pot belly pig trance

Question
I have two pot belly pigs--1 male & 1 female.  They are both 1 1/2 years of age.  The male has been neutered, and they are both outside pigs.  A few months ago the male, Bo, started going into what I call a trance at feeding time.  I would put food in his bowl & he would just stand there, not moving for 30 seconds up to at least a minute.  I would pet him, talk to him, hold his food bowl up to his nose, but nothing.  After a min. or so, he would seem to "come back to himself" then begin eating as usual.  The episodes would happen sporatically, lessened in time, and now, do not happen at all.  Then tonight, my female did the exact same thing, but it lasted for about 3 to 4 minutes before she finally came out of it.  Any ideas??  I've searched the internet, but have found no information on anything like this.

Thanks!

Answer
This is a unique situation. I have consulted with people who have or had pigs with seizures, but no one has seen what you are describing.

A grand mal seizure is what most people think of when talking about seizures. This is the dramatic kind, where the victim collapses and jerks uncontrollably, and can last for several minutes. Petit mal seizures are short, and is often described as a moment or two of being frozen.

Salt poisoning can cause permanent brain damage that causes brief, petit mal seizures. These last just a few seconds, and occur at random times. Sometimes they can come in clusters, and sometimes there's a trigger. For example, one pig would often "freeze" for a few seconds while eating (after the first few bites), and every single time he stepped out of his crate, we assume the transition from dark enclosure to bright openness was a trigger.

Another pig, with worse damage, had short "freezes" constantly. Every few days, he'd have an episode that could last as long as a minute or two. Occasionally, he'd have an episode immediately before eating, as you describe your pigs doing. But, he also had these episodes while eating and after eating.

Terrified pigs can "freeze" into "invisible pigs". Predators are attracted to movement. By standing perfectly still and "frozen", a wild pig can evade a predator and stay safe. Because their life might depend on it, a frightened pig can stay "invisible" for many minutes.

The difference between a pig playing "invisible" and a pig in a seizure is in the eyes and nose. An "invisible pig" will be actively looking and listening. The eyes will move and the end of the snout might, too. A pig in a petit mal seizure will have "frozen" eyes, too, fixed and motionless.

Two things lead me to believe that fear is not the case here. First, it happens to only one pig at a time. If something scary was around, it would affect both pigs. Second, the fact that your reassuring touch and voice elicit no response at all.

Scientists are just now learning how the brain works. So there is very little information about brain disorders in pigs. The episodes you are describing do not fit the traditional profile of salt poisoning, but it is a possibility. Salt poisoning occurs when the pig ingests a large amount of salt or very salty foods but no water. This causes dehydration and excess salt concentration in the brain. If the pig is allowed to consume water along with the salt, the salt will not concentrate and the pig will be fine. If the pig is gradually rehydrated, the pig may recover completely. But, if a pig with a high salt concentration is suddenly given a huge amount of water, the brain may swell causing temporary or permanent impairment.

A tumor on the brain, neck or in the nasal cavity can cause some bizarre symptoms, including seizures. But if that were the cause, the problem would just keep getting worse and worse. Also, the pigs would be exhibiting signs of pain, such as crying or pressing their heads against a wall.

It's rare, but pigs can develop epilepsy and diabetes. Your veterinarian can check for these conditions. Some parasites, like heart worm, can lodge in the brain causing seizures. Again, this is something that your vet can check for.

If your vet can not detect parasites or diabetes or any other treatable condition that might cause this, your pigs will still probably be ok. As long as they do not appear to be in any pain, pigs can handle life with petit mal seizures remarkably well.