Bloat-induced seizures in one-year old potbellied pig

Abstract

A one-year-old female spayed Vietnamese Pot-bellied pig (Sus scrofa) presented with a history of acute seizures and severe abdominal distension of one day in duration. Physical exam findings revealed seizure episodes, abdominal distension, tachycardia, and tachypnea. Treatment of these findings consisted of anti-convulsants, fluids, and oxygen. Initial diagnostics revealed decreases in electrolytes, normal glucose level, and a severely enlarged stomach filled with food or foreign material. Abnormal diagnostic findings were corrected with gastric decompression and medical management of the patient. The following is a case report on a potbellied pig with bloat-induced seizures and a review of diagnosis and treatment of this condition in the porcine patient.