Hi everyone,
I could use feedback about out 2 year old male pig. He has been gradually losing weight over the last month, but eats like he is starving. Drinks a lot, and I think too much. Some research made me wonder about renal problems, diabetes, or thyroid issues.
We took him to our local small animal vet. First visit, vet agreed he was too skinny and recommended we separate him from cage mate to see if bullied away from food; asked to return if weight not improving. We waited three weeks and his weight seems to have stabilized somewhat - but very slowly still dropping (5-10 grams a day down consistently, but then suddenly up 10g a day.. then slowly back down...). Took him back, saw different vet, and she said he looked fine but please bring him back in if continuing to drop consistently. The next few days he dropped 940, 930, 920.. so took him back for visit number three, wondering if blood work was now necessary. They recommended no blood work because stressful for the pig, which is of course stressful, but we feel something is really wrong and that there are no solutions except to keep an eye on him. He is not quite himself, doesn't like to be touched or held as you used to, and chitters at us often. So hungry-acting all the time no matter how much we give the poor guy.
The vet now requested we monitor his weight at home further and bring him back once a month to be weighed on their scale. In the meantime he's still lost that weight and I anticipate more of it, and I would like to know why and if he is in more trouble than they think. I've always heard that weight loss is serious and I feel the vets brushed it off after their own initial assessment that he was bony and needed regain weight!
Any comments or ideas is appreciated very much! Thanks.
I could use feedback about out 2 year old male pig. He has been gradually losing weight over the last month, but eats like he is starving. Drinks a lot, and I think too much. Some research made me wonder about renal problems, diabetes, or thyroid issues.
We took him to our local small animal vet. First visit, vet agreed he was too skinny and recommended we separate him from cage mate to see if bullied away from food; asked to return if weight not improving. We waited three weeks and his weight seems to have stabilized somewhat - but very slowly still dropping (5-10 grams a day down consistently, but then suddenly up 10g a day.. then slowly back down...). Took him back, saw different vet, and she said he looked fine but please bring him back in if continuing to drop consistently. The next few days he dropped 940, 930, 920.. so took him back for visit number three, wondering if blood work was now necessary. They recommended no blood work because stressful for the pig, which is of course stressful, but we feel something is really wrong and that there are no solutions except to keep an eye on him. He is not quite himself, doesn't like to be touched or held as you used to, and chitters at us often. So hungry-acting all the time no matter how much we give the poor guy.
The vet now requested we monitor his weight at home further and bring him back once a month to be weighed on their scale. In the meantime he's still lost that weight and I anticipate more of it, and I would like to know why and if he is in more trouble than they think. I've always heard that weight loss is serious and I feel the vets brushed it off after their own initial assessment that he was bony and needed regain weight!
Any comments or ideas is appreciated very much! Thanks.