mama pig very thin after birth

Question
Our sow had her first litter (5 piglets) 10 weeks ago & is not gaining her weight back. She seems to eat normally & not be in pain, but her ribs are showing despite us giving her extra feed. Is this normal? I worry she could have dug up & eaten something sharp that may have injured her internally.

Answer
Nursing sows use a lot of energy to make the milk for the babies. Sometimes it can take awhile for them to regain their weight. If she doesn't begin to regain the weight after a month or so, then it's time to worry. One possibility is that she may be pregnant again. Sows can get pregnant within hours of giving birth!

Usually when a pig eats something they shouldn't the problem is compaction or intestinal blockage. The symptoms include straining to potty and constant diarrhea (because only the liquid stuff can get around the blockage). If this is the case, she'll need an x-ray to figure out what is blocking and where the blockage is.