Pericarditis in Pigs
- See your vet immediately. Pericarditis means inflammation of the sac around the heart and can progress quickly to breathing trouble, collapse, or sudden death.
- In pigs, pericarditis is often part of a wider bacterial infection such as polyserositis, septicemia, or severe pneumonia rather than an isolated heart problem.
- Common warning signs include fever, lethargy, poor appetite, fast or labored breathing, reluctance to move, weakness, and sudden death in severe cases.
- Diagnosis usually requires a physical exam plus herd history, bloodwork, and often necropsy or lab testing to identify the underlying infectious cause.
- Typical 2026 US veterinary cost range is about $250-$700 for conservative on-farm care, $700-$1,800 for standard diagnostics and treatment, and $1,800-$4,500+ for advanced hospitalization or referral-level care.
What Is Pericarditis in Pigs?
Pericarditis is inflammation of the pericardium, the thin sac that surrounds the heart. In pigs, this inflammation often comes with fluid, fibrin, or pus around the heart. When that happens, the heart may not fill and pump normally, so affected pigs can become weak, breathe harder, or die suddenly.
In many pigs, pericarditis is not a stand-alone disease. It is more often one part of a broader infection pattern called polyserositis, where several body linings become inflamed at the same time. The pleura around the lungs, the peritoneum in the abdomen, and the joints may also be involved.
Important infectious causes in pigs include Glaesserella parasuis in Glässer disease, Streptococcus suis, and sometimes bacteria associated with pneumonia such as Pasteurella multocida. Chronic cases can leave thick fibrous scar tissue around the heart, while acute cases may cause rapid decline with very little warning.
Symptoms of Pericarditis in Pigs
- Sudden death
- Fast or labored breathing
- Fever
- Lethargy or depression
- Poor appetite or not eating
- Reluctance to move
- Weakness or collapse
- Lameness or swollen joints
- Poor growth or unthriftiness
Pericarditis can look like a general "very sick pig" problem rather than a clearly heart-specific one. Some pigs show fever, depression, and reduced feed intake first. Others are found dead with few warning signs. If your pig has breathing difficulty, collapse, marked weakness, or sudden severe lethargy, treat it as an emergency and contact your vet right away.
Because pericarditis in pigs often happens alongside pneumonia, pleuritis, meningitis, or arthritis, the full symptom picture can vary. A pig that is coughing, lame, febrile, and off feed may still have heart-sac involvement. Rapid veterinary assessment matters because the underlying infection can spread through a group.
What Causes Pericarditis in Pigs?
Most cases of pericarditis in pigs are linked to bacterial infection. One major pattern is polyserositis, where bacteria trigger fibrinous inflammation on several body surfaces at once. Glaesserella parasuis is a classic cause of this syndrome in young pigs, and the pericardium is one of the tissues commonly affected.
Streptococcus suis can also cause septicemia and polyserositis in pigs. In some cases, pericarditis develops as bacteria spread through the bloodstream from the tonsils, respiratory tract, skin wounds, joints, or other infected tissues. Pasteurella multocida may be involved when severe respiratory disease extends to the pleura and pericardium.
Management and health stressors matter too. Mixing pigs, transport, overcrowding, poor ventilation, concurrent viral disease, and breakdowns in biosecurity can all make systemic bacterial disease more likely. In chronic cases, the original infection may have passed, but the pig is left with thickened, scarred tissue around the heart that still affects function.
How Is Pericarditis in Pigs Diagnosed?
Your vet will usually start with the history, age group affected, number of pigs involved, and the pattern of illness in the herd. On exam, they may find fever, increased breathing effort, weakness, poor body condition, or signs of concurrent pneumonia, arthritis, or neurologic disease. In field settings, diagnosis is often based on the whole clinical picture rather than one single test.
Definitive diagnosis commonly depends on postmortem examination and laboratory testing. Necropsy may show fluid, fibrin, pus, or fibrous thickening around the heart, often with pleuritis or peritonitis. Samples from affected tissues can be submitted for bacterial culture, PCR, histopathology, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing to help identify the cause and guide herd treatment decisions.
In higher-value individual pigs, your vet may also recommend bloodwork, ultrasound, or referral imaging if available. These tools can help assess fluid around the heart and look for other chest disease, but they are not always practical on farm. Because several swine diseases can cause similar signs, confirming the organism is especially helpful for treatment planning and prevention.
Treatment Options for Pericarditis in Pigs
Spectrum of Care means you have options. Here are treatment tiers at different price points.
Budget-Conscious Care
- Urgent farm call or herd-health exam
- Isolation and close monitoring of affected pig(s)
- Empirical injectable antimicrobial selected by your vet
- Anti-inflammatory medication if appropriate
- Supportive care such as warmth, easy access to water, and reduced stress
- Basic necropsy submission for a deceased pig when practical to guide herd decisions
Recommended Standard Treatment
- Full veterinary exam with herd-level assessment
- Targeted diagnostics such as necropsy, culture, PCR, and histopathology
- Injectable antimicrobials based on likely pathogens and later adjusted to results when available
- Anti-inflammatory treatment and supportive nursing care
- Evaluation of ventilation, stocking density, mixing stress, and biosecurity
- Group treatment or prevention plan for exposed pigs when your vet recommends it
Advanced / Critical Care
- Hospitalization or referral-level monitoring
- Ultrasound or echocardiography to assess pericardial fluid and heart function when available
- IV fluids and intensive supportive care as appropriate
- Expanded laboratory workup and repeated monitoring
- Oxygen support or advanced nursing care in critical cases
- Specialist consultation for high-value breeding or companion pigs
Cost estimates as of 2026-03. Actual costs vary by location, clinic, and individual case.
Questions to Ask Your Vet About Pericarditis in Pigs
Bring these questions to your vet appointment to get the most out of your visit.
- Does this look like isolated pericarditis, or part of a broader problem such as polyserositis, pneumonia, or septicemia?
- Which infectious causes are most likely in my pig's age group and housing setup?
- Should we test this pig, or would a necropsy on a recently deceased pig give the most useful answers?
- What samples should be collected for culture, PCR, or histopathology before treatment changes the results?
- What treatment options fit my goals and budget, and what does each cost range usually include?
- Does the rest of the group need monitoring, treatment, or changes in management right now?
- Are there ventilation, mixing, stocking density, or sanitation issues that may be increasing risk?
- What signs mean this pig needs emergency reassessment today?
How to Prevent Pericarditis in Pigs
Prevention focuses on lowering the risk of the underlying infections that lead to pericarditis. Good ventilation, age-group separation, careful stocking density, clean water, and reducing mixing stress all help support respiratory and immune health. Quarantine new arrivals and work with your vet on a herd-health plan that fits your setup.
Because pericarditis is often tied to polyserositis and bacterial spread, early response to fever, lameness, coughing, or sudden deaths matters. Prompt isolation of sick pigs, careful necropsy of losses, and targeted lab testing can help identify whether organisms such as Glaesserella parasuis or Streptococcus suis are involved.
Vaccination may be part of prevention in some herds, especially when there is a known recurring bacterial problem, but the best plan depends on the organism, strain, and age group affected. Your vet may also recommend management changes around weaning, transport, and commingling, because these stress points often line up with outbreaks.