Pig diseases guide
Kit Parke, Intensive Livestock Practitioner, Toowoomba
Introduction
The pig diseases guide is intended as a reference list of pig diseases commonly encountered by the author. It is not intended as an aid for the diagnosis of pig diseases but to provide some basic information on diseases of which pork producers should be aware. It is recommended that a veterinarian be consulted for the diagnosis, treatment and control of disease in the pig herd. The recognition of disease is of prime importance, so that the adverse effect on production and the economic loss are kept to a minimum.
When an antibiotic is used for the treatment and control of a disease it is important to understand the reasons for its use, the correct dose rate and the withholding period (WHP) for the antibiotic. The WHP is the minimum period which must elapse between the last use of the antibiotic and the slaughter of the treated animal. Where antibiotics have been listed in the guide, the abbreviations following the word antibiotic stand for:
I - is injectable; O - is oral; W - is in-water medication; F - is in-feed medication
Other chemicals, eg. miticides, wormers and others also have a WHP which must be heeded to prevent the detection of chemical residues in pork.
Where vaccines have been listed for the prevention of disease, it is imperative that they be used to the manufacturers' recommendations. Otherwise, optimum vaccine antibody protection will not be produced and disease breakdowns may occur.
Table 1. Diseases of the preweaning period
|
Diseases |
Major sign |
Treatment |
Prevention |
Comments | |
|
Colibacillosis (E. coli) |
Diarrhoea |
Fluid therapy |
Improve hygiene |
Coccidiosis may be involved | |
|
Coccidiosis |
Diarrhoea at 10 to 21 days of age |
Fluid therapy |
Improve hygiene |
| |
|
Overlay / trauma |
Sudden death |
None |
Provide a warm clean creep
area |
| |
|
Starvation (hypo-glycaemia) |
Weakness |
Dextrose solutions |
Improve milk supply of sow |
Ensure gilts have adequate functional teats | |
|
Stillbirths |
Born dead |
None |
Various methods |
Many causes. Consult a veterinarian | |
|
Miscellaneous infections |
Lameness |
Antibiotics (I) |
Improve hygiene |
Infection due to bacteria | |
|
Exudative epidermitis (Greasy pig) |
Skin lesions |
Antibiotics |
Improve hygiene |
Staphylococcus hyicus infection | |
Table 2. Diseases of the postweaning period
|
Disease |
Major sign |
Treatment |
Prevention |
Comment |
|
Colibacillosis (E. coli) |
Diarrhoea |
Fluid therapy |
Vaccination |
A common and expensive problem |
|
Respiratory Disease |
Coughing |
Antibiotics (I,W,F) |
Improve ventilation |
Enzootic
pneumonia |
|
Swine dysentery |
Diarrhoea with
blood |
Antibiotics (I,W,F) |
Improve hygiene |
Avoid purchasing infected
pigs |
|
Proliferative Enteropathy (PE) |
Diarrhoea with
blood |
Antibiotics (I,W,F) |
Antibiotics (F) |
Three main syndromes affecting different aged pigs |
|
Itching/ dermatitis |
Miticidal sprays, pour-ons, injection and in-feed premix |
Strategic treatment of breeder pigs and weaners/growers |
May go unnoticed in a herd | |
|
Sudden death |
Diet manipulation |
None |
A common cause of death in some herds | |
|
Inappetence/ vomiting |
Rarely effective |
Diet manipulation |
Probably feed and disease
related | |
|
Arthritis |
Antibiotics (I) |
Vaccination |
Most losses occur between two to six months of age | |
|
Internal parasites (worms) |
Diarrhoea |
Parasiticides in-feed or injection |
Parasiticides |
Roundworm |
|
Exudative epidermitis |
Skin lesions |
Antibiotics |
Improve hygiene |
Staphylococcus hyicus infection |
Table 3. Diseases of breeder pigs
|
Disease |
Major sign |
Treatment |
Prevention |
Comment |
|
Farrowing sickness (MMA mastitis, metritis, agalactia) |
Reduced milk
production |
Antibiotics
(I,W,F) |
Reduce feeding prior to
farrowing |
Reduces number of pigs weaned per
sow |
|
Lameness |
Premature culling |
Rarely effective |
Improve floor design |
Regularly check breeder pigs for leg lesions |
|
Mummification |
None |
Vaccination |
Endemic and epidemic forms of this
disease | |
|
Vaginal discharge syndrome |
Reproductive tract infections |
Antibiotics (I,W,F) |
Cull affected animals |
Caused by bacteria and poor hygiene |
|
Bladder infection (Cystitis) |
Blood stained urine |
Antibiotics (I,W,F) |
Antibiotics |
Boars transmit bacteria to sows and gilts at mating |
|
Stillborn or weakborn
pigs |
Antibiotics (I,W,F) |
Vaccination |
This disease can also affect humans | |
|
Abortions |
Antibiotics (I,W,F) |
Vaccinations |
Can also cause arthritis and skin lesions | |
|
Sudden death |
None |
Feed twice or three times per day |
Commonly seen when level of feeding is increased | |
|
Inappetence |
Antibiotics (I) |
Investigate feed, fineness, crude fibre
and vitamin E/selenium |
Can occur in pigs of any age |
Acknowledgement
Dr Kit Parke, BVSc, MSc
IAS Management Services
PO Box 4831
TOOWOOMBA EAST QLD 4831
Phone/Fax: +61 7 4638 9293
Mobile: 0428 793 503
E-mail: kitparke@hotkey.net.au
Further information
If further information is required on a specific pig disease, you should consult a
veterinarian.
Notes with basic information for some specific diseases
are available (see links in text, and also links to other organisations on
pigtech notes menu see link at end of this page) and the following are
some general notes relating to pig health:
Common salt in dry sows diets (in relation to discharging sow syndrome)
Routines for pig disease prevention
For general agricultural information,
DPI&F Business Information Centre from 8 am to 6 pm weekdays: Phone 13 25 23 (Queensland residents), non-Queensland residents phone +61 7 3404 6999; e-mail callweb@dpi.qld.gov.au
DPI&F's web site www.dpi.qld.gov.au
As well as being published on DPI&F's pig industry web site at www.dpi.qld.gov.au/pigs/, this DPI&F Note will be published on the DPI&F PrimeNotes CDROM and will be published on DPI&F's national Pig Technotes CD.
Information contained in this publication is provided as general advice only. For application to specific circumstances, professional advice should be sought. The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries has taken all reasonable steps to ensure the information in this publication is accurate at the time of publication. Readers should ensure that they make appropriate inquiries to determine whether new information is available on the particular subject matter.
pig technotes main menu | pig subject page Last revised 15 December 2004
