On Farm Investigation of
Diarrhoea in the first 3 weeks
post-weaning
Area of concern |
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1 |
Note the timing
of the diarrhoea Many cases of
diarrhoea actually start 5-7 days previously. |
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2 |
Note the type
of diarrhoea and appearance of the anal
ring Blood Water
Yellow/pasty Mucoid. Alkaline faeces E. coli:
acid viral |
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3 |
Post-mortem
examination of weaner. Euthanasia of
acutely affected pigs should be examined rather than looking only at
chronically affected pigs with secondary problems. |
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Environmental and management checks |
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1 |
Post-weaning feeding routines.
Poor feed intake in the first week encourages gorging in the second
with protein overload of the gut and diarrhoea. Gruel feeding is essential combined with
little and often feeding routines |
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2 |
Hygiene of feeder –
especially between batches |
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3 |
Feeder space.
Inadequate
feeder space increases aggression.
Note behaviour in first 3 days |
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4 |
Creep feeding and hygiene in the farrowing house |
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5 |
Mycotoxins in feed and feed storage. Note mycotoxins damage vitamins such as
Vit E and can affect the palatability of the feed |
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6 |
Feed ingredients – Zinc Oxide
presence for example |
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7 |
Is diarrhoea associated with a recent feed type change? |
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8 |
Water hygiene,
especially between batches. |
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9 |
Almost any air movement is undesirable >0.2 m/sec (> 50 feet/min) is a
draught in the
sleeping area |
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10 |
Chilling of the weaners, check lying patterns sleeping area temperatures (initially ideally >27•C) and
defecation patterns. |
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11 |
Variable temperatures and high humidity in the sleeping area |
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12 |
Damp floors/bedding particularly
in the sleeping area |
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13 |
Degree of cross-fostering pre-weaning |
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14 |
Number of sows farrowing each week, application of all-in all out
and pig flow |
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15 |
Age of piglets at weaning and the variability in age and weight |
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16 |
Poor room cleaning between batches |
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17 |
Infection transfer -
is there a separate brush and scrape for each batch, foot baths, personnel
hygiene |
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18 |
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19 |
Weaner treatments
not been clean
enough, Check cross-contamination
between healthy and sick pigs |
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20 |
Type of iron
injection utilised. Lack
of sufficient iron may encourage more diarrhoea |
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21 |
Medication issues. Vaccine storage protocols. Note maternal
colostrum transfer post-weaning is poor for E. coli vaccines |
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22 |
Review presence of other pathogens, PRRSv and PMWS for example |
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23 |
Is a feed-back programme in place? |
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24 |
Check parity
profile of the mother
of weaners with diarrhoea |
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Treatment protocols to control post-weaning diarrhoea
Aims |
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Enhance pig’s resistance to pathogens – or at least do
nothing to reduce the pig’s resistance |
Reduce pathogen load |
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Note most of the “pathogenic” organisms are “normal” in the
environment |
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Treatment and
control protocols |
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Reduce susceptible pigs |
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Remove bottom
10% (smalls) from the main group and house and manage differently |
Review pig flow
and ensure over and under-stocking removed |
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Review weaner age
and weights and enhance |
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Review
pre-weaning management to maximise health at weaning – review cross-fostering
regimes in particular |
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Ensure iron
administration pre-weaning adequate |
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Ensure all pigs
are eating within 12 hours post-weaning |
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Ensure adequate
feed space available – note newly weaned pigs eat as a group – automatic
restrict feeding even if feed available “ad-lib” |
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Ensure a warm,
draught free sleeping area is available for all pigs |
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Provide warmer sleeping
flooring – use of comfort boards etc |
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Enhance pig’s resistance |
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Presence of
Zinc Oxide 2500 g/tonne for first 2-3 weeks post-weaning |
Use acidifiers
for the diet and water supplies |
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Use of probiotics
– ensure they are alive – milk and yogurt products |
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Consider use of
sterilised peat products to act as an antitoxin/absorbant |
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Increase Vit E
concentration in feed – to 250 ppm |
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Use suitable
antimicrobial therapy |
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Ensure that
compliance with dose rate and treatment protocols. It may be necessary to treat whole groups
of animals, including those not sick |
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Change genetics
in cases of Bowel Oedema – E. coli
K18 |
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Consider
vaccines to Bowel Oedema |
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Miscellaneous |
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If creep
feeding is practiced pre-weaning: stop and review situation |
Feed-back programmes
using weaner faeces, including the
diarrhoea, to gilts and sows 6 weeks pre-farrowing. Discuss this aspect with your veterinarian |
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If gilt litter
weaner’s are more prone review management of gilt – note particularly feed-back
and immunity protocols |
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Review and
possibly change creep/weaner feed type –meal, pellets, wet or dry size of
pellets |
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Reduce pathogen load |
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Separate sick
animals from main group as soon as possible – hospital area |
Provide
electrolytes in water supply to sick pigs |
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Do not move
sick pigs back into previous week groups |
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Do not move
recovered sick pigs back into main group until over 30kg bodyweight |
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Practice rigid
All-in/all-out |
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Adequate hygiene
between batches – use of lime-washing |
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Ensure water
lines are properly disinfected between batches |
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Ensure feeders
are properly cleaned between batches |
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Ensure that there
is no cross-contamination between batches through foot wear, brushes, scrapes
or needles/syringes |
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Note hygiene of
lying pads and comfort boards |
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Enhance vermin
and fly controls |
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Monitor
weaner’s rate and evenness of growth |