holding him up by the ears, and by the use of a bottle with a piece of hose drawn over its neck, give the medicine very slowly, so as not to allow a large quantity to accumulate in the mouth or throat at one time. There is always danger of some of the liquid escaping into the lungs and causing the hog to strangle, and thus it may produce pneumonia. However, this is the best method of giving hogs medicine by force.

Hogs will generally take medicine in their feed or drinking water, unless they are very sick, or the medicine is extremely disagreeable to the taste.

BAG INFLAMMATION

CAUSE: Injuries, obstructed teats, accumulation of milk in the sow's bag after the loss of part of or all of her litter. Difficult birth, slight wounds in the bag permit invasion of germs, which is frequently the common cause of bag inflammation.

SYMPTOMS: Heat, pain and swelling in one or more teats. The general body temperature is elevated one or two degrees above normal. The sow perhaps refuses her feed, although she will drink water in large quantities.

TREATMENT: Feed soft, sloppy food and vegetables. Give Epsom Salts, two to four ounces, in milk or feed. It is also well to milk the sow by hand, relieving her of the milk three or four times a day. This is very necessary. Camphorated Oil is very soothing, and I would recommend its use freely only over affected teats.

BLACK TOOTH

CAUSE: Black Tooth, so called in swine, is principally due to injuries to the teeth received by chewing hard matter, such as bone, etc., which causes them to decay.

SYMPTOMS: Toothache. Toothache in swine is similar to that exhibited by man, in showing loss of appetite, salivation, or slobbering, hanging the head mostly to the side which is affected, loss of fear of man, and offensive breath. If the hogs are fed on strongly acid food for any length of time, their teeth may become dark colored. As the teeth are not materially injured; so long as decayed tooth substance cannot be noticed, and while the appetite and chewing facilities of the hog do not appear to be diminished, no interference will be necessary.

It is customary with some people to examine the teeth of hogs, and if one tooth is found darker colored than the others, it is supposed to be the cause of the hog not doing well, if he is in a poor condition, and the tooth is hammered off flush with the jaw, leaving the broken roots, lacerated gums and nerves to increase the hog's suffering. If the hog recovers, it is often concluded that this was a case of Black Tooth.

My advice is, if you are determined to have the tooth out, extract it properly. Do not break it off. When your hogs are not thriving, give them the regulator and tonic prescribed on the first page of this chapter.

BLOOD POISONING

(Pyemia Septicemia)

CAUSE: Due to the toxic substance produced by germs that invade wounds, bruises, abscesses, or womb following farrowing, if lacerated.

SYMPTOMS: The seat of injury becomes swollen, pus may adhere to the hair, temperature elevated, appetite poor, hog moves about very slowly, becomes separated from the rest of the drove, lies around in some cool, quiet place, eventually becomes very weak and poor and dies, if good attention is not given.

TREATMENT: Separate from the other hogs and remove to a clean, comfortable place and wash the seat of injury with some good disinfectant, as a five per cent Carbolic Acid solution. In case of abscess, open it low so as to assure good drainage. Keep clean, cool water before your hogs at all times. Give mashes made from wheat bran and hot water, or any good, substantial food that is easily digested containing regulator and tonic prescribed on the first page of this chapter.

BRONCHITIS

CAUSE: Lung worms, poorly ventilated sleeping quarters, sleeping in straw stacks, in manure heaps, overheated, filthy pens, where the animals inhale irritating gases given off the bodies of other hogs, and from filth. Smoke and dust are very common producers of bronchitis.

SYMPTOMS: Breathing fast, appetite poor, slight rise in temperature and coughing. The hog is dull and stupid, refuses food, but drinks water frequently.

TREATMENT: Preventive; avoid the above named causes, but when hogs become affected, move them to clean, well ventilated quarters, avoiding dust and gases, disinfect bedding and floors with some good disinfectant, as Crude Carbolic Acid, sprayed. Also give large doses of the hog regulator and tonic, as prescribed on the first page of this chapter. Feed vegetables, or any easily digested food, and hot wheat bran mashes.

In case the disease is due to lung worms, confine the animals in a closed shed and permit them to inhale the steam from Turpentine and water for a few minutes, by placing water and Turpentine in a tin receptacle holding about two gallons, and inserting heated bricks or stones into the solution.

CASTRATION

This is generally understood by every stockraiser, yet there are some points many do not know. For instance, you should use in this operation an antiseptic solution, as Carbolic Acid or Bichloride of Mercury. Wash thoroughly with antiseptic yours hands and knife, also the seat of operation and make your incision as low as possible to permit the pus to drain out nicely. If this is not practiced, the pus will become absorbed into the blood, producing blood poison, which may produce death, or at the best will cause the hog to become stunted, whereas, if the operation is performed properly, the hog will thrive, regardless of the shock from the operation. I may add that it is much better to castrate pigs or hogs when their stomach and intestines are empty, and it is always good practice to feed laxative and easily digested foods sparingly after this operation.

CHOKING

CAUSE: Vegetables, such as potatoes, etc., roots, as carrots, turnips and sometimes pieces of bone or glass, lodge in the gullet. Paralysis of the muscular fibres of the gullet is a very common cause of choking in swine.

SYMPTOMS: The hog is unable to swallow, producing frothing at the mouth and, if the obstruction cannot be dislodged, death occurs in a very short time. Sometimes the obstruction in the gullet may be felt from the outside with the hand.

TREATMENT: The administration of small doses of Raw Linseed or Olive Oil, or Lard, will assist in dislodging the obstruction. Also careful manipulation of the gullet from the outside with the hand assists in either forcing it into the stomach or bringing it out through hog's mouth. If vomiting can be produced, it will dislodge the obstruction. If immediate results are not obtained from the above treatments, I would recommend butchering the hog for meat immediately.

COLD IN THE HEAD

(Nasal Catarrh)

CAUSE: Exposure to cold; a very common condition in cold, wet weather when hogs are allowed to sleep in manure heaps, straw stacks, or pile up together, when they become overheated and later chill. Nasal Catarrh may also be due to inhaling dust or irritating gases.

SYMPTOMS: The animal is stupid and feverish, coughing and sneezing frequently; appetite is poor, eyes watery and inflamed; a discharge of mucus from the nose will terminate in yellow pus and the nose, if examined, is found to be inflamed and ulcerated.

TREATMENT: The best and safest treatment is to provide clean sleeping quarters, avoid overcrowding in dusty, dirty sheds, especially during cold weather. Pigs affected with cold in the head should be fed on laxative food, such as boiled carrots, potatoes, apples, hot wheat bran mashes and steamed rolled oats.

MEDICAL TREATMENT: Confine the affected hogs to a shed, close windows and doors and any large cracks; then compel them to inhale steam from the following mixture: Turpentine, eight ounces; Pine Tar, one pint; Water, two gallons. Place in tin receptacle in center of shed and heat the above solution by adding hot bricks or stones to the mixture occasionally. Compel the hogs to inhale this steam for at least thirty minutes twice a day. Give Chlorate of Potash in twenty grain doses three times a day in feed or drinking water. This treatment is very successful if the inflammation has not extended to the lungs.

DIARRHOEA IN YOUNG PIGS

(Scours)

CAUSE: Decomposed foods, slops, etc., fed to the mothers, causing them to give toxic milk. Poorly ventilated, filthy, cold and damp pens, insufficient exercise, lack of sunlight, raising pigs by hand or with other sow.

SYMPTOMS: Frequent movement of the bowels, the passage being of a grayish-white color and the odor very disagreeable. At this stage of the disease, reliable remedies must be given or the pig will die very soon.

The discharge from the bowels becomes very thin, the tail and legs become soiled, loss of appetite, the pigs become weak and dull, hair rough and it is difficult for them to move about. In very young pigs, treatment is of little value.

TREATMENT: As Scours in pigs is a disease frequently caused by faulty food and insanitary surroundings, a preventive treatment is of great importance, and much better results are thus obtained than by the use of medical agents. Medical treatment consists in first cleaning away the irritant present in the bowels. For this purpose give one to two tablespoonfuls of Castor Oil. At the time of farrowing all sows should receive a light diet and be kept in clean, dry quarters. The pigs should be allowed pure air, sunshine and exercise. If the sow appears hot and feverish, give one to three ounces of Castor Oil in milk or swill. Avoid feeding decomposed, moldy food, or sour milk. To check the diarrhoea in pigs, use the following after the irritant is removed or cleaned out as above stated: Zinc Sulphocarbolates, thirty grains; Protan, two ounces; Pulv. Gentian Root, two ounces. Make into sixty capsules or powders and give one, three or four times a day. The sow should receive a dose about eight times the size of that of the pigs.

1. Mouth 2. Nostrils 3. Eyes 4. Forehead 5. Poll 6. Ears 7. Neck or Scrag 8. Throat or Throttle 9. Brisket or Breast 10. Shoulder vein 11. Shoulder 12. Legs 13. Fore flank 14. Heart girth 15. Crops 16. Back 17. Loin 18. Rump 19. Coupling 20. Ribs 21. Belly 22. Sheath 23. Scrotum 24. Rear flanks 25. Leg of Mutton 26. Twist 27. Tail or Dock 28. Rump