OINK OINK SQUEEEEAAAALLLL!!!!

It’s May, which means farmers are all in the fields getting the corn planted and the forages mowed, chopped and packed away to start fermenting.  This is my favorite time of year as things start to green up, the weather gets warm, and I don’t have to wear 5 layers of clothing to work outside. Probably my favorite smell of spring is the smell of alfalfa after it has just been mowed in the field, and is getting ready to get chopped. The lilacs might be my second favorite….

With all the hustle and bustle of spring time field work, the veterinary work seems to slow right down. I’ve been slacking on weekly blog posts, because I just don’t feel like I have done anything “exciting” to write about.  The sick cow calls are few and the majority of my time is spent doing my routine herd checks, paperwork and continuing education credits.  As today approached, I was again concerned that I didn’t have anything to write about, but yesterday I was called out for an emergency on an animal I hardly ever, never routinely see. 

"Mama"

Meet “Mama,” a 600 pound sow. I was called to the farm because “Mama” had a piglet over an hour ago, and still had not had any more.  Now, I know the title of my blog is “A day in the life of a COW vet,” but technically our clinic will take care of cows, sheep, goats and pigs. Most of our clients have dairy cows, and that truly is my passion, but pigs fall under our umbrella, so off I go.  Anyone who personally knows me, knows that I went to school in the Midwest, where pigs are abundant, so I shouldn’t have any problem with this right???? Wrong.

I often say, “There is only so much room upstairs, and eventually something has to fall out.” Well, the pig information I learned in school fell victim to the overflow.  Luckily we have another veterinarian on staff that also went to school in the Midwest, in a state where there are even MORE pigs then where I was. She is the resident pig expert so I called her for a little advice on what to do.  Her first warning was that a pregnant sow, in labor, can be very mean and to be very careful not to get killed by an angry 600lb sow. OK.  I’m looking forward to this…

First and biggest piglet born.

Next, reach in there and see if there is a stuck pig, if so, move it around and pull it out! Well, that sounds a whole lot like a cow with a stuck calf. I can handle that.  However, if there is no stuck pig, then a small dose of oxytocin given right in the vulva of the sow will help with uterine contractions and push the piglets towards the birth canal. 

Finding the milk!

When I arrived, there were no stuck pigs, so I gave the sow some oxytocin and waited a little bit before reaching in to see if I could feel another pig. Mama, had only had one piglet so far, and after discussion with Dr. E, pigs won’t maintain a pregnancy if there are any less than 4 piglets. Interesting! Based on this new fun fact, I knew I had to go find at least 3 more!  Back inside I go. I felt some very sharp teeth and finally a leg. I pulled out 2 more piglets and couldn’t reach any more. The client had smaller arms than myself, so I had her reach in to see if she could get in further and feel more. Three more piglets were in there, along with one small, under-developed, dead piglet.  We couldn’t feel anymore so we are hoping 6 is all she has.  She appeared to stop straining and was very hot and tired. The little piglets started squealing and were rutting around, looking for some milk. We helped get them all started on a teat, and off they go! 

It made for an interesting change of pace, but I like sticking with what I know. I’ll take care of the cows and let Dr. E have all the pigs she wants!!!!  ;-)