Help! Sick piglets!

Should I pull all of the piglets of a litter that caught some sort of contagious bug off their momma? They’ve all been given antibiotics but I’m still losing piglets to something? Pneumonia maybe? They have an enclosed hut with lots of straw with a good momma sow. One day they are all playing and romping and the next one piglet is lethargic and crusty eyed and breathing fast and cold. I bring it inside to warm up and feed and the I’ll successfully brought body temps up and they’ve eating and peed and pooped and then all of a sudden they go down hill fast and die!? These aren’t newborns either. They made it through frigid temps for two weeks after being born. Why are they dying now? I’ve given them antibiotics and iron and nothing seems to work. Thoughts? Ideas? Any advice please? Should I separate the rest from their momma even if they have no symptoms currently?

If antibiotics used have not made a difference they may be incorrectly dosed, stored, or expired; it could be ineffective against the pathogen or it may be viral or fungal, or parasitic.  Antibiotics only work on bacteria.

Identifying the illness is key to appropriate treatment.  As I am not well versed in pig diseases, I am unable to assist in determining the cause.

Hydration is critical with any illness,  feeding a dehydrated animal can kill it. Always check to ensure the mouth is moist or slimy.  In some (prob not pigs) you can stretch the skin between the shoulders to see if it snaps back or returns slowly.

Research on pig illnesses seems needed to identify what is affecting the piglets, here. Consulting a vet is advisable.

Lorinne Anderson wrote:,,,,,,,,Consulting a vet is advisable.

Just seconding this notion and sorry to hear of your situation.  Can you provide any more information regarding farrowing location, history of the sow, and human or other animal traffic in and out of the farrowing area, and continent/country in which you reside?

I don't think there will be much you can do now with this litter if it's a viral infection or possibly an infection by an antibiotic-resistant bacterium.   But I strongly urge you to get a necropsy done on a few of the dead piglets to see if cause of death can be determined.  It may help to decide how to clean up the area if you intend for more piglets around there in the coming months.  

And see the following links for additional information--

https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/10/10/1209/pdf

https://vetmed.iastate.edu/vdpam/FSVD/swine/index-diseases/porcine-reproductive

yes, i have  consulted a vet.  vet said do a course of antibiotics for three days. momma is producing enough milk. we are in northern michigan so we are very cold but the bit hut is sheltered, insulated with ventilation and on deep bedding. i could sleep comfortably in there with the heat coming off deep bedding. we have not introduced any new animals. could it have come from the straw bales?
i also spoke with a virologist at MSU and they advised in what samples to take to test for some viruses.

Bethany Baetsen wrote:....we are very cold but the bit hut is sheltered, insulated with ventilation and on deep bedding. i could sleep comfortably in there with the heat coming off deep bedding.

I'm going to hope Lorinne or someone with similar knowledge and experience can chime in with additional comments.  What I do worry about,.....not knowing what kind of disease organisms may be at work here......is the possibility that they are too cold.  If you can test the bedding with a thermometer, it's possible based on the rough guide below (showing more optimal temps for their health) that you are okay, but it's worth maybe checking.  Again, hoping others with more insight can help out here.

Honestly,  my knowledge is more wildlife-based; pig � knowledge is from Vet programs on TV and Google research.

If a vet is involved, they need to follow-up and look deeper for a cause.

Is there any umbilical swelling?  Fever indicates infection  (viral, bacterial, etc.).  My first thoughts would be coccidia and or pneumonia; if pneumonia. Put your ear to their chest wall, throat, breast bone, ALL OVER to listen for wheezing, crackling, type sounds.  Can you check the humidity? Too low or too high can cause issues.   Is there too much ammonia at piglet height?

Coccidia is treated as an infection, but
I think it is actually a protozoa...and can run through infants with fearful rapidity and mortality.