# Rectal Prolapse? HELP!



## TerraDeiFarm (Oct 4, 2010)

Hello,
Last night we received our first two feeder pigs (about 40-50 lbs). We raise meat goats and are new to swine, so please excuse my ignorance. This morning I went out to check and one of the pigs has a large (about 4 inches long, 2.5 inch diameter) protrusion from his anus. It doesn't look like bloody feces, more like tissue, but it is very bloody. It is still attached, didn't fall off when he ran around the stall or anything like that. Pig's breathing is fast and labored. 

I called the producer we brought them from, he said it was probably a rectal prolapse. He is out of town for the weekend, but is bringing us a replacement pig when he returns and will take the current pig home with him, if he is still living. 

In the meantime, what do we do??? I've read that swine seem to be more likely to experience rectal prolapse and that it often fixed itself...but this seems extreme? Should we put him down or is it not that serious? We don't have a nearby food animal vet and do most of our vet work on our goats ourselves, so if there is something we can do to fix/help him please let me know!! Or if we need to call in a non-local vet let me know. Thanks.
Alexandra


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## Cannon_Farms (Aug 28, 2008)

get some iodine and some good q tips like you see at the drs, you clean the area and then use the qtip to gently push it back in place and then keep the pig very confined, if it happens again it will need to be stitched by a vet. very soft foods for a week or so.
Sound gross but pictures always help, until you said how large it was I was thinking maybe it was testicle cords.

Mind you, I have never done this on a pig but have other animals and they have been treated all the same way so I can only assume you do a pig the same


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## Cannon_Farms (Aug 28, 2008)

if you state your general location some of us are nice enough to come out and give a hand btw


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## TerraDeiFarm (Oct 4, 2010)

Thanks. We're in the NE corner of Missouri.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

Separate the pig from the others. Pigs will pile up when cold so make certain the others are warm. Get a spritzer bottle and put some cooking oil in it. Spray the prolapsed area a couple of times or more per day. If you keep the area greased the prolapse will self retract. I have done this a number of times and it always works. I have told folks on this board what I just typed for you and they have returned to acknowledge that it worked for them also.


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## RedneckPete (Aug 23, 2004)

Butcher the pig. It will taste magnificent on the BBQ or in a good sized roasting pan.

Edited to add:

A 4" x 2" rectal prolapse on a 40 or 50 lb feeder is very large. The pig really isn't worth spending time or energy on fixing, especially when the same amount of time and energy could be used to turn the piglet into pork.

Pete


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## CarolT (Mar 12, 2009)

I've used Preparation H on other animals with good success. Since it's apparently become a disposable pig, that and a high fiber diet to keep things easy on the system would be what I'd try  Pete, not a bad idea, but I don't think the person would bring a replacement if he didn't have the other pig to take back...


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## TerraDeiFarm (Oct 4, 2010)

Thanks for all of the help. Last night I found that the weight/length of the prolapse had caused it to pinch and twist right outside of the anal opening. I could easily untwist it with my hand, but it would retwist right after I let go. So, in desparation we cut the ends off of a syringe and sanded them smooth and inserted it through the prolapse, making sure to get it past the twisting area. The prolapse was wide enough in girth that I was unable to get the elastrator over it, so I sterilized a rubber band and wound that around as tightly as I could. Was this procedure okay?

Also, I originally cut a 12cc syringe, but the swelling was too great to get it in far enough, so I ended up using a 3cc syringe as the "pipe". I suppose it's better than a total blockage caused by the twist, but it seems very narrow. Is this wide enough for him to pass feces? We also added corn oil and water to his feed to make it into more of a slurry, hoping that will keep things from getting to dense. What would you recommend adding to make it a "high fiber" diet?

Pete, I like your idea, but as Carol said we wouldn't be able to get a replacement if we did that.


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## CarolT (Mar 12, 2009)

You haven't cut off circulation to anything, right? Having trouble understanding what you're describing, sorry. And anything that provides us with fiber, lettuce, fruit, oatmeal, etc, gives them fiber.


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## TerraDeiFarm (Oct 4, 2010)

Thanks for the fiber foods - I guess I probably should have been able to figure that out myself, huh?  

To explain the procedure more exactly: The Merck Vet. Manual and a few local hog producers I called yesterday recommended that because of the twisting the best thing to do would be to insert a tube/pipe and then band the prolapse up next to the anal opening. That would cause pressure to hold in the tube and also cut off circulation to the prolapsed part (like banding to castrate). I was told that it would die and slough off, and in the long run reduce the risk of infection.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

TerraDeiFarm

I have no confidence in your makeshift treatment. The rubber band in inadequate and the syringe is too small. I am aware of this fix recommended by using the correct items. The sleeve used needs to have a groove that the castrating band is placed over to secure the tube in place. Had you followed the simple suggestion I made the twist would have corrected itself as the animal passed it waste. The possibility now is that you have created a situation for gangrene to set in.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

one thing no body mentioned, if you leave him with the other pig, the other pig will most likely bite it off. we have had this happen in the past.

we actually had a sow bite another sows hoo-ha that was swollen when she was in heat. she has a permanant chunk missing there now.


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## CarolT (Mar 12, 2009)

Well, by Golly, you learn something new every day! I _wasn't_ familiar with the procedure. You _do_ want to cut off all circulation, I never would have imagined! And when you're in the middle of a situation, thinking which are fiber foods isn't always easy LOL  Being fairly new to pigs, I would have been determined to get everything back in where it came from, thinking it would be impossible to do anything else without a vet. Sorry about the pig, but glad to learn this before I might need to know it!


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## grannybones (Sep 30, 2008)

I have repaired a large rectal prolapse in a hog that belonged to my sister. If all else fails, this is what you can do: build a "V" shaped box (think manger/nativity bed) place the pig upside down in this, secure with a board/strap across his belly. Have several helpers, one to hold the pig, one to help the person who is stitching the prolapse, a person to stitch the prolapse, and an extra to do whatever. Use a "U" shaped upholstery needle threaded with the heaviest fishing line that you can find or obtain absorbable surgical suture. You will also need of course, several pairs of disposable gloves, scissors, and prayers. The stitch you will use is called a purse string stitch. Imagine the rectum is a clock face as you are looking at it -remember the pig is upside down- push the prolapse in with one hand-you may need help- start at 1 o'clock and stitch all the way around the rectum just inside the rectal muscle. I put the index finger of my left hand just inside to keep the tissue away from the needle. This is done by feel, not by sight. Stitch around until you reach 11 o'clock. Pull the knotted end of the thread up until you have about 6" on both ends of the thread. Knot the second end of the thread, then cut the thread. You should have a circle stitched nearly around the rectum. Both ends of the thread should be hanging loose at the top of the rectum. Now repeat this, but start at 7 o'clock and end at 5 o'clock. You should end up with two long threads hanging at the top of the rectum and two at the bottom. Making sure that the prolapse is pushed in - use your helper- gently wiggle and tug the threads up and tie the top, then the bottom. Make sure that you leave the rectum hole so that at least your index finger can go in. If you leave it any bigger the prolapse may come back out. Use Preparation H inside the rectum and outside. I used surgical suture on a U needle, but I used to work in surgery and could get expired suture for farm use. It can be bought at Jeffers online. I actually broke one of the suture and the needle was left inside. It worked its way out in about a week. The pig was my niece's fair pig, 150lbs at the time of repair, he went on to win first in his class at the fair.


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## TerraDeiFarm (Oct 4, 2010)

Thank you all for your help. The pig is doing very well now, the original banding procedure quickly decreased the swelling enough to replace the small tube with a larger one and re-band. The prolapse is now almost completely shrivled and beinging to slough off. I would like to add that in doing all of this we WERE acting on the suggestion/guidance of a vet. 

As agmantoo, somewhat rudely, pointed out - actual prolapse tubes are made with a groove in the middle for band to go over, so it doesn't slip around/out. So, lesson number one is: Be prepared for emergencies, have things on hand. We clearly weren't. But, on the tail end of a syringe tube there are "wings", we cut most of those off, and then sanded it so that there was a smooth ridge all the way around. This side was inserted first and the band was placed right beneath that to keep the tube from slipping out.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

*we WERE acting on the suggestion/guidance of a vet.*

If the vet suggested you use the small 3cc syringe and a rubber band then it was the blind leading the blind. These makeshift "fixes" could have easily killed the pig and it could have died an agonizing death. I do get a little short with my replies when I see such actions. There will be no apology!


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## TerraDeiFarm (Oct 4, 2010)

agmantoo said:


> If the vet suggested you use the small 3cc syringe and a rubber band then it was the blind leading the blind. These makeshift "fixes" could have easily killed the pig and it could have died an agonizing death. I do get a little short with my replies when I see such actions. There will be no apology!


Please don't think I was fishing for an apology. I've seen some of your other posts, and you don't seem like a jerk in general.  (If you were, then maybe I'd want an apology.) You were offering advice, so I'm sure not trying to start a fight. 

I understand your anger at animal cruelty and ignorance, I think all of us here do. However I still don't believe we acted incorrectly given the circumstances. The pig had a severely swollen prolapse hanging to/past his hocks. Yes, he may have lived long enough for it to retract on its own, but I can't imagine that being pain free for him either, not to mention the risk of infection that it would involve. It was deemed the humane action in that situation to remove the prolapse. However, it was swollen nearly shut - too swollen to get an appropriate sized tube in, or fit an elastrator over it. So, we addressed the swelling. We inserted the biggest tube we could squeeze in, banded it with what we could and kept a close eye on him. If we had done that, called it good and left him on his own...then I could see your point. But we didn't. We watched him closely for any sign of straining, kept checking the tube for any blockage and fed him large amounts of oil. In a very short time the swelling had gone down enough for us to remove the original tube, insert an appropriate one and band it with an elastrator. I do not see that we behaved recklessly, the pig is alive and well today and if I had to do it over again I would do the same thing.


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## Cannon_Farms (Aug 28, 2008)

agmantoo said:


> *we WERE acting on the suggestion/guidance of a vet.*
> 
> If the vet suggested you use the small 3cc syringe and a rubber band then it was the blind leading the blind. These makeshift "fixes" could have easily killed the pig and it could have died an agonizing death. I do get a little short with my replies when I see such actions. There will be no apology!


have you ever been to a commercial slaughter house? theres something to get panties in a wad over if you feel like doing such a thing.

Many homesteaders practice home vet care and are smart enough to figure that out, better than the back yard ******* that puts burnt oil on a dog for mange . Homesteaders are not your average sheeple and granted i would have been happier seeing this handled in a better matter, I dont know pig husbandry as well as dog/cat/goat/exotics so i have no grounds to say what she did was wrong or right but the pig is making a full recovery and did not die of infections or ruptured bowls so theres not much i can say but im glad it worked out.


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