CHAPTER THIETY-THEEE. 



COMMON DISEASES OF SWINE. 

 Worms. 



This question of worms in pigs is one of greater im- 

 portance than many breeders and farmers realize. The 

 presence of worms in the stomach is not only a hindrance to 

 thrift and growth, bnt if neglected, becomes a very danger- 

 ous matter, as the worms multiply very rapidly and are 

 a constant drain on the vitality of the pig. Often they be- 

 come so numerous in good sized shotes that they form 

 almost a solid mass in the intestines, which results in 

 emaciation of the pig and finally death. It is a question 

 my mind if more pigs do not die from stomach worms dur- 

 ing the fall and winter months than from cholera. 



It should be the practice of every farmer and also of 

 every breeder of pure-bred hogs to feed something through- 

 out the life of the pig as a preventive or a destroyer of 

 worms. There are many medicated salts on the market, 

 most of them good, and these preparations have proven, 

 with us at least, successful in either preventing worms 

 entirely or keeping the trouble down so much that we 

 have never had any difficulty with worms. Even when 

 feeding something of this kind, however, one will occa- 

 sionally see the passing of worms from the pigs. Any 

 worm powder that contains the proper amount of Santonin 

 is good, and where the use of medicated salts is not quite 

 sufficient, let the owner at once get a prescription from a. 

 Veterinarian which will clean them out. Young hogs that 

 are badly infected with stomach worms will have a very 

 unthrifty appearance; the coat will be dry and "staring"'; 

 the head rather drooping as in cholera; the back arched; 

 the pig coughing more or less, and becoming more emac- 

 iated every day, with little appetite. 



Another species of worms that bother young hogs and pigs 

 is what is known as thread worms, which form in bunches 



