KIDNEY CONGESTION.
Cause.—Hogs are subject to various injuries about the kidneys, due to a large number of hogs piling up, exposure to cold, wet rains, etc.
Symptoms.—Small quantities of dark colored urine are passed frequently, appetite poor, no energy to move about. Hogs lie around a great deal; at times they may be paralyzed and drag their hind quarters.
Treatment.—Apply cloths or blankets wrung out of hot water over the loin; also give Potassium Acetate in twenty grain doses four or five times a day in drinking water. Feed soft, sloppy food, containing regulator and tonic as prescribed on the first page of this chapter. It contains nerve stimulants, just what is required in paralysis.
KIDNEY WORM.
Cause.—Damp, filthy surroundings seem to favor the growth of embryos of this worm. They are taken into the digestive canal with the food and eventually pass to the region of the kidneys, where they find conditions favorable in which to multiply.
Symptoms.—May produce paralysis of the hind quarters, in which case the animal would not exhibit such marked tenderness on being pressed over the loins with the fingers as it would if the weakness of the hind quarters was due to a sprain or to rheumatism of the loins. Occasionally hogs may suffer from the presence of one or more worms in the kidneys; but the ailment is rarely fatal, becoming so only after a long time of suffering resulting in a degeneration of one or both kidneys. It is almost impossible to diagnose the presence of worms in the kidneys of hogs, except by chance through a microscopic examination of the urine. If worms are found in the kidneys of a hog that has died or has been slaughtered for food it may then be reasonably supposed that other hogs of the same herd not acting normal are infected with worms of the same species.
Treatment.—Teaspoonful doses of Turpentine in milk three times a week is the only treatment I could recommend. Preventive measures is the only practical method of treating a disease of this nature. Give your hogs pure water and food. Disinfect pens occasionally and keep them clean.