Download basics of a herd health program for small

Small-Scale and Niche Market Pork Production Conference
BASICS OF A HERD HEALTH PROGRAM FOR SMALL-SCALE AND
NICHE MARKET SWINE PRODUCTION
Jeremy S. Pittman, D.V.M., Diplomate ABVP
Murphy-Brown L.L.C.-North Division
Waverly, Virginia
Introduction
Swine health is one of the largest factors impacting profitable pork production. Inversely,
veterinary care (veterinary visits, medications, vaccination) is one of the lowest input costs of a
swine operation. So how does that work?
Significant losses associated with disease can be seen from decreased feed efficiency
(measured as pounds of feed required for each pound of pork sold), decreased productivity (as
with total pigs born, born alive, pigs weaned per sow, etc), decreased growth performance (lower
average daily gains, longer time to market, longer time to maturity), increased morbidity
(sickness) and mortality (dead pigs), decreased revenue (sort loss, culls versus markets),
increased medication costs and disposal costs.
If swine are managed properly and a good health program is in place, the cost of medications
and vaccinations can be significantly reduced. In addition, veterinary visits can be less frequent
or on an as-needed basis (although I’m sure we can debate what “as-needed” means).
While there are significant differences in how swine may be raised or housed and which
diseases that might be commonly dealt with, the fundamentals of health programs for swine are
the same for small-scale and niche producers as they are for large producers. The objective of
this paper and accompanying presentation is to provide the audience with a basic understanding
of how disease occurs, what factors influence disease, and what are the basics to developing an
effective and efficient heard health program.
Important concepts
To fully understand and appreciate heard health, one must have at least a basic knowledge of
the mechanisms of disease and why it occurs. Below are some concepts that are basic building
blocks of veterinary medicine.
1. The Health - Disease Relationship – The maintenance of health in an animal or population
(and thus disease) is determined by the interaction of three main categories: 1) the Host, 2) the
Pathogen and 3) the Environment. This is commonly called the disease triangle, with each point
representing one aspect. The idea is that there are interactions between each corner of the
triangle and this interaction is where disease occurs or is prevented. For example; interactions
between Host and Pathogen could be vaccination, exposure and immunity. Interactions between
Host and Environment could be chilling effects, wet or dry surfaces, and stocking density.
Interactions between Environment and Pathogen could be sanitation, disinfection or humidity.
Each interaction is a potential point of control or failure in the maintenance of health.
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Another common way to think of it is a balance (Figure 1), with the host’s disease pressures on
one side and their supporting immunity on the other. If more “weight” is put on the disease side
of the scale (exposure, poor sanitation, stress), then the host experiences disease. If on the other
side we support the host’s immune system (vaccinations, treatments, clean environment) then the
host remains healthy.
Host
Health
Disease
Immunity
Factors
Pathogen
Factors
Host
Pathogen
Environment
Figure 1. Visual representation of the Health-Disease relationship. The Disease Triangle
showing the interaction between Host, Pathogen and Environment. The Disease scale showing
the balance between Disease and Host Immunity.
2. Infectious and non-infectious disease – Disease by definition is an abnormal condition of the
body. This is important because not all disease is caused by a pathogen (virus, bacteria, etc) that
can be targeted, treated or protected against. Non-infectious causes of disease in swine are very
common and therefore must be differentiated from infectious causes. Nutrient deficiencies,
toxicities, stress and incorrect management can lead to disease in pigs and none of these can be
treated with an antibiotic or vaccinated against.
3. Bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi – Most all infectious disease is caused by one of the
listed types of organisms. Swine by nature are commonly exposed to all types of these
organisms, with many normally inhabiting the surrounding environment or even the intestinal,
respiratory, reproductive tracts and skin of swine and never cause disease. Some of these
organisms are or can become pathogens, and thus cause disease. Factors that commonly allow
these organisms to become pathogens are: poor sanitation, decreased immunity of the host,
overwhelming exposure or challenge, changes in the organism, presence of other pathogens,
presence of other risk factors (stress, mixing, chilling, etc) and response of the host to the
pathogen.
Table 1. Strategies for control and treatment by pathogen type
Pathogen
Biosecurity Management
Vaccination
Bacteria
+
+
+/Virus
+
+
+
Parasite
+
+
Fungi
+
+
-
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Treatment
+
- (supportive care)
+
+
Small-Scale and Niche Market Pork Production Conference
4. Exposure, infection and disease – There is a difference in these three terms when discussing
disease. Exposure means that pigs have come in contact with the specific organism in question,
but not that infection or disease has or will occur. Infection is the process by which the organism
colonizes in the pigs and established a “foot-hold” in the animal, but again may or may not cause
disease (or clinical disease). Disease is the actual process that develops from an infection that
leads to an abnormal condition.
5. Vaccination – Vaccination is basically a “controlled infection”. Using a variety of methods or
products pigs are given part or all of an organism whereby their immune system can respond and
develop immunity to that organism. The key here is that it is the pig’s immune system that is the
protective factor. Vaccines are not 100% protective. The purpose of vaccination is to reduce the
severity of clinical disease, duration of disease and shedding/transmission to other animals.
Animals may still get sick if they are exposed to the pathogen even if they have been vaccinated,
however the hope is that the impact of disease is much less. Not all pathogens can be vaccinated
against, not all vaccines are effective and some even cause disease. Understanding the goals of
vaccination and the expectations of vaccination are important when formulating a herd health
plan.
6. Medication, treatment, therapy – Use of medications in swine are for the treatment of sick
animals, the prevention of disease or the improvement of feed utilization. The most important
thing to understand with medicines is that they are specific to the types of pathogens they treat.
Most antibiotics treat only bacteria, others only parasites and others only fungi. In addition,
there are specific classes of antibiotics that work for specific types of bacteria. Therefore, you
need to have a pretty good idea what you might be treating for. There are no antibiotics for viral
infections. Therapy for viral infections is usually supportive care (reduce fever, provide
electrolytes, etc) at best. Failure to understand this concept commonly results in the products not
working. In addition, an animal’s response to treatment is highly dependent on the animal’s
immune status, ability to fight of disease and early and correct treatment of the disease.
Commonly failure of an antibiotic to work is related to one or more of the following:
a. Treatment started too late
b. Disease occurred too rapidly
c. Disease is not treatable by antibiotics (i.e., viral or non-infectious)
d. Treatment is not used for complete duration
e. The pig’s immune system not working properly (i.e., PRRS, stress)
f. Selected the wrong antibiotic
i. wrong drug for the bug
ii. drug can’t get to the site of infection
g. Drug given by the wrong route
h. Drug given at wrong dose
h. Bacteria resistant to antibiotic
i. Drug no longer active (expired, storage issues, contamination, incompatible mixing)
j. Incorrect diagnosis (based on clinical signs OR diagnostic samples)
7. Disease as a result of the host – One very important concept for veterinarians is that most of
the aspects of a disease that allow us to characterize the disease (clinical signs, lesions,
diagnostic tests) is a direct result of the host’s response to the pathogen(s) involved. Often the
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most severe damage and resultant clinical signs are from how the animal’s immune system
responds to the infection.
8. Breeding herd versus growing herd – One very significant aspect of the swine industry is the
management of two separate herds, often within one herd. This is important because disease
challenge and health strategies can be significantly different (and often in conflict) between the
two herds. Depending on the particular types of disease you are trying to control will dictate
what and how you use specific products or programs. One very common example is the
vaccination of sows prior to farrowing. Often the goal in vaccinating the sow pre-farrow is not
to protect her, but rather provide protection through antibodies in the colostrum/milk to her
piglets when born. This can change the dynamics of immunity (and thus disease) in the growing
herd, and in some cases make it more difficult to vaccinate growing pigs successfully.
9. Over the counter versus Prescription antibiotics – These are the two main types of antibiotics
for use in swine. Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs can be purchased at agricultural stores or
through catalogues without direction from a veterinarian. The limitation on using these products
is that the user must follow the directions of the label including, mixing instructions, species and
stage of life of animal, duration of use and condition/disease treated and meat withdrawl period.
Using OTC drugs in a manner different from the label requires a veterinary prescription.
Veterinary prescription requires a valid veterinary-client-patient relationship which itself has a
set of requirements. Prescription antibiotics are provided on the order of a veterinarian.
Veterinarians have the authority to use some products in an off-label manner, such as drugs not
labeled for that species, changing the dose and duration of treatment and for indications/diseases
not on the label. This is important because there are not products labeled for every disease or
pathogen that is commonly dealt with.
Key Fundamentals of Health Program
I. Biosecurity
Biosecurity means the “protection of life”, and is a commonly used catch-all term for health
management protocols in many areas of veterinary medicine, but especially the swine
industry. In general, biosecurity is the collection of practices and rules that a farm puts in
place to reduce the risk of disease in the herd. This can be external biosecurity, which are
protocols to prevent entry of a disease into the herd that was not there previously, or internal
biosecurity which prevent disease transmission between groups within the same herd.
While the term “biosecurity” is relatively new, the concept is definitely not. As you will see
in the below list of common biosecurity aspects, each concept has been utilized for a long
time in swine production. However, there are a few key points in each one that can usually
be revisited or re-evaluated in every herd. These are not necessarily listed in order of
importance (risk), but the top 3 would be key in most all farming systems. Given the
specifics of the farm, there may be others that pose a higher risk and should be addressed.
One method of ranking would be to consider the aspects that happen the most in a
week/month and address those first, followed by those that are less frequent.
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1. Animals entering the farm/herd – There is no better way to give a pig a disease, than
to introduce it to other pigs with that disease. Animals entering a herd are the #1
cause of disease entry into a herd. While this is commonly considered to be new
animals, usually new/replacement breeding stock (gilts and boars), it is not limited to
that. Animals entering the herd could be new wean or feeder pigs purchased from
another farm or stockyard, borrowing the neighbors stud boar or allowing the
neighbor to bring his sow over to use your boar. Animal entry should also be
considered when animals leave the farm and then return, such as with livestock shows
or fairs, as they can contract disease from other pigs at these venues.
a. Note on Purchasing New Animals – If you are purchasing animals for the
herd, you should ask specific questions as to the health status of their herd of
origin. Working with a veterinarian can help to identify specific diseases you
should be concerned with.
b. Note on Quarantine/Isolation – An area of the farm, separate from the herd,
should be set up for animals entering or returning to the herd. A common
period of isolation is 30 days, which allows adequate time for development of
clinical signs or serological testing for diseases of concern.
2. Semen entering the farm/herd – This focuses strictly on semen for artificial
insemination. Intact boars used for breeding are considered in item 1. Semen can be
a major source of disease to a breeding herd if the health status of the stud or origin
farm is not controlled. Diseases such as Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory
Syndrome (PRRS), Leptospirosis, Brucellosis, Tuberculosis, Porcine Circovirus
Type 2 (PCV2), Pseudorabies (PRV) and Parvovirus (PPV) have been shown to be
transmissible in semen. In addition, bacterial contamination of semen can cause
significant issues with conception rates and vulvar discharges.
3. Sanitation – Sanitation is important between group of pigs (finishing barn or
paddock) or stages of life (i.e., farrowing facility) to reduce the transmission of
pathogens through feces, urine and dust/dander. Sanitation is also important during
the growing or holding period of the animals. Routine removal of organic material
(feces, urine, old feed, etc) helps to decrease the pathogen load in the environment.
Sanitation of barns or facilities is a multi-step process with emphasis on the order.
The ultimate goal is to remove all potential infectious material form the facility.
a. Step 1) Removal of visible organic material (scrape, washing, etc.)
b. Step 2) Soak/washing with a detergent and high pressure. Hot/warm water >
cold water; pressure washer > high pressure hose
c. Step 3) Rinse cleaned area
d. Step 4) Allow adequate drying time. This is the most important step.
e. Step 5) Applying disinfectant. Depending on your farm’s pathogens, different
disinfectants should be used (See Appendix). Sunlight is a great disinfectant!
f. Step 6) Allow adequate contact time for disinfectant.
g. Step 7) Rinse away excess disinfectant and allow time to dry.
h. Step 8) Inspect quality of washing between each step.
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In situations where facilities cannot be completely cleaned (dirt lots, paddocks, etc), all
attempts to clean the majority of fecal material or allow rotation of area should be
attempted within reason.
4. Disease status – Knowing what diseases your herd already has and does not have is
an important part of any herd health management plan. Knowing what you have is
important in selecting management protocols, proper vaccination protocols and
timing of those vaccinations, selection of the proper antibiotics to be using and an
expectation of results. Knowing what diseases you do not have is important in
screening the purchase of animals, recognizing new diseases and sale of animals.
There are usually several diseases that farms are or should be concerned with,
depending on the purpose of the farm and facility designs. Routine testing of the herd
to screen for some key diseases is important and should be done at least annually, but
also when animals enter the herd or when changes in the health status dictate an
investigation. Often blood, fecal and skin samples are adequate for many diseases we
are concerned with. At times, tissues from sick or dead pigs can provide valuable
information on the status of a herd.
a. Note on Observation – Animals should be observed daily at a minimum. Each
animal is observed for changes in behavior or health status. Observing when
behavior (isolation, lethargy, not eating) or health status changes (coughing,
scours, fever) allows more rapid response to a developing problem. Quick
response to problems can mitigate the impact of the challenge.
b. Note on Records – One area that is usually lacking on smaller herds is record
keeping of the farm, including but not limited to; animal identification, history
of performance, treatment and vaccination history, etc. Daily records of
environment (hi/lo temps, humidity), observations (sick pigs, number not
eating, mortality, etc.) and treatments (# treatments, duration, product given,
amount given) can be valuable for veterinarians when attempting to determine
changes in health status and response to therapy.
5. Vaccination Protocols –
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
The use of vaccines, as stated above, is to minimize the severity of clinical disease
and boost the pig’s immune system so that it can fight diseases better. Vaccine
questions often asked are, “What should I vaccinate for?”, “Should I vaccinate for
Disease X?”, “That vaccine is expensive, can I just wait and see?” These are not easy
questions to answer for a broad group of farms, because it is dependent on each
farm’s health status, farm type (breeding herd, growing herd, both, etc.), farm
location (locality to other farms, area of the country, etc.) and facilities (outdoor,
indoor, etc.). There are some basic diseases that should be considered for vaccination
on most any farm. It is strongly recommended that you consult with a veterinarian
for specifics on vaccines and vaccination programs that optimize your farm’s health
program.
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Breeding herd –
a. PPV, Leptospirosis, Erysipelas (PLE) (usually as a single combined vaccine) are
diseases that cause significant reproductive and/or systemic disease in breeding
herds. This vaccine is given twice before their first breeding and once prior to
each subsequent breeding event (usually 2 times per year). This would include
boars twice yearly.
b. E. coli and Clostridium are bacteria that cause significant diarrhea in newly born
pigs and are very common on all types of herds. Vaccination of gilts and sows
prior to farrowing (usually twice for gilts at 6 and 3 weeks before farrowing and
sows once at 3 weeks prior) increases antibody in the colostrum and milk and
helps to protect the pigs from these bacteria. There are multiple types of E. coli
and Clostridium so a vaccine must be specific to these subtypes, as there is no
cross-protection.
c. Other vaccines that could be used depending on the status of your herd would be
Atrophic Rhinitis (Pasturella and Bordetella), Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, PCV
Type 2, Ileitis (Lawsonia), PRRS and Swine Influenza.
Growing pig herd –
a. PLE– Commonly given in Midwestern herds, but would depend on the pressure
of the disease in the herd and vaccine strategy of the breeding herd. The timing of
this vaccine is dependent on sow herd vaccination protocol.
b. Ileitis – Depends on the status of your growing herd. This is a live oral vaccine
and needs to be given by mouth or through water system. This vaccine is usually
given after 6 weeks of age.
c. Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and PCV Type 2 – These two pathogens can cause
significant growth retardation and/or mortality in growing pigs. Often the
vaccines are found in combination or a mixture, and are given at a similar time (3
and 6 weeks of age).
d. PRRS – there is much debate on the benefit of this vaccine in smaller and less
challenged herds. The product is usually given to pigs at 3 weeks of age.
6. Treatment Protocols – Most farms will need to have some protocol for treatment
when pigs get sick or prevention of predictable diseases. A common preventative
treatment is the use of injectable iron at processing to prevent baby piglet anemia and
use of injectable penicillin or topical iodine at castration to prevent wound infections.
These are examples of routine treatment protocols. There is also a need for treatment
of sick pigs that may occur over time. A reminder that not all drugs are the same and
do not work for all types of pathogens. Drugs that are more broad spectrum (i.e., are
effective for several types of pathogens) are usually more expensive. Other drugs that
are more specific are usually less expensive, but require better knowledge of the
pathogen involved. This is likened to the “shotgun” versus “rifle” approach. The
most advanced treatment protocols involve the recognition of basic clinical signs and
selection of particular antibiotics related to the most common pathogens associated
with those clinical signs. This can be costly and confusing, but results in a higher
likelihood of success. Less advanced treatment protocols may utilize a single
antibiotic for all types of clinical signs, with maybe a secondary drug if the animals
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Small-Scale and Niche Market Pork Production Conference
do not respond to the first. This program would be more attractive from a cost
savings and simplicity standpoint.
a. Hospital Pens – If animals are grouped together, it is usually a good idea to
separate or segregate sick animals. This is usually done with a “hospital” or
“critical care” pen, where isolation from the other animals and additional care
(e.g., heat source) can be provided. This also helps to slow the transmission
of disease to other animals.
7. Emergency Response
“Chance favors the prepared mind.” ~ Louis Pasteur
What will you do when things go wrong? Having an emergency response plan is
an important part of a health program. Knowing how to respond or who to contact in
the event of an emergency can save you time and money, mitigate potential losses
and calm some of the frustrations. Have an emergency contact list for your farm with
Police, Fire, Rescue, Power/Utility company, feed company and Veterinarian. Know
how to recognize and what your “First Aid” for common issues would be. For
example, if you have an outbreak of severe diarrhea in a group of finishing pigs what
medication would you treat with? Again, this is a broad question and should be
discussed with your veterinarian with specifics to your farm. If you needed to run
medication through the water, do you have it on farm or would you need to go get it?
Where would you get it from?
8. Transportation – Trucks, trailers and livestock haulers should be considered as
moving barns, and thus cleaned with the same thoughts as discussed in “Sanitation”
above. Trailers should be washed and disinfected between loads. If you borrow or
contract trailers for movement or shipping of animals, care should be taken to ensure
a clean unit. Also, a clear understanding of the previous “haul’s” health status should
be considered. This is more of a risk when there is frequent use of the equipment.
The most significant risks of a trailer are: 1) the animals and thus manure/urine from
a previous load, and 2) contact of the trailer to livestock facilities or yards (i.e.,
packing plants, cull/buying stations, other farms).
9. Equipment and Supplies – Equipment can be contaminated with manure, urine, blood,
saliva and other materials. Under ideal conditions, such as short time, cold and damp
weather, pathogens can survive on these materials. Equipment, supplies, and tools
brought onto a farm, used between farms or barns, can transmit disease. These are
often called “fomites” in the literature. For example, borrowing your neighbors front
end loader that he also uses to bury dead animals is a significant risk. Other risks are
tools used on other farms that are brought into your farm. It is not that these pieces of
equipment can’t be brought in, just that you should have some protocol for cleaning
and disinfection of the materials. Visible inspection that they are free of organic
material and disinfection should suffice for most situations. Extensive protocols for
higher health herds also exist.
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10. People and clothes – People, clothes and boots are very common items that come in
and out of farms daily. Many commercial sow farms have adopted a showerin/shower-out policy, whereby employees and visitors take showers before entering
the farm and wear farm provided clothes and boots. This provides a specific barrier
to these risks. While the necessity of showering is debatable, changing of one’s
clothes and boots and at a minimum washing arms and hands has been shown to be
effective in preventing disease between groups of pigs. Many pig companies and
farms have developed a concept of “downtime” for people and visitors. Downtime is
an established amount of nights or days that one must be away from pigs, pig material
and/or other livestock before entering a farm. Usually this is one night, but can be as
many as 5 nights depending on the health statuses of the destination farm and recently
visited farms.
11. Pest Control (rodents, birds, cats & dogs, cockroaches, feral hogs) – There are several
diseases that are transmissible to people through pig meat (Trichinellosis,
Toxoplasmosis, Salmonella). These diseases are a significant focus of state and
federal programs, as well as a main underlying reason why development of
alternative methods of raising pigs was pursued. Most of these diseases have
significant risk factors that involve rodents, cats and feral pigs. In addition, there are
diseases that can be transmitted to pigs from other animals (PRV, Brucellosis,
Tuberculosis, Leptospirosis, Rabies). Significant efforts should be made to eliminate
or minimize the access of these other animals to swine. Baiting programs, trapping,
reduction of habitat, reduction of feed sources, deterrents, etc., are all strategies for
pest control.
12. Mortality Management – One area that is not often considered, but is obvious once
brought to light is how farms manage their mortality disposal. Removal of dead
animals should be done as soon as the animal is found. Several options exist for
disposal depending on your local regulations and services: burial, composting,
incineration, rendering. If mortality is kept on-site, the risk is less, however can still
be a source of contamination of equipment (see Equipment and Supplies), attractant
for wildlife and pests (buzzards, wild dogs, etc.). The pig(s) died from something
right? Rendering is a much larger risk to a farm, due to the fact that the rendering
unit likely travels to multiple sites on a route. If this is the scenario, steps should be
put into place to minimize the risk of tracking disease back into the farm. In most
situations, disposing of mortality should be the last activity of the working day on the
farm.
13. Support Services – While not as much of a risk as the above items, support services
(propane delivery, mail carriers, meter readers, etc.) can be a source of transmission
to a farm if they visit other farms, especially if on a route in the area. Minimizing
contact between these services and the farm should be attempted.
14. Security – General farm security is always important for prevention of theft or
destruction of property. These events can also present a risk of disease transmission.
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Small-Scale and Niche Market Pork Production Conference
II. Disease Recognition and Diagnosis
An important step in managing health is to have a basic understanding of what is normal and
what manifestation of abnormal look like. This section will provide a general overview of
the main types of disease commonly seen in swine.
1. Reproductive – Reproductive failure is a general term for any disease that affects estrus,
fertility, conception, pregnancy, abortions, early farrowing, embryo survival, total born,
born alive, stillborn pigs, mummified fetuses, weak born pigs or irregular returns to
estrus. Diagnosis of reproductive failure is a very complicated process, due to the fact
that many causes can be non-infectious in nature. Diagnosis of reproductive failure can
be very challenging when an obvious cause of disease is not found. Common
reproductive diseases are:
a. PRRS
b. Parvovirus
c. Leptospirosis
d. Swine Influenza
e. PCV2
f. PLE
g. PRV
h. Brucellosis
i. Bacterial infections
2. Enteric – Diseases of the intestinal tract usually result in diarrhea (scours) and are
commonly grouped by age. This is primarily due to changes in immunity, the function of
the gut as pigs age, and diet composition. Losses due to enteric diseases come from
decreased feed conversion, decreased average daily gains, increased variability in growth,
dehydration and death. Common enteric disease by age group are:
a. Breeding Adults
i. Salmonella
ii. Ileitis
iii. Gastric Ulcers
iv. Brachyspira colitis
v. Internal Parasites (whipworms, roundworms)
vi. Transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE)
b. Suckling piglets (0 - 21 days of age)
i. E. coli
ii. Clostridium (Type A, C and difficile)
iii. Rotavirus
iv. TGE
v. Coccidiosis
vi. Salmonella
vii. PRRS
viii. Management: Drafts, chilling, poor milk quality
c. Nursery pigs (3 - 10 weeks age)
i. E. coli
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ii. Rotavirus
iii. Coccidiosis
iv. Salmonella
v. TGE
d. Grow-Finish pigs
i. Ileitis
ii. Salmonella
iii. Brachyspira colitis
iv. Internal Parasites (whipworms, roundworms)
v. Feed ingredients
vi. Gastric Ulcers
3. Respiratory – Diseases of the lungs, upper airways and nose are significant causes of
economic loss in the swine industry. Commonly growing herds experience a syndrome
called Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex (PRDC), whereby several pathogens (a virus
and a bacteria, or two, or three …) interact to cause disease together, making the symptoms
much more severe and difficult to treat. Respiratory disease can be localized to the upper
respiratory tract as with Atrophic Rhinitis, exist in the airspace in the lung (Mycoplasma
pneumonia, Swine Influenza), exist within the lung tissue (PRRS, Pasturella) or exist in the
space between the lungs and the ribcage (Actinobacillus Pleuropneumonia [APP],
Haemophilus parasuis). Respiratory disease can be seen as increased sneezing, coughing,
deep hacking coughing, “barking” or “thumping” in which pigs take short strong breaths
using their abdominal muscles. Common respiratory diseases are:
a. PRRS
b. Swine Influenza
c. PRV
d. Mycoplasma pneumonia
e. Pasturella
f. Bordetella
g. Atrophic Rhinitis (Pasturella and Bordetella together)
h. Laveral migration of parasites through lungs
i. Streptococcus suis
j. Haemophilus parasuis
k. Salmonella cholerasuis
l. APP/actinobacillus suis
m. Ammonia, humidity and/or dust levels
4. Systemic – Systemic disease is where pathogens cause a generalized inflammatory state
throughout the entire body. This is commonly characterized by high fever, lethargy, cold
and/or purplish extremities (ears, nose, feet, tail, belly). Systemic disease can also
manifest in many ways depending on which organ or body system is infected: brain =
neurologic, joints = lameness, lung = respiratory, etc. Often these diseases occur so
quickly that unless recognized and treated immediately, pigs will die from fever and/or
dehydration. Common systemic diseases are:
a. PRRS
b. Pseudorabies
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c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
Streptococcus suis
Haemophilus parasuis
Salmonella
APP/ actinobacillus suis
E. coli
5. Neurological – Diseases that affect the brain or spinal cord are common in swine. These
diseases usually require immediate attention or death will soon follow. Signs of
neurologic disease are “paddling” in which the pigs lay on their side with head tilted back
and move their feet like they are swimming, walking in circles, head raised up and back,
uncommon eye movements, incoordination when walking and “dog sitting”. Common
diseases that cause neurological signs are:
a. Streptococcus suis
b. Haemophilus parasuis
c. E. coli (Edema disease)
d. Water deprivation or Salt Toxicity
e. PRV
f. PRRS
g. Arsenic toxicity
h. Abcesses from severe tail biting
i. Lightning strike
6. Skin – Disease that affect the skin of swine are either from an external disease process
(mange, ringworm, “greasy pig”, sunburn) or internal process (Erysipelas, PCV2). This
distinction is important as treatments are often determined to be topical or injectable in
nature. Common causes of skin disease in swine are:
a. Mange
b. Lice
c. Greasy Pig (Staph hyicus)
d. Ringworm
e. Pseudo-ringworm
f. PCV2 (also known as Porcine Dermatitis and Nephropathy Syndrome [PDNS])
g. Erysipelas (“Diamond Skin Disease”)
h. Sunburn
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Small-Scale and Niche Market Pork Production Conference
References and Resources
Iowa Pork Industry Center
Niche Pork Production Handbook: www.ipic.iastate.edu/publications.html
Local and national extension offices
Virginia: www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/category/swine.html
North Carolina: www.cals.ncsu.edu/an_sci/extension/swine/Default.htm
Iowa: www.ipic.iastate.edu/
Ohio: porkinfo.osu.edu/
National Organizations
National Pork Board: www.pork.org
National Pork Producers Council: www.nppc.org
Websites
The Pig Site: www.thepigsite.com
US Pork Center of Excellence: www.usporkcenter.org
Pork Niche Market Working Group: www.leopold.iastate.edu/pork-niche-marketworking-group
Magazines
Pork Magazine: www.porknetwork.com
National Hog Farmer: nationalhogfarmer.com
Books
Pork Industry Handbook -Available for purchase at:
usporkcenter.org/ResourcesAndOpportunities/512/PorkIndustryHandbook.aspx
Handbook of Pig Medicine by Peter Jackson and Peter Cockcroft (approx $125)
Pig Ailments Recognition and Treatment by Mark White (approx $25)
Raising Healthy Pigs on Small Farms by D. Earle Goodman (approx $15)
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Small-Scale and Niche Market Pork Production Conference
Table 2. Common injectable drugs used in swine and key label indications.
Drug*
Dose
Label Condition
Prescription†
Comment
Penicillin
1 cc per 100
Erysipelas
No
Often used at 1cc/20 lbs.
lbs.
for general disease issues
Ampicillin
Depends on
Respiratory, Urinary,
Yes
Not labeled for swine
mix
Skin
Oxytetracycline 1 ml per 22
Pasturella pneumonia
No
Different concentrations
lbs. (200 mg
exist
bottle)
Tylosin
1 ml per 12.5 Mycoplasma arthritis,
No
Different concentrations
lbs. (50 mg
Pasturella pneumonia,
exist
bottle); 1 ml
Erysipelas, Dysentery
per 50 lbs.
Can be used for
(200 mg
Clostridial scours with
bottle)
prescription
Lincomycin
1 ml per 5 lbs. Infectious Arthritis
No
Different concentrations
(25 mg/ml
(lameness)
exist
bottle); 1 ml
per 20 lbs.
(100 mg/ml
bottle); 1 ml
per 60 lbs.
(300 mg/ml
bottle)
Ceftiofur
1 ml per 30
Strep suis,
Yes
Different formulations in
lbs. (Naxcel,
H parasuis,
Excede, Naxcel, Excenel
Excenel)
Pasturella, APP, +/and generics
Salmonella
1 ml per 44
cholerasuis
lbs. (Excede)
Gentamicin
1 ml per pig
Colibacillosis
(E.
No
Limited to use in
coli)
suckling pigs
Tulathromycin
1 ml per 88
Mycoplasma
Yes
lbs.
pneumonia,
H
parasuis, Pasturella,
APP
Ivermectin
1 ml per 75
Roundworms,
No
Variable efficacy on
lbs.
lungworms, lice and
internal parasites
mange
*CAUTION: Antibiotic withdrawal should always be followed for any product in swine intended
for food. Withdrawals depend highly on manner in which the product is used and market(s)
animals are sold into. Consult with your veterinarian on required withdrawal times for products
you use.
†Assumes product is used per label. Off-label use of any product requires a prescription.
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