Lecture 18: Swine 2 Nursing and Piglet Health Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 4 things that happen during “piglet processing” that contribute to piglet health?

A

-Iron administration
-Clio needle teeth
-Castrate males
-Dock tails

*Analgesics are provided as per the code of practice

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2
Q

Explain why and how iron administration is done in piglets?

A

-Usually injected sometimes oral (but doesn’t absorb that well)
-Prevents anemia (sows milk is low in iron)

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3
Q

Why and how is clipping needle teeth done in piglets?

A

-Sharp teeth used when fighting for teat
-Prevents injury/disease
-Prevents/helps reduce greasy pigs which is caused by opportunistic bacteria Ince skin is cut by teeth allows bacteria to enter and create issues
-Performed on an on farm basis or as needed

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4
Q

Why is male castration done?

A

-Prevents boar taint
-Offensive odour and taste from andostenone and skatole (can also immunocastrate or slaughter before this hormone is more present)

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5
Q

Why is tail docking done?

A

-Helps reduce/prevent tail biting
-Leaving the tail long isn’t the only reason for tail butting also dominate, feed composition

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6
Q

What are the nursing piglet production targets? Be specific

A

Parameters (Targets)

-Birth weight. (1.5kg)
-Pre-weaning mortality (<10% farm level target)
-Weaning age (variable, average 21 days of age)
-Weaning weight (5-8kg/pig depending on age, litter size)

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7
Q

What are pre-weaning mortality targets? What are major causes?

A

-Targets should be <10%

Major causes:
-Management factors
*Crushing
*Chilling
*Starvation
-Disease (diarrhea is #1 CAUSE IN THIS AGE GROUP)

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8
Q

What is piglet crushing and how is it prevented?

A

-Use of farrowing crates
-Non-slip flooring under sow
-Intervention from farm staff
-Physical separation

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9
Q

What is piglet chilling and how is it prevented?

A

-Piglets ~1.5kg at birth limited fat stores

Prevention
-Provide supplemental heat, creep area
Mats in crates
-Warm up cold piglets - dry them, warming box (dry powder)
-Sow and piglet are much different in size and have different needs so balance of not causing heat stress in the sow but making sure the piglet isn’t chilling

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10
Q

How is piglet starvation prevented?

A

-Attend farrowing- make sure small/ weak-born pigs are nursing
-Split-suckle remove large pigs for short period so small pigs can nurse (can have crates to separate bigger pigs to allow smaller ones to nurse)
-Cross-fostering to ensure enough teats for number of piglets, sick sow or not milking well (disadvantage is pathogen transfer so not always recommended)

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11
Q

What are infectious causes of piglet diarrhea?

A

-Colibacllosis
-Swine enteric coronavirus diseases (SCED)
*Transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE)
*Porcine epidemic Diarrhea (PED)
-Coccidiosis

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12
Q

Why is watching for clinical signs of diarrhea important?

A

-Diarrhea due to various agents begins at different times in the pigs life
-The age/timing of the easiest start of clinical signs helps to determine the causal agent

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13
Q

What is the agent causing Colibacillosis?

A

-Agent E. Coli = Escherichia coli
-E. coli are normal inhabitants of gastrointestinal track (GIT)
-Pathogenic and non-pathogenic E. coli
-Must have the pathogenic E.Coli present ex Enterotoxigenic E. coli=ETEC
-Produces Enterotoxins which cause problems

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14
Q

What is the pathogenesis of Colibacillosis?

A

-Fecal oral route of transmission, direct, fomites
-Attachment to villi of small intestine (has to have attachment to villi receptors which is genetic some pigs have it others don’t)
-Colonization of villi of small intestine
-Bacteria produce enterotoxins
-Excess fluid secretion into lumen

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15
Q

What are clinical signs of Colibacillosis?

A

-Watery to creamy diarrhea that can begin within hours of birth (<12hours of age)
-Piglets become dehydrated and weak (fluid is sequestered in GIT)
-More common in guilt litters (relating to immunity and colostrum)
-Morbidity and mortality rates can be high

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16
Q

How is colibacillosis controlled?

A
  1. Maximize lactogenic immunity
    -Vaccinate sows prior to farrowing (vax gilts twice, sows once either commercial (killed) bacterin, or autogenous vax $$ which is strain and farm specific)
    -Reduce culling rates of sows (have > immune system to give to piglets)
  2. Minimize challenge
    -All-in/all-out farrowing rooms
    -Clean and disinfect b/w groups
    -Perforated floors (help fecal matter drop down easier to clean)
  3. Keep piglets warm
    -Chilling reduces: gut motility, suckling activity
  4. Minimize transmission
    -Wash hands after handling piglets with diarrhea- handle litters with diarrhea last
    -Dont cross foster
17
Q

What are the agents causing SCED?

A

-Coronaviruses
-Transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEv) and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv)
-Heat labile (room temp)
-Very stable when frozen (can I’ve in snow)
-Seasonal disease- highest incidence in winter months

18
Q

What is pathogenesis of SCED?

A

-Fecal-oral (or nasal) route
-Severe villous atrophy in neonates (more severe in neonates vs older pigs) —> Malabsorptive diarrhea
-Enterocyte growth from base of crypt to tips of vill and speed of regeneration varies with age
* Neonate~3w SLOW
*Adult~3d and recover

19
Q

What are clinical signs of SCED?

A

-All ages of pig affected
-Severe disease in young piglets
*Vomiting and watery diarrhea (starts at 2doa)
*Rapid spread through the herd
*High mortality (~100%) all piglets born over the next 4-6w will die
-Low mortality in older pigs (inappetence, mild diarrhea, recovery

NOTE clinical signs and outcome very different depending on age

20
Q

How do we know the difference between TGE vs PED?

A

-Cant differentiate based on clinical signs alone
-Regional disease expected incidence
-Diagnostic tests (PRC, histopathology, immunohistochemistry)

21
Q

How do we control the outbreaks of SCED?

A

Goal: Create protective herd immunity by eliminating susceptible animals from the population

-Close herd (buy 6 months of replacement animals)
-Expose all animals, especially pregnant sows via feedback program (method take diarrhea from infected piglets and lix with milk and feed to mother)
-Institute strict biosecurity
-Clean & disinfect barn- monitor sows for zero-conversion (want piglets born into environment where none present)

Why important:
-Antibiotics ineffective (doesn’t help too much)
-Vaccines ineffective