Stomatitis in Pigs: Inflammation of the Mouth and Oral Tissues

Quick Answer
  • Stomatitis means inflammation of the mouth tissues, including the lips, gums, tongue, cheeks, and oral lining.
  • Pigs with stomatitis may drool, eat less, drop food, resist chewing, lose weight, or develop ulcers, erosions, or blisters in the mouth.
  • Mouth lesions in pigs can be caused by trauma, irritating feed or chemicals, secondary bacterial infection, or infectious vesicular diseases that need prompt veterinary attention.
  • Because some vesicular mouth lesions in pigs can look like reportable foreign animal diseases, new blisters or ulcers should be treated as urgent until your vet advises otherwise.
Estimated cost: $120–$1,500

What Is Stomatitis in Pigs?

Stomatitis is inflammation of the tissues inside the mouth. In pigs, that can involve the gums, tongue, lips, cheeks, palate, and other oral surfaces. The problem may look mild at first, with extra drooling or reduced interest in feed, but it can become painful enough to interfere with eating and drinking.

Stomatitis is not one single disease. It is a clinical finding with several possible causes. Some pigs develop mouth inflammation after trauma from rough feed, sharp objects, or irritating substances. Others develop oral lesions as part of infectious vesicular diseases that can resemble foot-and-mouth disease, Senecavirus A infection, swine vesicular disease, or vesicular exanthema.

For pet parents, the most important point is that a sore mouth in a pig is more than a comfort issue. Oral pain can quickly lead to poor intake, dehydration, weight loss, and worsening stress. If you notice ulcers, blisters, bleeding, or sudden drooling, contact your vet promptly.

Symptoms of Stomatitis in Pigs

  • Excess drooling or foamy saliva
  • Reduced appetite or reluctance to chew
  • Dropping feed from the mouth
  • Mouth pain when eating or when the face is touched
  • Red, swollen, ulcerated, or bleeding oral tissues
  • Blisters or erosions on the snout, lips, tongue, or oral mucosa
  • Bad breath
  • Weight loss, dehydration, lethargy, or fever
  • Lameness or lesions around the feet along with mouth lesions

Mild mouth inflammation may start with subtle signs, like slower eating or a wetter chin. More serious cases can include visible ulcers, bleeding, refusal to eat, or rapid weight loss. If your pig has blisters, erosions, fever, or lameness along with mouth lesions, see your vet right away. Those signs can overlap with vesicular diseases that need urgent evaluation and, in some situations, reporting to animal health authorities.

What Causes Stomatitis in Pigs?

Stomatitis in pigs can develop from local irritation, injury, infection, or a combination of problems. Common noninfectious triggers include rough or contaminated feed, sharp foreign material, chemical or caustic exposure, and trauma to the mouth. Once the oral lining is damaged, bacteria can take advantage of the inflamed tissue and make lesions more painful or slow to heal.

Infectious causes are especially important in pigs because vesicular diseases can produce oral blisters and ulcers that look very similar to one another. Merck Veterinary Manual notes that foot-and-mouth disease, Senecavirus A infection, swine vesicular disease, vesicular exanthema of swine, and vesicular stomatitis can be clinically indistinguishable in pigs based on lesions alone. That means appearance by itself is not enough for a safe diagnosis.

Your vet will also think about the pig's age, housing, recent feed changes, exposure to other pigs, travel history, and whether there are lesions on the snout or feet. In a pet pig, even a single painful mouth lesion deserves attention because pigs can hide discomfort until eating and hydration are already affected.

How Is Stomatitis in Pigs Diagnosed?

Diagnosis starts with a careful history and oral exam. Your vet will look for ulcers, erosions, blisters, swelling, odor, trauma, dental problems, and signs of dehydration or weight loss. They may also examine the feet, coronary bands, and snout because some infectious vesicular diseases affect more than the mouth.

If lesions are mild and there is a clear local cause, your vet may focus on supportive care and monitoring. If lesions are severe, widespread, or suspicious for an infectious vesicular disease, testing becomes much more important. Merck notes that laboratory confirmation is essential when diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease are part of the differential diagnosis, and lesion material or oral samples may be used for PCR or other testing depending on the suspected disease.

Your vet may recommend swabs, lesion samples, bloodwork, or culture in selected cases. The goal is not only to confirm inflammation, but to identify the underlying cause so treatment matches the situation. Because some causes are reportable or contagious, do not try to lance blisters or move the pig to another property before speaking with your vet.

Treatment Options for Stomatitis in Pigs

Spectrum of Care means you have options. Here are treatment tiers at different price points.

Budget-Conscious Care

$120–$300
Best for: Mild cases with a likely local cause, stable appetite, and no blisters on the feet or widespread lesions
  • Office or farm-call exam
  • Basic oral assessment and hydration check
  • Softened feed or temporary diet adjustment
  • Removal of obvious irritants if safe to do so
  • Pain-control discussion with your vet
  • Home monitoring for appetite, drooling, and worsening lesions
Expected outcome: Often fair to good if the cause is minor irritation or trauma and the pig keeps eating and drinking.
Consider: Lower upfront cost, but limited testing means the underlying cause may remain uncertain. This tier is not appropriate if vesicular disease, dehydration, fever, or rapid decline is a concern.
Most Common

Recommended Standard Treatment

$300–$700
Best for: Most pigs with clear oral pain, visible ulcers, reduced appetite, or lesions that are not resolving quickly
  • Full veterinary exam
  • More complete oral and physical evaluation
  • Targeted diagnostics such as lesion swabs, cytology, or basic lab work when indicated
  • Prescription pain relief and supportive medications chosen by your vet
  • Treatment for secondary infection when your vet finds evidence for it
  • Nutrition and hydration support plan
  • Short-term recheck
Expected outcome: Good in many uncomplicated cases when the cause is identified early and the pig receives supportive care before major weight loss or dehydration develops.
Consider: Higher cost range than conservative care, but it gives your vet more information and usually improves comfort faster. Some pigs still need escalation if lesions are severe or contagious disease is suspected.

Advanced / Critical Care

$700–$1,500
Best for: Pigs with severe mouth pain, refusal to eat, dehydration, fever, lameness, widespread vesicles, or lesions suspicious for a reportable vesicular disease
  • Urgent or emergency evaluation
  • Isolation guidance if contagious disease is possible
  • Advanced diagnostics such as PCR testing through appropriate channels
  • Fluid therapy for dehydration
  • Intensive pain management and assisted nutritional support
  • Treatment of severe secondary infection or complications
  • Repeat exams and coordination with animal health authorities if a reportable disease is suspected
Expected outcome: Variable. Many pigs recover well from localized inflammatory causes, but outcome depends on the underlying disease, severity, and how quickly supportive care begins.
Consider: Most resource-intensive option, but it is often the safest path when a pig is systemically ill, cannot maintain hydration, or has lesions that could affect herd or public animal health decisions.

Cost estimates as of 2026-03. Actual costs vary by location, clinic, and individual case.

Questions to Ask Your Vet About Stomatitis in Pigs

Bring these questions to your vet appointment to get the most out of your visit.

  1. What do you think is the most likely cause of my pig's mouth inflammation?
  2. Do these lesions look traumatic, chemical, bacterial, or suspicious for a vesicular disease?
  3. Does my pig need testing, or is monitoring reasonable at this stage?
  4. What signs would mean this has become urgent or needs same-day recheck?
  5. How can I make eating and drinking easier while the mouth heals?
  6. Should my pig be separated from other pigs until we know more?
  7. What pain-control and supportive-care options fit my pig's case and my budget?
  8. Are there any reporting or biosecurity steps we need to follow if these lesions are vesicular?

How to Prevent Stomatitis in Pigs

Prevention starts with reducing oral injury and irritation. Offer clean, appropriate feed, avoid moldy or contaminated material, and check feeding areas for sharp edges, wire, splintered wood, or other objects that could injure the mouth. Good sanitation matters too, because damaged oral tissue is more likely to become secondarily infected.

Biosecurity is also important. Limit contact with unfamiliar pigs, use careful quarantine practices for new arrivals, and talk with your vet before attending events or transporting pigs if any mouth or foot lesions are present. Vesicular diseases can look alike in pigs, so early veterinary evaluation is part of prevention as well as diagnosis.

Routine observation helps pet parents catch problems sooner. Watch for slower eating, drooling, feed dropping, or changes in behavior around meals. The earlier your vet sees a sore mouth, the easier it is to support comfort, protect nutrition, and decide whether the problem is local irritation or something that needs broader disease control steps.

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