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Volume 23 | Issue 3 Article 4 1961 Common Skin Lesions in Baby Pigs William S. Monlux Iowa State University John C. Peckham Iowa Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory Follow this and additional works at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/iowastate_veterinarian Part of the Large or Food Animal and Equine Medicine Commons, and the Veterinary Pathology and Pathobiology Commons Recommended Citation Monlux, William S. and Peckham, John C. (1961) "Common Skin Lesions in Baby Pigs," Iowa State University Veterinarian: Vol. 23: Iss. 3, Article 4. Available at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/iowastate_veterinarian/vol23/iss3/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Veterinary Medicine at Digital Repository @ Iowa State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Iowa State University Veterinarian by an authorized administrator of Digital Repository @ Iowa State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. COlll1110n • Skin Lesions Baby Pigs 1n William S. Monlux D.V.M., PhD.* John C. Peckham D.V.M.** pig disease and parakeratosis G reasy focused considerable attention on the skin of the pig and pointed out how critical <:!utaneous disease can be. The importance of other skin lesions in baby pigs is often overlooked and considerable mortality may occur before their significance is recognized. Epitheliogenesis imperfect a (Fig. 1) is a very common cutaneous defect in the baby pig. In many instances it is probably a heritable cutaneous skin lesion. Because the new born pig is without appreciable amounts of hair, the skin lesion is often overlooked. At other times, even though the skin is observed to be absent in an area, it is speculated that the skin was lost as the result of an injury received during birth. Stillborn pigs often show this epi- -~ ...... ,, ' , , , thelial defect thus indicating that more than one disturbance in development may be present. Since the area of the body over which the imperfection occurs lacks the cutaneous barrier against bacterial invasion and since the humoral and cellular defenses of the baby pig are poorly developed at this time, it is just a matter of a few hours or at most a few days before death occurs from septicemia. .. {'-"~ ..-' Fig. 2. Facial dermatitis Fig. l. Epithelogcnesis imperCecta * Dr. Monlux is a professor in Veterinary Pathology at Iowa State University. * * Dr. Peckham is an instructor in the Iowa Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory Ames, Iowa. Issue, 3 1960-61 A very common skin disease is the facial dermatitis (Fig. 2) occurring on the lateral sides of the face of nursing pigs as the result of injury from tusks. The struggling baby pigs, in very close proximity to each other and competing for udder space and time, lacerate their litter mates with their tusks. The sides of the face become covered with milk , saliva and blood. 137 Contaminating bacteria from the bedding and the skin of the sow grow and multiply in this medium and invade the skin wounds. Soon the area becomes covered with a thick crust of exudate. Staphylococci are especially common invaders. The result is a focal ulcerative dermatitis or a rapidly spreading phlegmon of the head and neck. In either case death may be the result. Quite often this cutaneous lesion is the source of b2.cteria which localize in joints and cause a polyarthritis. The facial injury can be prevented by removing the tusks from the baby pigs before the lacerations have been inflicted. Another equally important cutaneous lesion, which is often overlooked, is the abrasion which occurs in the skin of the anterior surface of the knees of baby pigs. This abrasion occurs when the pigs, actively competing for udder space and time, rub their knees on the floor. As they push and slide back and forth on the floor, extensive injury to the skin over the carpal joints occurs (Fig. 3). Concrete floors, because of their rough surface, cause the greatest amount of injury. Adequate bedding will prevent this type of injury. result. From this initial lesion it is comparatively easy for the invading bacteria to enter the tendon sheaths of the region or to penetrate into the carpal joint. At other times a septicemia occurs which produces multiple abscesses throughout the body, polyarthritis, or may terminate in death. Fig. 4. Phlegmon in Carpal region Fig. 3. Abrasions on Carpi The areas of cutaneous injury are invaded with bacteria found in the bedding and on the skin of the sow. An ulcerative dermatitis or a phlegmon (Fig. 4) is the 138 Injury to the claws of baby pigs is quite common and, at times, both of the chief claws are completely destroyed. Usually the cause is not determined. It may be the result of injury from disinfectants persisting on the floor of the pen. Dirty pens may cause the pigs to macerate their feet in manure. In cold weather, wet manure is particularly prone to cause injury. Macerated feet have a greatly reduced ability to withstand bacterial invasion. If the baby pigs walk in snow, stand on ice or stand in cold water, injury to the soft delicate claws and even freezing of the feet may occur. Burning of the claws may occur when pens are warmed with hot water or steam pipes (Fig. 5). If the pipes are not enclosed, Iowa State University Veterinarian (Continued from page 135) REFERENCES Fig. 5. Injury to claws the baby pigs step on the pipes and injure their feet. Greasy pig disease also causes injury to the claws. No matter what the primary etiologic factor, once the claws or the integument of the foot is injured, it is comparatively easy for bacteria to enter the foot. There the bacteria may produce a suppurative dermatitis, ulcerative dermatitis , suppurative pododermatitis, phlegmon of the foot or may even produce .a septicemia which may terminate in the death of the pig. 10. Morgan, B. B. and Hawkins, P . A.: Veterinary Helminthology. Burgess Publishing Co., Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1952. 11 . Morgan, B. B. and Hawkins , P. A.: Ve·terinary Protozoology. Burgess Publishing Co., Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1952. 12. Neal, Fred C.: Sheep Diseases in Iowa. Diseases of Cattle and Sheep. Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Cooperative Extension Service, Ames, Iowa. 1959. 13. Sloss, M. W.: Technics of Fecal Examinations and Their Interpretation in Cattle and Sheep Feces. Diseases of Cattle and Sheep. Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Cooperative Extension Service, Ames, Iowa. 1959. 14. Udall, D. H.: The Practice of Veterinary Medicine. Sixth edition. D. H . Udall, Publisher, Ithaca, New York. 1954. 15. Simmons, J. S. and Gentzkow, C. J.: Laboratory Methods of the United States Army. Fifth edition. Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1944. 16. Whitlock, J. H. : Outline of Veterinary Entomology and Helminthology. Burges:; Publishing Co., Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1948. a dietary food for pre- and postoperative use in the clinical management of surgical patients A " PRESCRIPTION DIET" ® SO LD O NLY TO GRADUATE VETERIN A RI A NS PROFESSIONAL Issue, 3 1960-61 PRODUCTS DIV I S I ON, H i ll PAC KING COMPANY, TOPEKA, KANSAS 139