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My pig is coughing and struggling to breathe. Does he need a vet now?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Other | Unknown - Other | Male | neutered | 190 lbs

My potbellied pig has been coughing and having a hard time breathing. He has been sneezing mucus out of his nose. Hes been treated for 9 days with penacillin , and 3 mg of ivermectin. He seemed to improve over the past few days but is having a hard time breathing again... im wondering if hes relapsing which ive read alot about. The closest vet does not deal with swine. Hes a big pig and i have no way of transporting him at this time... does he need to go in order to save his life? :(

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 18th, 2018

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. So sorry that Gip is having this issue. It does sound like he needs some diagnostic testing in order to help him. If the penicillin is not working then he likely needs a more aggressive antibiotic. The best way to know what type of antibiotic will work would be to do something like a transtracheal wash to collect some of the fluid/mucus in his lungs and then culture that fluid to find out what type of bacteria is growing there. Otherwise it is just guessing and treating him with random antibiotics (not the best plan). Some x-rays may be needed to see the extent of the pneumonia (I am guessing this is his issue). My recommendation would be to get him to the nearest vet that will treat pigs. There is nothing I can tell you to get over the counter that will help him at this point. I'm sorry you are dealing with this but getting him to a vet is going to be the best chance at saving him. Not everything can be treated at home unfortunately. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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