Potbelly Vaccination, pig not acting right

Question
Hello, I am asking a question for my mom.  She got a potbelly 3 days ago.  We took Fiona to a local vet that deals with PBP's.  The experience was not so great.  The vet gave her two shots.  When my mom got Fiona home she began to act funny.  She is moping around, won't eat won't drink.  My mom says she is just laying around and generally not being herself.  I was wondering if these were side effects from the vaccines possibly.  It just dawned on me that the vet did not even weigh her.  I am very concerned.

Thanks,
Shannon

Answer
I am not a vet, I don't know what your vet gave your pig, and it's impossible to make a diagnosis over email but I can give some ideas and suggestions.

Reactions to vaccines are not unheard of in farm and exotic hogs so it is possible this is a reaction. But I'm not aware of ordinary swine vaccinations causing a reaction in a pot-bellied pig.

Was your pig given a sedative? If so, what you are seeing is normal, and she should be back to her old self when the sedative wears off.

There is no approved rabies vaccination for swine, some vets will substitute a dog vaccine instead, and that may cause a bad reaction.

Deworming medicines can cause an upset tummy.

Another possibility is that she is just exhausted or car sick. Young piglets need a lot of rest. A busy day of being crated, hearing & smelling other critters at the vets, being examined and pricked, the stress of the ride back home all take a toll. If she's carsick, she won't want anything to eat or drink for a little while.

My suggestion is to let her rest for a few hours, keeping an eye on her. Make sure her room is warm and she has lots of warm bedding and that she feels warm to touch. Don't give her a heating pad or blanket, because if she passes out on them she could overheat or get a burn.

Danger signs are unconsciousness or semi consciousness, loss of balance, apparent loss of sight or hearing, labored breathing or panting and seizures or jerking motions. If ANY of these signs occur, call the vet immediately (on the emergency number, if necessary). If you don't feel comfortable going back to that vet, there's a list of vets on the NAPPA site www.petpigs.com

When she's had a chance to rest and recover, offer her some water with a bit of juice, about 3/4 cup water to 1/4 cup juice. Juicy fruits like melon or orange segments are good, too.

I don't know why your vet did not weigh her, because weight is what determines the dosage for many (not all) vaccines. Perhaps your vet was able to estimate weight within a range while he held the piggy. The last time I took my cat to the vet, he had a high-tech table with a scale built in. When I put the cat on the table the vet tech checked the weight and wrote it down and I didn't notice.

Finally, if you feel uncomfortable with how the visit went or have questions, write it down. Call the vet, explain what made you uncomfortable (ie, I didn't see you weigh my pig - did you? If so, how much does she weight? If not, why not? What vaccinations did you give my pig?). At the next visit, ask for written notes on what to look for, what to expect, and what to do.

A high tech method of taking notes is to call your home answering machine from your cell phone while you are in the examining room with the vet, and leave yourself a message. The vet can make any clarifications or corrections on the spot, and when you get home you'll have all the information.