Pigs are committed eaters. A pig that walks away from a meal it would normally charge for is telling you something, and because pigs can deteriorate quickly once illness takes hold, appetite loss in this species deserves a lower threshold for calling the vet than it might in a hardier animal. This is general information to help you judge urgency — only a vet who examines your pig can say what is wrong.
Call the Same Day When Any of These Join In
Treat the missed meal as urgent when you also see dullness, hiding at the back of the pen, or a pig that no longer greets you and grunts as usual. A hot, dry snout with panting or shivering suggests fever or chill, and either one alongside appetite loss is a same-day call. Vomiting, diarrhoea, straining, or a complete absence of droppings points towards a gut problem that can worsen fast. Fast, laboured or noisy breathing, a cough that is new, blue-tinged or very pale skin, blotchy red or purple skin patches, lameness, a swollen joint, or difficulty rising all raise the stakes further. A sow that goes off food around farrowing or while nursing, and any piglet that stops feeding, should be discussed with a vet without waiting at all, because both have far smaller reserves.
The Short Window for Watching
A bright adult pig that leaves part of one meal but drinks, moves normally, passes droppings and still shows interest in a favourite scrap can reasonably be observed for a few hours while you check the basics below. That window closes quickly: a full day without eating, or any new sign from the list above appearing during the watch, ends the waiting and becomes the call. When in doubt, phone and describe what you see — vets would far rather triage a worried call early than meet a pig that has been quietly worsening for two days.
Checks to Make Before You Phone
Rule out the fixable first. Confirm the water supply actually works, since a blocked drinker stops pigs eating as well as drinking. Check whether the feed itself changed, smells off, or was a new batch introduced suddenly. Look at pen mates: several pigs off food together points towards feed, water, heat stress or something infectious moving through the group, while one pig affected alone points more towards that individual. Note the pig's temperature if you are trained and equipped to take it safely, and write down when appetite faded, what droppings look like, and anything that changed in the previous day or two.
Do not give leftover medicines or human painkillers while you wait; they can mask signs the vet needs to see and some are unsafe in pigs.
What the Vet Will Want to Know
Your call goes better with specifics ready: age and breed, when the pig last ate and drank normally, droppings, breathing, skin changes, recent feed or housing changes, new animals arriving, and any medicines already given. That is exactly the history that lives in KinsLe's Pet Passport, where your pig's records, past problems and visit notes travel together in one packet, so whether the vet comes to the yard or you describe things by phone, the timeline is accurate and complete.