Common Treatment Methods for Several Types of Fever in Pigs

In traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, the understanding of fever is relatively broad: sometimes a body temperature higher than normal is considered fever, and sometimes even when the body temperature is not elevated, as long as heat signs appear, it is also classified as a heat syndrome. Because there are many causes of fever and the syndrome types are relatively complex, in clinical practice fever must be treated based on syndrome differentiation, grasping its essence. In many years of teaching and clinical work in traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, the author has used traditional Chinese veterinary medicine for treatment and achieved relatively satisfactory results. It is briefly introduced as follows for the reference of peers.

1. Excess heat in the qi aspect

One white pig from Group 3, Yihe Village, Jingzhou District, body weight 90 kg, was presented for treatment on May 10, 2003. Chief complaint: the affected pig had been ill for 6 d and now would not eat at all. Symptoms observed: coarse breathing, thirst, excessive drinking, constipation, scanty and dark red urine, and sweating over the whole body, with the hair on the underside of the abdomen and the inner side of the thighs moist; yellow and dry tongue coating, bright red mouth color, full and large pulse, body temperature 40.3 °C. Treatment: the prescription used gypsum 50 g, Anemarrhena asphodeloides rhizome 25 g, licorice 20 g, polished round-grained rice 30 g, rhubarb 30 g, mirabilite 40 g, honeysuckle 20 g, Forsythia suspensa fruit 20 g, Scutellaria baicalensis root 20 g, gardenia 20 g, and Ophiopogon japonicus root 20 g. Decocted in water and administered by stomach tube, 1 dose per day, for 2 consecutive doses; body temperature dropped to normal and bowel movements became free. On the third and fourth days, rhubarb and mirabilite were removed from this prescription, and Codonopsis pilosula 20 g, hawthorn 15 g, malt 15 g, and Medicated Leaven 15 g were added. It was cured on the fifth day.

2. Fever due to qi deficiency

One sow from @#@227@#@ Farm, Buhe Town, Gong'an County, body weight 80 kg, was presented for treatment on July 3, 2005. Chief complaint: the affected pig had had a poor appetite for nearly 20 d, was listless, and often had fever that would not subside day or night; in the past two days it had also developed diarrhea. Symptoms observed: short and rapid breathing, weakness when walking, reduced eating and abdominal distension, liking to burrow into grass, pale tongue proper, thin white coating, weak and forceless pulse. Treatment should be sweet and warm to eliminate heat; the prescription used Codonopsis pilosula 25 g, Astragalus membranaceus 25 g, Atractylodes macrocephala rhizome 20 g, Cimicifuga foetida rhizome 15 g, Bupleurum chinense root 15 g, dried tangerine peel 20 g, and roasted cardamom 25 g. Decocted in water and administered by stomach tube, 1 dose per day; after 3 consecutive doses there was marked improvement. Cardamom was removed from the above prescription and 3 more consecutive doses were administered, and it was cured.

3. Fever due to yin deficiency

One white pig from a pig farm in Xinping Village, Gong'an County, body weight 85 kg, was presented for treatment on February 26, 2006. Chief complaint: for more than 20 days the pig had had reduced appetite, often had slightly hot ears and nose in the afternoon, and sweating; in recent days it had also occasionally shown restlessness and agitation. Symptoms observed: emaciated body, dull and lusterless hair, dry mouth and nose, dry feces in ball shape, red tongue without coating, thin and rapid pulse. This was caused by insufficiency of kidney yin and upward floating of deficient fire; treatment should nourish yin and descend fire, clear the source and strengthen the root. The prescription used Phellodendron amurense bark, Anemarrhena asphodeloides rhizome, and Ephedra root 25 g each, tortoise plastron (decocted first), floating @#@245@#@, dragon bone, and oyster shell 50 g each, prepared rehmannia and Cornus officinalis fruit 40 g each, and Coptis chinensis rhizome 10 g. Decocted in water and administered by stomach tube, 1 dose per day; after 3 consecutive doses the low fever was reduced but not cleared, sweating and dry mouth and nose were obviously reduced, and the remaining symptoms also improved; the tongue and pulse were as before, and the medicine matched the syndrome. Following the previous method, Coptis chinensis rhizome was removed from the prescription and 3 doses were prepared, with the decoction and administration method as before. Follow-up later showed that after taking 3 doses all symptoms subsided and it was cured.

4. Fever due to blood stasis obstruction

One sow from Group 3, Xinfeng Village, Jingzhou District, body weight 95 kg, was presented for treatment on April 8, 2006. Chief complaint: after miscarriage two months earlier, the pig had occasional abdominal distension and pain, often turned its head to look at its abdomen, squatted with arched back and wagged its tail; in the past half month it had become noticeably thinner, and at dusk its ears and nose were slightly hot, it was irritable and easily angered, and its appetite was still fairly good. Symptoms observed: no palpable mass on abdominal pressure, purple-dark tongue proper, ecchymoses on the tongue surface, deep and rough pulse. This belonged to low fever from blood stasis caused by internal obstruction of blood stasis and disharmony of liver qi; treatment should invigorate blood and resolve stasis. The prescription used Angelica sinensis, peach kernel, safflower, Corydalis yanhusuo, and Cyperus rotundus rhizome 25 g each, red peony root, Achyranthes bidentata root, cattail pollen, trogopterus dung, and Bupleurum chinense root 20 g each, and Ligusticum chuanxiong rhizome 15 g. Decocted in water and administered by stomach tube, 1 dose per day; after 3 consecutive doses the abdominal distension and pain disappeared, it no longer turned its head to look at its abdomen, its food intake doubled, the low fever was reduced by half, and the ecchymoses on the tongue surface disappeared. It was planned to nourish yin, clear heat, move stasis, and relieve stagnation. From the previous prescription, Achyranthes bidentata root, safflower, Bupleurum chinense root, and red peony root were removed, and black swallowwort root, dried rehmannia, and Scutellaria baicalensis root were added; 3 doses were prepared, with the decoction and administration method as before. After the medicine, the low fever had subsided, and afterward both qi and blood were tonified to consolidate the therapeutic effect.