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Y4 FA - Pigs > Farrowing management and the young piglet > Flashcards

Farrowing management and the young piglet Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 4 main aims of during farrowing?

A
  • Increase numbers of live weaned pigs
  • More even litters
  • Increase average weaning weight
  • Avoid excessive loss of sow condition
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2
Q

What is the trigger for farrowing?

A

The foetuses

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3
Q

Once the foetuses have initiated farrowing, describe the changes that occur in the sow

A
  • Decreased progesterone, increased oxytocin
  • Myometrial contractions – she begins to feel uncomfortable
  • Nesting behaviour – 24-36hrs before farrowing
  • Discomfort
  • Stressful
  • ↓ appetite
  • Milk appearance
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4
Q

Milk appearance begins how long before farrowing?

A

7-8days prior

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5
Q

What are the key steps in farrowing preparation?

A
  • Correct feeding during the dry period: Extra fat -> narrowing of the pelvic canal
  • Accurate records: know when they are due to farrow
  • Cleaning & disinfection of the farrowing house
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6
Q

Describe the key points of cleaning and disinfection of the farrowing house

A
  • Remove infection carry over from batch to batch
  • Animals, dust, faeces, grease
  • Clean down, pre-soak, detergent use (to lift grease off surfaces), pressure wash, disinfect
  • DRY DRY DRY!
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7
Q

How can you tell when dystocia is happening, what is normal?

A

No piglet for over 30m – straining
Normal = every 10-15 mins

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8
Q

What are the two main reasons for dystocia in pigs?

A

Obstruction – rare unless something has occurred during management e.g. too fat or pelvic collapse (due to not being fed properly as a gilt)
Inertia – straining that has gone unnoticed -> lack of energy

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9
Q

Describe primary inertia and its causes

A

Uncommon
Overconditioned
Lack of muscular tone
Hypocalcaemia
Concurrent illness
Endocrine malfunction

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10
Q

Describe secondary inertia and its causes

A

Most common
- Exhaustion
- Dehydration
- Excessive heat
- Prolonged obstruction (hypocalcaemia)

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11
Q

Describe the causes of foetal dystocia in pigs

A
  • Obstructions are actually rare
  • Coiled uterus -> backup of fetuses
  • Oversized usually in small litter numbers – tend to farrow late
  • Congenital abnormalities
  • Putrefying dead fetus: usually occurs post farrowing
  • Malpresentations: exceedingly rare since designed to come out!
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12
Q

How else can farrowing problems occur?

A
  1. Uterine twists – getting sow to stand can resolve this
  2. Operator induced - Uterine ruptures, pelvic / vaginal damage
  3. Collapsed / narrow pelvis
  4. Everted bladder / vaginal prolapse
  5. Oxytocin overdose (carbetocin caveat)
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13
Q

Describe intervening in farrowing - when to do it and the issues with it

A
  • Full standard history
  • Previous tries / treatment?
  • Examination (plenty of lube – hygiene)
  • If not easily rectified then don’t persevere for ever…
  • Cannot reach all of the piglets – one arm length = 1/3 of the uterine body/horns
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14
Q

How should piglets be manually removed?

A
  • Fingers into eye sockets or jaw to pull – use of baler twine can be useful where the pelvis is tight
  • Possibly need to sacrifice the piglet if not successful quickly – especially if there are more piglets behind this one
  • Due to their nature, pigs are robust and will often survive a retained (especially macerated) piglet if given time and treatment
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15
Q

Describe the possible treatments to give to pigs following a difficult farrowing

A
  • Once clear i.e. no blockage in the pelvic canal: oxytocin or carbetocin (beware the dose – always low)
  • Antibiotics if assisted or retained piglet / membranes (simple penicillin)
  • Anti-inflammatories +/- analgesia (NSAID or steroid)
  • Calcium: not clear cut benefit
  • PGF2a: induction (careful) or post farrowing for retained
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16
Q

When are caesareans indicated?

A

If totally unresponsive to inertia or obstruction

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17
Q

Which drugs are used for sedation in pigs for a c-section?

A

Azaperone, or xylazine / butorphanol

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18
Q

Which drug is used for GA in pigs for a c-section?

A

Ketamine

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19
Q

Describe performing a c-section in a sow

A
  • Flank incision either side, around 10cm above udder and cranial to hindleg – extend for 20-25cm. Difficult to manipulate opposite uterine horn, but persevere
  • Euthanasia + hysterectomy an alternative – in severe cases where the mother is very stressed
  • No need to rush – up to 10 minutes to get piglets out
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20
Q

List the main post-farrowing complications in pigs

A

Prolapses are more likely to occur around farrowing

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21
Q

Compare the treatment of rectal, vaginal and uterine prolapses in pigs

A
  • Rectal: if fresh can replace, otherwise will resolve with time
  • Vaginal: often able to work through if assisting
  • Uterine: enormous! Difficult to replace – take time and be patient if attempting. Can remove (!) but often euthanasia is carried out once colostrum has been obtained
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22
Q

Why is milk so important?

A
  • Colostrum
  • Total weaning weight of litter is linked to total milk production
  • Total milk production is linked to total food intake during lactation
  • Piglets want to grow!
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23
Q

What are some problems with milking?

A

Agalactia vs mastitis (all or individual glands)
Unavailability (behaviour – disease)
Piglets unable to obtain milk
Energy balance before farrowing is very important

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24
Q

How can you determine agalactia vs mastitis in a sow?

A

Need to give her oxytocin and then see if she lets milk down to determine this

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25
Q

MMA syndrome stands for?

A

Mastitis, metritis, agalactia

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26
Q

How is MMA syndrome managed?

A

Managemental in origin, and not all parts always seen
Environment (temperatures, floor quality, wetness)
Nutrition (pre farrow excess, constipation)
Water availability

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27
Q

Why does milking need to be monitored?

A

Milk production can easily be lost – does not return
Cross fostering / supplementation important
Nutrition has an enormous influence
Can have infection that gives further complications

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28
Q

Why drugs are used in the management/treatment of milking problems

A
  • Anti-inflammatories (steroid for choice – allows milk to flow quickly)
  • Oxytocin (or carbetocin)
  • Antibiotics (broad spectrum – penicillin / streptomycin)
  • Piglets (must maintain their energy to suck): colostrum substitutes – carbohydrate based
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29
Q

List some other problems that occur in sows around the farrowing period

A
  • Stalling on nutrition vs ad lib
  • Savaging
  • Abandonment / doubling up in arcs
  • Teat damage: piglets milk deciduous teeth
  • Stress – environmental
30
Q

Describe savaging in sows and how to prevent it

A
  • Often down to mis-management
  • Gilts that don’t understand what is happening: pain on farrowing linked to piglets produced
  • Need to provide pain relief to sows to help prevent this
31
Q

What are the aims of piglet management

A

Reduce mortality
Maximise milk intake
Maximise weaning weights

32
Q

Define a stillborn piglet

A

One that has died in the 24hrs before farrowing

33
Q

List some causes of death in piglets

A
  • Before or during birth
  • Poor viability
  • Laid on
  • Starve
  • Weak or splayed leg
  • Disease
  • Savaged
34
Q

How does birth weight of piglets link to their survival

A

Less than 0.7Kg = <40% survival to day 21
0.9Kg = 60% survival to day 21
1.1Kg = 80% survival to day 21
1.3Kg = 90+% survival to day 21

35
Q

Describe the long term management of piglets considerations

A

Creep feeding
Routines
Vaccinations

36
Q

Describe the gut development in piglets after birth

A

Within the first 3 weeks of life the gut:
- grows in length by 200%
- grows in weight by 300%
- grows in volume by 600%

37
Q

Name 6 ‘routine’ procedures for piglets

A

Iron injections
Tagging / notching / tattooing
Tail docking
Teeth reduction
Injections – vaccines / treatments (why?)
Oral treatments

38
Q

List the causes of scour in piglets

A
  • Often triggered by another factor: Environment, hygiene, lack of colostrum
  • Fostering can exacerbate an issue
  • Gilts/sows need to have robust immunity
39
Q

Name the 2 non-infectious scours of piglets

A

Milk scour
Nutritional scour

40
Q

Describe the main features of milk scour

A

Often either very early on, or from 3rd week of age
GIT overload to large intestine
Self-limiting

41
Q

Describe the main features of nutritional scour

A

Creep feed gut mismatch
Usually self-limiting
May need to withdraw creep

42
Q

List 4 viral infectious causes of scour in piglets

A
  • Rotavirus
  • Porcine epidemic diarrhoea
  • Transmissible gastroenteritis
  • Porcine reproductive and respiratory virus
43
Q

How do viral scour infections generally present in piglets

A
  • Hugely profuse amounts of watery scour – very early onset
  • Small intestinal villous atrophy
  • Mortality is related to dehydration
  • Secondary bacterial infection common
44
Q

Why are viral scour infections difficult to treat directly?

A

Need to increase immunity, increase hygiene

45
Q

Describe the main features of rotavirus infections in piglets

A
  • Environmental and pig population persistence is high
  • No cross immunity between the 4 strains that affect pigs
  • Can present post weaning, but mortality is reduced significantly
  • Often ends up with secondary infections e.g. E.coli
  • Rarely a cause of mortality alone
  • Difficult to control
46
Q

How are rotavirus infections of piglets treated?

A
  • Affected pigs need hydration support
  • Hygiene improvements
  • Environmental control – reduce chilling
  • Immune boost: commercial vaccine available under SIC – varying response
47
Q

Porcine Epidemic Diarrheoa (PED) and Transmissible GastroEnteritis (TGE) are both in which group of viruses?

A

Coronaviruses

48
Q

How do Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea and Transmissible GastroEnteritis affect piglets?

A
  • Profuse watery scour with vomiting
  • New variant PED has very high (100%) mortality under 3 weeks of age
  • Affects all ages, and can be self-limiting
  • Notifiable ‘light’ in England & Wales – not currently present in the UK
49
Q

How does PRRS affect piglets?

A
  • Large syndrome: piglet scour only a part
  • Often only really apparent in new herd breakdowns
  • Weak piglets are present, often with conjunctivitis, bruising & anaemia.
  • Scour is reported as sometimes containing blood
  • Linked with viraemia at birth, hence in utero infection
  • The pattern for PRRS infections on farms is complex
  • Some evidence of similarities to BVD infection patterns
  • Modulates immune system response
50
Q

Name two causes of bacterial scour in piglets

A

E.coli
Clostridium perfingens - type C and A

51
Q

How do piglets with E.coli infections present?

A
  • Can present at any point during lactation, but usually within the first week
  • Watery scour often present, although can be flocculant / creamy – no vomiting usually
  • More common indoors, though chilled arcs can predispose to when outside
52
Q

Which litters are predisposed to E.coli infections?

A

Gilt litters

53
Q

Describe the treatment for E.coli infections in piglets

A
  • Speedy treatment is imperative (hydration, antibiotics – oral / injectable)
  • Antibiotic choice based on sensitivity (apramycin, spectinomycin, TMPS, (CIAs))
  • Vaccination of breeding herd (short term cover via colostrum – only lasts a few days for E.coli infections)
  • Other measures (dry disinfectant powders, probiotics / yoghurt)
54
Q

Clostridium perfingens type C produces?

A

b toxin

55
Q

Describe piglets infections with Clostridium perfingens type C

A
  • Sudden death within 24h due to acute haemorrhagic enteritis
  • Usually seen outdoors, although can be indoors
56
Q

How can you treat Clostridium perfingens type C in piglets?

A
  • Type C can only be treated pre-emptively at birth - i.e. metaphylactically
  • Penicillins are usually effective
  • Longer term, vaccination should be employed
57
Q

Clostridium perfingens type A produces?

A

a & b2 toxins

58
Q

Describe piglets infections with Clostridium perfingens type A

A

Seen as a pasty scour any time during lactation, giving poor growth

59
Q

How can you treat Clostridium perfingens type A in piglets?

A
  • Difficult to control and treat: penicillins can work, but variable – maintain hydration
  • Prevention can be short term metaphylaxis, or a combined vaccination is now licensed
60
Q

How do piglets with coccidiosis present?

A

Usually affects piglets from 10-21 days of age with a pasty yellow looseness

61
Q

How is coccidiosis in piglets diagnosed?

A

Isospora suis can be identified within the gut wall, causing physical damage to the lining

62
Q

How is coccidiosis in piglets treated?

A
  • Does not respond to treatment
  • Resolves at weaning, but huge impact on weaning weight
  • Hygiene is so important
  • C&D challenging since the oocysts are difficult to kill
63
Q

How can you reduce the impact of coccidiosis?

A

Hygiene is the main method of control
Oral toltrazuril treatment at ~4 days of age can resolve clinical impact – timings may need altering on certain farms, with a second dose sometimes needed one week later

64
Q

Name the most common nervous disease of piglets

A

Bacterial meningitis

65
Q

How does bacterial meningitis occur?

A

Often results due to bacterial penetration through ‘openings’ – navel, wounds, teeth clipping, tail docking

66
Q

Name the 3 most common bacterial causes of bacterial meningitis

A

Streptococcus suis
Escherichia coli
Glaesserella parasuis

67
Q

How do piglets with meningitis present?

A
  • Can affect any age during lactation, although usually nearer to weaning
  • Range of clinical signs, including nystagmus, opisthotonos, pyrexia, convulsions, and sudden death
68
Q

How is bacterial meningitis in piglets treated and controlled?

A

Treatment must address the swollen brain – steroids are quickest, along with antibiotics systemically – hydration is also important
Control is through good hygiene and colostrum management of the litters

69
Q

Name the 5 forms of congenital tremors in piglets

A

A1 – cerebellar atrophy – CSF infection
A2 – cerebellar atrophy and hypomyelinogenesis – pestivirus infection
A3 – Landrace inherited to male piglets
A4 – Saddleback recessive inherited defect
A5 – cerebellar atrophy and hypomyelinogenesis – organophosphate effect

70
Q

Describe the main features of A2 - cerebellar atrophy and hypomyelinogenesis

A
  • Intention tremor that occurs sporadically
  • Often more prevalent in gilts or new herds
  • Recovery often occurs naturally, as long as they can suckle
  • Splay leg piglets can be seen as well
71
Q

Describe the causes of lameness in piglets

A
  1. Joint ill – often associated with bacteraemia from an ‘opening’
  2. Splayleg – variable in onset and cause – can be supported to enable suckling
  3. Injuries – caught toes can be common on certain floors.
  4. Injuries from mum can also give trauma and / or infection that leads to lameness
72
Q

Name 5 congenital abnormalities of piglets

A

Cleft pallet
Epithliogenesis imperfecta
Hydrocephalus
Contracted tendons
Monsters

Y4 FA - Pigs (10 decks)

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