It is important to prioritize your potbelly pig’s health and seek veterinary care immediately. Here is some information I found online, and I hope your pig recovers soon.

Respiratory diseases in pigs can be divided into two main categories based on the extent and duration of the illness. The first category includes diseases that affect a large number of pigs but have a limited duration. Examples of such diseases are swine influenza, classical swine fever, pneumonic forms of pseudorabies, porcine circovirus-associated disease, and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. While these diseases can be costly, outbreaks are typically self-limiting.

The second category consists of diseases that persist in a large number of pigs for indefinite periods. Among the most significant syndromes in this category are mycoplasmal pneumonia and pleuropneumonia. Atrophic rhinitis, once a significant cause of respiratory disease, has declined due to eradication programs. Salmonellosis and Haemophilus parasuis infections can be problematic in certain herds. Moderate levels of atrophic rhinitis caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica, when combined with toxigenic strains of Pasteurella, can lead to economic losses due to decreased growth rates and reduced feed conversion in young pigs. Enzootic pneumonia, when caused by mycoplasma alone, is generally not severe, but when combined with secondary infection, such as Pasteurella multocida, it can result in a severe condition. Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae can cause considerable losses in some herds. Severe problems may arise when migrating worm larvae or infections from the first category occur in combination with infections in the second category.

The severity and economic impact of diseases in the second category depend on population density and herd type and size. While they may have minimal effects in weanling pig operations, they can be highly significant in high-density feeder-pig units. These diseases often result in adverse and uneven effects on growth rate, decreased feed efficiency, and increased costs associated with medication, particularly medicated feed. However, proper management practices that minimize stress can help minimize losses.

It is important to note that respiratory diseases in pigs are often the result of multiple pathogens (co-infection) rather than the effects of a single pathogen.

Establishing respiratory disease-free herds is possible through techniques such as specific pathogen-free (SPF) repopulation, segregated early weaning, or purchasing pigs from pneumonia-free herds. When purchasing pigs, it is recommended to buy from a single source, as the etiology of diseases in the second category is complex. Keeping herds free of respiratory diseases is challenging. While aerosols have been suspected as sources of pathogen entry onto naive farms, the transmission of organisms like Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae over long distances is speculative and based on mathematical models rather than experimental data.

Closed herds, where no live animals are introduced (using artificial insemination or embryo transfer to bring in new genetic material), can help establish immunity to existing organisms and prevent the introduction of new infections, strains, or serotypes. Multiple site production or an “all-in/all-out” policy, where the entire barn or air space is emptied before refilling, can effectively minimize the potential impact of chronic pneumonia.

Respiratory diseases are endemic in many herds, and stress management, stocking density, ventilation, temperature control, and avoiding mixing and moving animals are key factors in disease control. Practices such as multiple site production or “all-in/all-out” and closed-herd management significantly reduce the need for preventive and therapeutic medication.