Diarrhea and dehydration

Diarrhea and dehydration

Symptoms

- Watery feces.
- Profuse yellowish feces
- Feces have a foul odor.
- Blood in feces.
- Dehydration.

—Very dry nose.

—Animal urinates less than normal.

—Skin is slack. Softly pinch the skin and pull it. Then let go. If the piglet is not dehydrated, the skin will snap back into place.

—Animal twitches uncontrollably (in late stage).

Causes

- Internal parasites.
- Bacteria.
- Virus.
- Digestive problems due to sudden change in diet.
- Eating unclean feed.

Diarrhea can result from poor sanitation. It can occur during any season and can affect pigs of all ages, but especially strikes newborn piglets up to 30 days old. The piglet becomes thin and too weak to stand up or suckle and finally it dies.

In young pigs, an abrupt change in the diet can cause diarrhea. This is called "baby pig scours". If an animal's diarrhea comes and goes, it might be caused by internal parasites. If the runny feces are flecked with blood and the animal is losing weight and strength, then the problem might be swine dysentery, which usually strikes when the pig weighs between 60 and 70 kg.

Diarrhea, excessive urination, vomiting and/or fever can lead to dehydration and death in young pigs.

Prevention

- Keep pens, feed and water troughs clean.
- Separate affected animals from healthy animals.
- Avoid stress on young pigs by keeping their feed schedule regular and by providing shelter.
- If the diet of animal must be changed, make the change gradually.

Treatments

Use any of the following remedies.

For diarrhea

- Wild ginger rhizome (Zingiber zerumbet) Clove, roots and bark of Eugenia caryophyllus Fresh pomegranate leaves (Punica granatum) Opium (poppy) gum from fruit (Papaver somniferum)

Common ginger rhizome (Zingiber cassumunar) Limestone (one thumb-sized piece)

(If available, a root nodule of a plant known as "Krasarn" in Thailand can also be included).

Dry the plant ingredients and grind each into a fine powder. Mix equal amounts (1 teaspooon) of each powder. Add 1 tablespoon of the mixture to a 1-liter mixture of water and powdered limestone. Boil the resulting mixture and let it cool. Drench the affected piglets with 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of the mixture twice a day (in the morning and evening) for 2-3 days.(Thailand. 1, 3, 4)

- Boil 1 kg of fresh Punica granatum (pomegranate) leaves and stems in 3 liters of water until 2 liters remain. Drench the affected animal with 1/2 liter of the cooled fluid, including plant material, 3 times a day for 2-5 days.(Cambodia, Philippines. 1,2, 3, 4)

- Boil 1 kg of fresh Psidium gunjava (guava) leaves in 3 liters of water until 2 liters remain. Cool and strain the fluid. Drench the affected animal with 1/2 liter, 3 times a day for 2-3 days. In Indochina, the mature fruits of the native guava are also used in a similar preparation to treat diarrhea.(Cambodia, Philippines, Thailand. 1, 2, 3, 4)

- Boil 1/2 kg of fresh Chrysophyllum cainito (star apple) leaves in 1 liter of water. Drench animal with 1 cup of the strained, cool fluid 3 times a day for 1-3 days.(Cambodia, Philippines. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

- Carbonize the husk and shell of 1 mature coconut. (Do this by partially burning them in a fire. Put out the fire when the husk and shell are in full blaze.) Grind the carbonized coconut material into a powder and mix it thoroughly with 1 liter of clean water. Drench the affected animal with 1 cup of the mixture, 3 times a day for 2 days. (Cambodia. 1, 2, 3, 4)

- Carbonize and grind rice (see above). Mix five teaspoons of the powder and one teaspoon of honey in 1/2 liter of clean water. Drench the affected animal 3 times a day 1/2 liter each time) for 3-5 days.(Cambodia, Thailand. 1, 2, 3, 4)

For dehydration

- Prepare an oral rehydration treatment by dissolving 1 teaspoon of salt and 3 teaspoons of sugar in 1 liter of clean water. Give 1/2 liter as a drench, 3 times a day for 3-5 days.(Widely practiced throughout Asia. 1, 2, 3, 4)

- Dissolve 3 handfuls of unrefined brown sugar and 5 teaspoons of salt in the water from 3 young coconuts. Drench 3 times a day until the animal is cured.(Cambodia. Philippines, Thailand. 1. 2. 3. 4)