Table 1. Description of common disease syndromes in pigs and smallholders’ suggestions of how to deal with these (based on data from focus group discussions and individual interviews).
| Pig health problem | Comments | Suggested treatments or preventive measures |
|---|---|---|
| Coughs | Perceived as a larger problem during the rainy season, and described as similar to humans having a cough. | • Marijuana leaves. • Mix ash and water. • Pharmaceuticals from drug shop/veterinarian. |
| Diarrhoea and vomiting | Diarrhoea was reported to be a frequent problem with goats too, and it was common to use the same treatment methods. However, these methods were described as less efficient for pigs. | • Mix salt and water. • Mix leaves from local trees, washing powder and water. • Pharmaceuticals (deworming or other treatment) from drug shop/veterinarian. |
| Feed intake disease | Feeding pigs raw food, such as cassava or red pepper, was described to cause sickness and skin colour changes, and in the worst case scenarios even lead to rapid deaths. | Boil cassava, maize bran and other food before feeding pigs. |
| Foot and mouth disease | Reported to be less common in pigs than cattle and said to be caused by drinking water, transmissible to other pigs and as a viral disease. | • Confine pigs. • Avoid intermingling by separating pigs into different housing. |
| Heat stress | Noted as a common problem during the dry season. Pigs look tired and skin appears oily (described as “skin is melting in the sun”). | Make a hole in the ground, pour water in the hole and let pigs get in to cool down. |
| Jiggersa | Described as a disease that enters through pigs’ feet, making the pigs’ legs unstable, and that can be spread to humans. | • If pigs are confined, regularly smear the floor or ground with soil and cold water to kill and prevent jiggers. • Pharmaceuticals from drug shop/veterinarian. |
| Runny nose | Described as sweat from the nose ☯snout]. It was reported that it was hard to prevent pigs with a runny nose and that were also weak from dying. | • Same treatment as cough. • Pharmaceuticals from drug shop/veterinarian. |
| Scabies/lumps | Described as causing spots, sores or marks on the pigs’ body, making pigs thin, and can cause death within a month if efficient treatment not found. | Avoid keeping pigs in a wet and/or muddy place. |
| Swollen stomach | Reported to be due to feed intake or worms. | • Mix washing powder and water to prevent and treat. • Mix salt, washing powder and water to prevent and treat. • Pharmaceuticals (deworming) from drug shop/veterinarian. |
| Ticks and lice | Described as difficult to discover since they are so small. | • Avoid keeping pigs in wet and/or muddy places. • Wash pigs with water. • Spray with pesticides. • Use paraffin as a treatment. |
aJiggers is a parasitic insect. Infection occurs due to penetration of the female sand flea (Tunga penetrans) into the skin of humans and animals, usually attacking hands or feet. Infection can be recognised through bumps under the skin. Jiggers infection often causes intense itching, followed by inflammation and acute pain [42].