What is the normal body temperature in pigs and how to measure it?

Body temperature in pigs is an indicator by which you can navigate whether the animal is sick. Like humans, it changes with different conditions. In viral and inflammatory diseases, the thermometer usually creeps up, and the animal becomes lethargic and loses its appetite. Any temperature change of more than 1,5-2 degrees is a reason to contact the veterinary service. It is important to understand what thermometer values ​​are considered normal.

Normal body temperature in pigs

What is the normal temperature for pigs?

Temperature indicators in these animals may vary, depending on age, sex, weight and breed. In piglets, metabolic processes are faster, and their heart rate is faster than in adults. Therefore, their body temperature is slightly higher. In healthy females, the thermometer rises, on average, half a degree higher than in males. Normal body temperature in pigs ranges from 38-39,5 degrees. An animal is considered healthy if the thermometer shows the following values:

  1. Z8,5-40 degrees in piglets under the age of 1 year.
  2. 38-39,5 – in females.
  3. 38-39 – in males.

Attention! These indicators are considered informative if the temperature was measured by the rectal method or using a special electric thermometer.

If the thermometer showed other values, you should contact the veterinary service to diagnose the condition of the pig.

External signs requiring temperature measurement

In what cases is it worth taking a thermometer? A careful approach to your animals will allow you to determine the malaise by external signs. Consider them:

Anorexia

Anorexia

  1. Lethargy or overexcitement.
  2. Loss of appetite, complete refusal to eat.
  3. The appearance of a rash on the body.
  4. Chair disorder.
  5. Vomiting.
  6. Shaky gait.
  7. Trembling of the body.
  8. Ruffled and dull stubble.
  9. Hot patch, animal ears.
  10. Red eyes.
  11. Cardiopalmus.
  12. Labored breathing.

Reference. Pigs, when feeling unwell, usually strive to hide under the litter. Noticing this behavior, it is worth measuring the body temperature of the pet.

Causes of temperature increase

What health problems can cause fever in pigs? There are a lot of them, consider the main reasons for this state:

  1. Respiratory diseases – inflammation of the lungs, trachea, bronchi.
  2. Viral infection (plague, paratyphoid).
  3. Bacterial infection (dysentery, erysipelas, mastitis).
  4. Gastroenteritis, dyspepsia.

Viral infection in pigs

Viral infection in pigs

All of these ailments are dangerous for the animal. It is important to notice the symptoms of the disease in time and take action – call a veterinarian for an examination. In some cases, delay can cost your pet’s life, and if the disease is infectious, then healthy pigs can become infected.

Measurement Methods

There are several ways to measure the body temperature of pigs. However, not all of them are correct and reflect the exact picture of the disease. To make a diagnosis, an animal needs to have reliable information on thermometer readings. Consider the right and wrong measurement methods.

Correct Ways to Measure Temperature

For animals, the most informative way of measuring temperature indicators is the rectal method. It involves inserting the tip of a thermometer into the animal’s rectum. In this case, preference is given to the electronic device. It is safer in every sense.

The animal is laid on its side (preferably the left one), soothed, held by force. The tail of the pig must be taken to the right. The tip of the measuring device is lubricated with fat or petroleum jelly and gently inserted into the anus. The time of the procedure using a mercury thermometer is 7 minutes. If an electronic analogue is available, it is enough to hold it in the rectum for no more than a minute.

temperature measurement

temperature measurement

Wrong Methods

Some pig breeders, due to their inexperience, take the temperature of the animal in the wrong way. For example, they fix the thermometer on the animal’s skin with a patch. This method does not give true information about the health of the pet. The error in such a measurement can be 1-1,5 degrees, but in this case it will not be possible to detect a fever in a pig. The problem lies in the large layer of subcutaneous fat in pigs, and the fat mass does not transmit heat well. A pet’s skin may appear cool, while a pig’s is actually feverish.

Attention! After each temperature measurement procedure, the device should be disinfected. This will avoid infecting other individuals and humans. For disinfection, the tip of the thermometer should be wiped with alcohol.

Measuring instruments

To correctly measure the temperature of an animal, you must have at your disposal one of the following devices:

  1. Ordinary mercury thermometer.
  2. Digital Thermometer.
  3. Electric thermometer.
  4. Measuring device with infrared sensor.

Each of the listed devices can be used to diagnose the health of a pet, as it can provide true information about temperature values. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.

mercury thermometer

The well-known mercury thermometer is highly accurate, but has several disadvantages:

mercury thermometer

mercury thermometer

  • It should be kept in the pet’s rectum for at least 6-7 minutes, and this is problematic when it comes to an adult with an unbearable character and poor health.
  • It is traumatic – one wrong move and the flask can break, and injury to the animal cannot be avoided. Mercury also poses a danger, which can enter the rectum of a pig and the respiratory tract of a person.

If no other thermometer is available, use the help of another person to immobilize the pig as much as possible.

Electric thermometer

Such a device is the most convenient and safe. You can buy it online or in specialized medical equipment stores. The principle of its operation lies in the change in the values ​​​​of the resistance of the conductor, depending on temperature fluctuations. It is easy to use – just attach the sensor (electrode) to any part of the animal’s body and record the indicators.

Digital Thermometer

This device is a modern analog of the mercury predecessor. It is also injected into the anus of a pig. The measurement procedure is short – it lasts only 1 minute. This thermometer is safe because it does not contain mercury and is made of plastic. The disadvantages include inaccuracy of data when the battery charge is low.

Pyrometer (infrared thermometer)

This device greatly facilitates the procedure for measuring temperature values ​​in large animals. It is enough to bring it closer to the body of the pig by 3-5 centimeters for one second, as the result appears on the scoreboard. The disadvantage is the high cost of the device.

infrared thermometer

infrared thermometer

What to do at a temperature of 41?

If it turns out that the pig has a temperature of 41 degrees or higher, it is necessary to immediately separate the animal from other individuals. Next, you need to watch him for a while, fixing additional symptoms of the disease. It is worth making a few more temperature measurements with a time interval of an hour and a half. This is necessary because the animal experiences temperature fluctuations during the day. For example, in the evening, the body becomes warmer, as well as after eating. If the thermometer stubbornly shows hyperthermia, urgent veterinary help is needed. What information should be provided to the veterinarian:

  1. Changes in the behavior of the pig, symptoms of the disease.
  2. Thermometer readings.
  3. What kind of food does the animal eat?
  4. Whether there was any contact with sick individuals recently.

Further actions will be announced by the veterinarian. After examining the pet, he will prescribe treatment.

It is easy to find out what temperature in pigs is the norm – in young individuals (up to one year of age) it ranges from 38,5-40 degrees, and in adult animals, an increase in the value to 40-41 degrees should already alert. If the thermometer shows hyperthermia, you should immediately separate the sick individual from the rest of the pigs in order to avoid infection and contact the veterinary service.

Anna Evans

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