Can Postpartum Paralysis in Sows Be Cured? Detailed Guide to Prevention and Treatment

Paralysis generally refers to the reduction or loss of voluntary motor function, and it occurs in both humans and animals. For example, pigs, one of the domestic livestock, can develop this condition after giving birth.So can postpartum paralysis in domestic sows be cured? How should it be prevented and treated?

1. Basic Overview of Sow Paralysis

1. The concept of sow paralysis

Sow paralysis is also called farrowing paralysis in pigs, and this condition can occur both before and after farrowing. It generally presents as a disease characterized by muscle relaxation of the limbs and low blood calcium, with the main cause being nutritional disorders such as calcium and phosphorus imbalance, while there are many factors that can trigger the condition. In addition, improper feeding, inadequate postpartum care, or sows being old and weak with a lack of exercise can also trigger paralysis.

2. Symptoms of postpartum paralysis in sows

Sow paralysis usually occurs several days before farrowing and around 30 days after farrowing, and some sows may also show symptoms of lumbar paralysis, limping and paralysis within a few days after farrowing. However, before paralysis occurs, most sows have reduced appetite or stop eating, walk slowly, pass dry and hard feces, like to drink clean water, and show abnormal behaviors such as rooting at the ground, gnawing bricks and eating feces, but their body temperature remains normal. After paralysis develops, they show difficulty standing up, stand blankly after being helped up, cannot stand for long, sway and are weak in the hindquarters when walking, drag their hind limbs along the ground when driven, and make screaming sounds, and finally become motionless.

2. Can Postpartum Paralysis in Domestic Sows Be Cured?

Postpartum paralysis in domestic sows can generally still be cured. Sows with mild symptoms only need medication or nutrients added to their feed, while those with severe symptoms need injections and medication as well as manual massage.

3. How Should Postpartum Paralysis in Domestic Sows Be Prevented and Treated?

If you want to avoid the occurrence of sow paralysis, it is best to do a good job of prevention in advance, and for sows that have already developed the disease, symptomatic treatment should also be carried out as early as possible.

1. Prevention methods for sow paralysis

(1) Balanced nutrition and appropriate addition of corresponding additives: feed green fodder and high-quality hay meal as often as possible in small amounts, and at the same time supplement mineral feed and feed additives; for pregnant sows, bone meal and salt should also be added, and the proportion of feed rich in phosphorus such as wheat bran and rice bran should be increased as much as possible in the daily feed.

(2) Cold protection and heat protection must be done well: when sows farrow in winter, keep them warm and protected from the cold, and in summer pay attention to heat prevention and cooling, while ensuring the sow's amount of exercise and the cleanliness and hygiene of the pig pen.

2. Treatment methods for sow paralysis

(1) For sows with relatively mild symptoms, pig bones or other fresh livestock and poultry bones can be dried, crushed and mixed into the feed to feed the sow, about 30 g per sow per day.

(2) For sows with severe symptoms, 40-80 milliliters of 5%-10% calcium chloride injection can be administered intravenously once. At the same time, apply high-concentration alcohol or 10% camphor alcohol to the sow's skin and perform manual massage to promote blood circulation and restore nerve function.

In fact, there are many cases of postpartum paralysis in sows, so everyone must do a good job of prevention in advance, increase outdoor exercise, get more sunlight, do good postpartum care, and keep the pig pen dry, and so on.