84. Locomotor diseases in sows Flashcards
What are the locomotor diseases in swine?
Osteoporosis
Oseochondrosis
osteochondrosis dissecans
Epiphyseolysis
Osteoporosis metabolic origin?
Osteoporosis
Metabolic origin
- Ca, P, Vitamin D deficiency
- Energy/ protein deficiency
- During lactation PTH mobilizes Ca from the bones (in sows at the end of the lactation, at weaning or around
breeding, in gilts during first lactation- growth and milk production)
Pathogenesis of osteoporosis?
PTH incr
o Bone weight decreases= porous, thin bones= fractures
Clinical signs osteoporosis?
- Stiff gait or sudden severe lameness, weakness, or paralysis of the hindquarters
- Fractures of the pelvis, femur, or lumbosacral vertebrae
Necropsy findings osteoporosis?
- Trabecular bone decreases- femur- femoral neck fracture
- Corticalis bone thickness decreases- estimation: on the transverse cut of the 6th rib the amount of cortex/
total surface area <0.2
• Articular cartilage and physis are intact
Diagnosis and prevention of osteoporosis?
Diagnosis
- Cortical bone thickness estimation
- Measurement of bone density
Prevention
• Nutrition
Osteochondrosis definition?
Osteochondrosis
Definition
- Disturbance of endochondral ossification- cartilage remains in the bone tissue- vulnerable
- Usually affects multiple joints
- Usually, symmetrical
- Sites of lesions
o The growth plates (physis) and the epiphyseal cartilage of the articular- epiphyseal cartilage complex
(AECC)
Ethiology of osteochondrosis?
Etiology
• Multifactorial
• Disturbance of the blood vessels supporting the growing cartilage
• Genetic background
• Rapid growth- closing of growth plates depends on age, not bodyweight
• Nutrition
Predisposing factors of Osteochondrosis?
Can remain unnoticed- on some farms 94% of sows went to slaughter can be affected without signs
Clinical problem of fattening pigs and young sows (4-18 months) in rapidly growing breeds
Predisposing factors
- Rapid weight-gain
- Ad libitum feeding of gilts, early breeding
- Strain associated with breeding or transportation
Clinical signs of osteochondrosis?
Clinical signs
• Lameness (multiple limbs, often symmetric)
• Abnormal gait
• Dog-like sitting posture (detachment of the tuber ischii), paralysis of the hindquarters (bilateral detachment
of the head of the femur)
Treatment of osteochondrosis?
Treatment
- Not economical in sows
- Boar- rest, meloxicam
Osteochondrosis dissecans pathogenesis?
Osteochondrosis Dissecans
Pathogenesis
- Loss of blood supply in epiphyseal cartilage
- Necrosis- only seen microscopically- osteochondrosis latens
- Endochondral ossification does not happen in the necrotized area- osteochondrosis manifesta
- Trauma- articular cartilage over the necrotized tissue is damaged (clefting), clefts might detach (cartilage
fragment mouse)- osteochondrosis dissecans
• If there is not trauma, the necrotic tissue is gradually replaced by bone
Young breeding gilts/sows
Distal end of the humerus and femur
Clinical signs and treatment of osteochondrosis dissecans?
Clinical signs
- There can be no acute clinical signs
- Lameness- difficult healing- often turns into degenerative lesions
Treatment
- Culling
- Valuable breeding animals- NSAID’s
Epiphyseolysis Ethiology?
Epiphyseolysis
Etiology
• Separation of the epiphysis from the metaphysis due to the formation of a horizontal fissure through an
abnormal physis- cause is unknown, it is suspected to be secondary to an extensive area, or to multifocal
coalescing areas, or physeal osteochondrosis
Epiphyseolysis affected groups?
Affected groups
- Gilts and fattening pigs- detachment of the head of the femur
- Sows- detachment of the tuber ischii (often bilateral)- weakness or paralysis of the hindquarters- around
farrowing
