I recently purchase a load of 40 lb. feeder pigs and three of them have an anal prolapse (blow out). One prolapse went fixed itself, but the other two will need help. Any suggestions? I know what causes prolapses, either genetics or piling because they are cold. I have heard of using a plastic tube and a bander. Does this work?

-- Casey in west central ohio (caseyweiss@yahoo.com), April 11, 2002

Answers

Shove it back in and sew around the opening with a star type of pattern. This will prevent the opening from stretching when stressed.

The biggest cause is piling on. Increase the bedding, increase the bedding area, and reduce the drafts to reduce the desire to pile on. Separate them into smaller groups if you can.

You may want to have a vet show you how to do the first one and then you will know for future reference. The vet may even recommend some local farmers who know how to do the procedure.

Good Luck

-- dave (d@d.net), April 11, 2002.

Never tried this on a pig, but for people you take some toilet paper and wind it around your finger, not too tight. Then push the prolapse back in, leaving the toilet paper in place, inside the rectum. The paper absorbs some of the swelling and helps to hold things together until the swelling goes down. The paper is expelled with the next movement. You need to do this as quickly as possible after the prolapse or you will get gangrene. Then you need surgical debridement or the patient (pig) will die. Hope this helps.

-- kim in CO (kimk61252@hotmail.com), April 12, 2002.

ShOve a 2 inch of 3/4 inch schedule 40 pvc pipe in, and tie a thread tightly around the pipe with the prolapse tween the pipe and the thread. It will fall off anf remain open in a few days...

Oscar

-- Oscar Will (owill@mail.whittier.edu), April 12, 2002.