Farm Skills: Pet pigs Flashcards
What legal documentation is required by everyone who keeps pigs?
- County parish holding (CPH) number from the Rural Payments Agency (RPA)
- Must inform APHA that there are pigs on the premises within 30 days of first pig arriving
- Will be issued a herd mark: 1 or 2 letters followed by 4 digits
- Pigs must be identifiable (especially if they are being moved) via tag / tattoo / mark
- Need a licence from APHA to walk pig outside of home / premises
Normal temperature adult pig
38-39°C
Normal temperature growing pig
39-40°C
Normal HR adult pig
60-90bpm
Normal HR grower pig
100-120bpm
Normal RR adult pig
10-20 breaths/min
Normal RR grower pig
24-36 breaths/min
Differetials for jaundice
- Postweaning multisystemic syndrome
- Hepatic cirrhosis
- Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae
Atropic rhinitis: cause, clinical signs, spread and treatment
Atrophic rhinitis
Causative agent: Bordetella bronchiseptica ± Pasteurella multocida
Clinical signs
* Sneezing
* Bloody nose
* Distortion of nose
* Epistaxis
Contagious spread. Also zoonotic - Bordetella is a human pathogen too.
Treatment:
* Tetracyclines (PO), tulathromycin (IM)
* NSAIDS e.g. meloxicam IM
* Increase humidity
Vaccine available.
Swine influenza: clinical signs, spread, and treatment
Swine influenza
Swine influenza virus
Clinical signs
* Sneezing and nasal discharge
* Non-productive cough
* Pyrexia (this can lead to abortion)
* Tachypnoea
* Anorexia
* Reluctance to move
* Can be fatal
Spreads very quickly around farm by pig to pig contact. Zoonotic potential!
Treatment
* No effective treatment
* Antibiotics e.g. tetracyclines (PO or IM) to control secondary infection
* NSAIDs e.g. meloxicam IM
Vaccine possible but will not cover new emerging strains.
Pneumonia: clinical signs, treatment, prevention
Pneumonia
Variety of causes including Mycoplasma hyopnuemoniae, Pasteurella, Actinobacillus
Clinical signs
* Coughing
* Lethargy
* Pyrexia
* Dyspnoea
* Sudden death
* Actinobacillus: carrier status with no clinical signs possible
Treatment
* Antibiotics: Mycoplasma -> doxycycline PO, Pasteurella -> tetracyclines or macrolides
* NSAIDs e.g. meloxicam IM
Vaccines available
When should you treat an outbreak of diarrhoea with antibiotics?
- When there is moderate-severe diarrhoea in piglets <1 week old
- When there is systemic / severe disease
- When there is mortality in the group
Colibacillosis (E. coli diarrhoea): cause, clinical signs, treatment, prevention
Colibacillosis (E. coli diarrhoea)
Cause: feed and water contamination, failure of passive transfer. More common in young pigs / neonates.
Clinical signs
* 0-4 days old: watery yellow diarrhoea, sudden death
* 4-10 days old: pasty yellow faeces, some vomiting, signs of dehydration. Some sudden death.
* 3-5 days post-weaning: acute and chronic diarrhoea leading to dehydration and death; ill thift.
Diagnosis: submit rectal swab, intestinal contents or tissues.
Treatment
* Electrolytes / fluids
* If systemically unwell: injectable antibiotics. Otherwise oral. Options: tiamulin, neomycin, apramycin, sulphonamides.
* Supportive nursing care
* Clean diarrhoea promptly, clean equipment (e.g. syringe for feeding) between pigs, clean hands and dip boots between pens etc.
Vaccine available for pregnant sows
Salmonella enterocolitis: cause, clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment
Salmonella enterocolitis
ZOONOTIC!
Salmonella tymphomurium/ choleraesuis
Spread via contamination e.g. of waste feed, and pig to pig spread.
Clinical signs
* Pyrexia
* Lethargy
* Signs of sepsis (e.g. discolouration of extremities)
* Diarrhoea ± blood ± mucus
* Weaners most commonly affected but can be any age
Diagnosis: isolation of organism from caecum, colon, possibly ileum.
Treatment
* Water and electrolytes
* Consider probiotics to restore gut flora
* Antibiotics: apramycin, gentamycin (do not use in dehydrated animals due to risk of renal failure)
* NSAIDs e.g. meloxicam IM
* Supportive nursing care
Vaccination available
Causes and treatment of constipation
Causes
* Foreign body
* Reduced water intake
Treatment
* Increase water intake via fruits and flavoured water (monitor calorie intake)
* Mineral oil/ stool softener - do not force feed due to risk of aspiration
* Enemas
* Imaging needed if FB ± surgery considered
When should you castrate a pig?
- Before puberty if at all possible
- Entire boars can have undesirable behaviour e.g. aggression, sexual behaviour, territorial marking
- Pot-bellied pigs enter puberty as early as 3 months
How long should you fast a pig before sedation/ GA?
Piglets: 1-3 hours
Adults: 6-12 hours
True/false: pet pigs are still considered food-producing animals under law.
True
* (EU) 37/2010 regulations detailing drug use in food producing species apply even though they are pets
What drugs could you use to sedate / GA a pig?
- Protocol 1: ketamine + butorphanol + xylazine
- Protocol 2: ketamine + butorphanol + detomidine
You can use ketamine or the alpha-2 agonists for top-ups.
Complications of GA in a pig
- Airway obstruction
- Malignant hyperthermia
- Delayed recovery - cannot use reversal agents
Where can you get IV access on a pig?
Can go for marginal ear veins
Also: lateral saphenous (hock), medial saphenous (thigh), cephalic, jugular
You want to castrate some piglets aged 10-14 days old. What is your anaesthetic protocol?
- Local anaesthesia - do not go up to/exceed 5mg/kg lidocaine (this is the toxic dose)
- Manual restraint
You want to castrate some piglets aged 4-6 months old. What is your anaesthetic protocol?
- Piglet in lateral recumbency under injectable anaesthesia e.g. ketamine + butorphanol + xylazine
- Local anaesthesia: lidocaine (5 mg/kg = toxic dose)
- NSAIDs: meloxicam (IM), ketoprofen (IM)
How could you induce parturition in the sow?
- PGF2a and oxytocin
- PGF2a - increases uterus contractility - given at day 111-112
- Oxytocin - decreases dispersions between births (all piglets born in 3 hr window) - given 20-24hrs after PGF2a
When do you need to examine the farrowing sow?
- If >1hr between piglets
- If >4hrs total, there will be an increase in neonatal mortality rate
- Walk the sow after farrowing to stimulation urination, defecation and increase appetite
- Ensure piglets get colostrum: provide immunoglobulins and has laxative effect
- Remember piglets are v sensitive to low temperatures as they have no brown fat
Common renal / urinary diseases in pigs
- Glomerulonephritis
- Embolic nephritis
- Interstitial nephritis
- Cystitis
- Urolithiasis
- Worms e.g. Staphanurus dentatus
- Chronic kidney failure in older animals
Possible causes of embolic nephritis
- Actinobacillus suis
- Streptococcus suis
- Other streptococci; staphylococci
- E. coli
- Erysipelothrix rhusopatuae
- Truepyrella pyogenes
Causes of interstitial nephritis
- Leptospirosis
- PCV2 infection
Clinical signs and treatment of cystitis, urolithiasis
Clinical signs
* Frequent urination
* Straining to urinate
Treatment of cystitis
* Antibiotics: penicillin, ampicillin IM
Treatment of urolithiasis
* Imaging
* Cystocentesis
* Medical or surgical removal of stones (e.g. catheterisation, cystotomy)
Can vaccinate for lepto (lepto is ZOONOTIC!)
Clinical signs and diagnosis of chronic kidney disease / failure
- Signalment: older animals
- Clinical signs: lethargy, inappetance, ammonia smell on breath
- Diagnosis: urinalysis, biochemistry
- Treatment: symptomatic
How often should you trim tusks? How do they grow?
- Tusks are hyposodont
- Trim once or twice a year
Clinical signs of CNS disease in pigs
- Pyrexia
- Depression
- Lack of coordination / ataxia
- Abnormal sitting / dog-sitting / posture changes
- Head tilt
- Abnormal gait
- Circling
- Abnormal eye movement
- Seizures
Pathogenesis, clinical signs and treatment of salt poisoning
Pathogenesis:
* No water for extended hours then sudden water consumption OR ingestion of high volumes of high salt feed
Clinical signs
* Seizures
* Walking aimlessly
* Blindness
* Abnormal sitting posture
Treatment
* Gradual rehydration, carefully controlled so as to reduce brain swelling
Differentials for the pig presenting with CNS signs
- Bacterial meningitis
- Heat stress
- Salt poisoning
Common skin conditions in pet pigs
- Dry skin
- Mange
- Sunburn
- Erysipelas
Treatment of dry skin
- Rule out other differentials first
- Moistening lotions e.g. aloe vera should be applied
- Remove any large flakes with a wet towel
- Supplement feed with oils (monitor calorie intake)
- Allow for a wallowing hole
Treatment of mange in pigs
- Typically caused by Sarcoptes scabiei var suis
- Clinical signs: itching, scratching, open sores, licking
- Change bedding and disinfect
- Injectable avermectins; may require second injection
Disease and treatment?
Erysipelas
Penicillin IM
ZOONOTIC!
Treatment of sunburn
- Provide NSAIDs
- Provide shelter, suncream, wallows
Vaccines for pet pigs
All ages: Erysipelas every 6 months (after initial course)
Breeding gilts and sows:
* Parvovirus - vaccinate before breeding
* Piglets enteritis / E. coli - vaccinate 3-6 weeks before farrowing
* PMWS and PCV-2 used in commercial units but rarely in pet pigs
