micro pig looked like having a seizure.

Question
QUESTION: hi, i got my indoor male micro pig children flinstone extra iron chewable
vitamins that i have been giving to him for the past week with no problem. but
last night instead of just giving him the vitamin  i made him sit for his vitamin
and he turned his head, sneezed, and fell to the ground on his side , he couldn't
stand because his legs gave out. This lasted for about a minute and then he
couldn't walk straight for 10-15 mins. It looked like he was having a seizure. He
got so scared he pooped on the floor which he has never done. Any advice would
sure be appreciated! Thanks

ANSWER: I am not a veterinarian and can not make a medical diagnosis over the internet.

Pigs sometimes have a strange reaction to certain odors. They fall to one side, jerk or roll, and sometimes squeak. It's scary to see, especially the first time it happens.

However, they usually do not poop. And, they recover almost instantly. Based on these two additional points, I don't think this is a simple reaction to odor.

Seizures can be dangerous, and should not be taken lightly. If the cause of the seizures can not be pinpointed and fixed, drugs are available to reduce the frequency and intensity.

Can you think of any new, strong or unusual odor when this happened? Perhaps someone just sprayed an aerosol, like an air freshener, cleaning product or perfume. Or perhaps someone was working with a fume-producing chemical product, like paints or epoxies.

If you can not remember any strange odor or anyone working with a smelly product at the time, you might want to consult with a veterinarian soon, because your pig exhibited two serious symptoms, pooping and taking awhile to recover. If it happens a second time then he will absolutely need to see a vet. There's a list of vets that treat mini pigs here www.farec.org

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: the only thing i did differently was make him sit, so maybe he smelled the vitamin
? he reacted before i was able to give him the vitamin. or can pigs have an iron
overdose? i was giving him 1 chewable tablet daily. We thought he wasn't getting
enough iron because he's a indoor pig.

Thank you so much for your time!

Answer
Excessive amounts of iron can be toxic, and a lack of Vitamin E can increase the danger of an iron over dose.

The symptoms of iron over dose include apathy, drowsiness, dyspnea (shortness of breath or panting), incoordination, paralysis and diarrhea. But other conditions and diseases can cause these same symptoms - the only way to tell for sure is to have a veterinarian perform a blood test.

Many veterinarians and pig experts recommend giving pigs and piglets a childrens vitamin tablet daily. For a normal, healthy piglet being fed a healthy diet, this should not cause an over dose.

The rule of thumb for feeding piglets is 1/2 cup mini pig food daily for piglets up to 15 lb, and from there, 1/2 cup per 15 lb of piglet. This should be supplemented with fresh veggies and fruits, especially for inside pigs.