Porcine Treament + Procedures Flashcards
Endocarditis
- Antimicrobials - depending on C&S + meat withdrawal - amoxicillin/tetracycline
- Anti-inflam - NSAIDs licensed
- Hygiene
- Biosecurity
Pericarditis
- Antimicrobials
- NSAIDs
- Hygiene
- Biosecurity
Mulberry heart disease (vitamin E, selenium deficiency)
- Balanced nutrition
- Change diet to one w/ adequate Vit E + selenium immediately
Bacterial respiratory disease e.g. B. bronchoseptica. P. multocida; A. pleuropneumonia
- Antimicrobials - based on C&S, licensed in food producing animals + withdrawal periods
- Anti-inflams - meloxicam
- Supportive therapy
Viral respiratory diseases
- No anti-virals licensed
- Anti-inflams if required
- Monitor for 2y bacterial infections, Tx based on C&S
- Supportive therapy
Parasitic diseases - migrating ascarids
- Doramectin, Ivermectin, Fenbendazole, Flubendazole
Splay leg (young piglets)
- Pull hind limbs together w/ non-adhesive tape
Hypoglycaemia (young piglets)
- IP 15 mL 5% glucose, q 4 - 6 h + stomach tube
Streptococcal suis meningitis (zoonotic) (piglets + weaned)
- Penicillin
- Vacc - sow + piglet - diff between farms
- All-in-all-out / reduce batch mixing
- Destock + disinfect (faeces + dust)
Oedema disease
- Based on C&S
- High fibre diet
Salt poisoning / water deprivation
- Betamethasone, 2 mg/kg
Salmonella enterica Choleraesuis (zoonotic)
- Based on C&S
Iron-deficiency anaemia (1 week old piglet)
- Fe IM injection
- Creep feed supplementation
- Prevention - 200 mg Fe injections IM neck to piglets < 3 d/o
Haemorrhage
- Sx
- Supportive
Warfarin coagulopathy
- Vitamin K preparations
Porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS/PCV2)
- Vacc
- Biosecurity
Farrowing management + nutrition of sow
- Bring in 3 - 4 d prior
- Indoor sows - crates; outdoor in arks + deep straw
- Inc feed in later gestation - up to additional 0.5 kg SID to improve piglet viability, not when sow overweight
- Avoid overfeeding -> constipation + predisposes towards mastitis + agalactia
- Environmental enrichment - nesting behaviour -> reduce stillbirths + prevents constipation + dec stress
Farrowing assistance
- Hygiene
- Hand through pelvis to check both horns of uterus
- Gentle
- Lubrication
Piglet colostrum intake
- 100 mL within 16 h for survival
- Ab absorbed 24 h regardless of maternal source but lymphocytes for cell-mediated immunity must come from piglet’s own mother
- Milk contains surface IgA Ab, so may scour on artificial milk
- Can measure w/ blood test
Farrowing fever
- Broad spectrum AB
- NSAIDs
- Oxytocin - helps expulsion of discharge out repro tract, milk let-down
- Control feeding around farrowing
- Avoid udder oedema (overfeeding, overfat sows)
- Avoid constipation - effects of move from straw years to farrowing area
- Hygiene in farrowing area - wash sows/dry disinfectant
- Stimulate appetite - sweeter food initially
- Clean out trough regularly
- Ensure ample water
Creep area
- Piglets have diff temp requirement compared to sow - lamp
- Shut piglets in creep for 30 - 60 min
- For split suckling, savaging, routine tasks - T + T, Fe, Baycox
Fostering options
- Move to another sow - only if has spare teat
- Wean early - e.g. into Nurtinger unit
- Provide artificial milk or cow colostrum
- Foward fostering
- Use nurse sows
Forward/cross-fostering
- Move all smaller piglets onto one sow (low parity) after 18 - 24 h
- Don’t move piglets back or to younger rooms
- Can move weaned sow into current farrowing house
- Shunt foster (e.g. if sow dies) - early wean strong 3 w/o litter - move 7 d/o piglets onto early weaned sow, move piglets from dead sow onto 7 d/o sow
Disadvantaged piglet options
- Move to another sow
- Move back a week
- Shunt foster
- Artificial rearing in Nurtinger unit (no Ab in milk)
- Use weaned sow to be sold barren
- Use milk replacer in crates
Savaging
- Bring gilt in 2 - 3 d pre farrow
- Straw or other nesting material
- Genotype
- Music
- Reduce sudden noises
- Calm handling by stockman
- NSAIDs - oral meloxicam as farrowing starts
- Remove piglets into box or creep (away from sow) as soon as born
- Sedation - chemical (Azaperone) or Northern
- Keep noise + disruption to a min
Sow shoulder sores
- More food/higher energy feed
- Better floor quality
- Improve weight gain in dry period
- Carpet/shoulder pads
Sow not eating at farrowing
- AB
- NSAIDs - don’t give if continuing to not eat, GIT AEs
- Oxytocin - metritis + discharge
- Tagamet (cimetidine) - acid blocker, if dark faeces, gastric ulceration
- Remove uneaten food + replace w/ small amounts of fresh food
- Give vegetable oil
- Ensure fresh water provided
- Licensed paracetamol - anti-inflam, pain relief, for pyrexia
Sow vaccs
- Erysipelas - at weaning
- Parvo - at weaning + before service
- E. coli - late preg
- Clostridia - late pregnancy
- Salmonella - late pregnancy
- PRRS - in farrowing house
- PMWS (post-weaning multi-systemic wasting syndrome) - booster prior to service
Teeth reduction
- Requires veterinary derogation
- Ground or clipped
- Remove only sharp tips of teeth
- Check regularly if done correctly
- Avoid gum/tongue damage
Tail docking
- Requires veterinary derogation
- Gas heated dock - cauterises
- If clippers used - must be sharp (separate if used for teeth)
- Disinfected between litters
Iron deficiency
- Most indoor piglets injected
- @ 24 - 48 h/o - when teeth/tail clipped
- Too early could interfere w/ colostrum
- Clean needle (into hind leg) -> dec joint ill, dec lameness
Overlays
- Warm dry creep
- Heated floor pads
- Ideally piglets at 28 C for survival, sow at 18 C for comfort + good feed intake
- Well spread/shaken dry straw if outside farrowing
- Ensuring good colostrum/milk intake
Specific requirements for farrowing (Welfare of Farmed Animal (England) regulations 2007)
- Preg sows + gilts thoroughly cleaned before placed in farrowing crates
- 1 w prior - sows + gilts given suitable nesting material in sufficient quantity
- During farrowing - unobstructed area behind sow/gilt available for natural/assisted farrowing
- Means of protecting piglets from sows/gilts e.g. farrowing rails
Uneven birth weights
- Transfer all small piglets onto one sow after colostrum
- Small piglets held to suckle
- Decide if too small to survive
Blind teats
- Taped/copydexed/PVA glue at birth if of high genetic importance
- Ensure gilts have full litters - teats not used in first lactation don’t milk as well in subsequent parities
Lame piglets
- AB - by injection
Foot + knee damage (piglet)
- Stalosan on floors = dries + hardens + disinfects
Piglet scour - 0 - 48 h
- Vacc sow - Gletvax, clostridial vacc
- AB at birth - Apralan, Spectam
Piglet scour - 7 - 10 d
- Hygiene
- Oral Baycox (toltrazuril) given at 4 d/o
- AB
- Supportive therapy
Infection control in piglets
- Control flies in farrowing house
- Don’t foster scouring piglets
- Disinfect wellies
- Disinfectant - foot dips/stalosan
- Treat scours promptly - injectable or oral doses
- Hygiene - hands + gloves
- Record Tx
- Thorough clean + disinfect crate + stall/room when vacated
S. suis meningitis
- Prompt AB
- Rehydration
Greasy pig -> skin lesions (piglet)
- AB
- Topical Tx
Atresia ani (piglet)
- Cull
Prep for weaning - creep feeding
- From 10 d
- Little + often
- Place creep feeder near sow’s head
Prep for weaning - vacc
- PCV2 / M. hyo
- PRRS /glassers
Weaner requirements
- All-in-all-out production
- Good start birthweight - max colostrum intake at birth
- Correct diet for age
- Good feeding procedures
- Good building design + maintenance
- Good environmental control - temp, ventilation, humidity
Daily routine (weaner)
- Stock checks
- Temp + ventilation
- Feed + water supply
- Pig appearance + behaviour
- Cleanliness/bedding/MM - EE
- Sick pig management
- Vice
Weaning process
- Housing - room temp
- Diet - feed smallest/youngest, change diets gradually, check drinkers + flow rates
- Starter creep - milky diet, lactose easily digested, palatable + digestible, fresh, clean feeders
Vaccs at weaning
- EP (enzootic pneumonia)
- PCV-2
- Glassers
- Strep suis
- PRRS
- Erysipelas
- Oral - ileitis, salmonella
Post-weaning D+
- Dietary manipulation - reduce fermentation rates where bowel oedema seen
- Maintain even feed intakes - don’t let pigs run out of food then gorge themselves
- Meals vs pellets - eat meal more slowly (red risk of salmonella)
- 2500 ppm zinc oxide in ration
- Soil into pen - inc iron
- AB - in feed/water depending on C&S
PMWS (post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome)
- No Tx
- Nursing/symptomatic care
PMWS + PDNS
(Endemic - most herds infected)
- PCV-2 vacc of piglets - circoflex
- Vacc sow - circovac
- Vacc breeding gilts
- DDx = CSF
Meningitis - strep suis type 2
- Penicillin + NSAIDs in water
- Control ventilation, stocking density
- AB in feed/water = Trimediazine, Lincomycin or Penicillin (pelleting dec activity)
Prevent pigs getting cold
- Kennels - plywood, straw bales, touran plastic sheeting, tin sheets etc
- Curtains on kennels
- Stop draughts
The weaned pig housing
- Good weaning weights
- Warm
- Dry
- Good airflow
- Good feed intake - fresh + palatable + easy access
- Easy access to water - one drinking point per 30 pigs if ad lib good, one per 15 if restricted access
- Specialist accomm for disadvantaged pigs
Diff types of weaner housing
-
Ileitis prevention
- Live attenuated Lawsonia intracellularis vacc (Enteriosol) in drinking water
> 3 w/o -> offers long-lasting immunity, instead of continuous AB use
Monitoring mechanisms
- Look – at uneven sizes, lameness, skin disorders
- Listen – for coughing, sneezing, squealing
- Smell - poor ventilation, pens not been washed, waste food, scouring
- Post mortems - multisystemic problems common in pigs
- Serology
- Abattoir monitoring
- Lab tests may take while
Serology - blood sampling
- Jugular vein
- Hold pigs w/ snout wire snare, body in straight line, head up
- Needle into jugular furrow - 1/3 distance from sternum to chin, perpendicular to skin, aspirate 1 - 2” needle (v deep, cannot see vein)
Tail biting
- Separate both affected + tail biting pig (often smallest pig)
- If tail swollen, Penicillin
- If unsteady on legs, cull = abscess in spine
Excess mounting
- Minimise disturbance during day
- Maintain lower light levels - within legal limits
- Reduced riding
- Split sexing in finishing phase
- Castration
- Improvac - GnRH vacc to prevent sexual behaviour
Young pig restraints (< 10 kg)
- Catch + lift by back leg - don’t swing/snatch
- Support by chest
- Hold to minimise movement
- Replace on ground
Older pig restraints (> 10 kg)
- Non-slip floor
- Confined space
- Pig cannot move forward
- Pig board - apply pressure to hind quarters + flank
- Snare
Ileitis
- Hygiene - scrape through passages + straw beds
- Vacc - oral vacc, identify time of exposure by serology/PCR then vacc prior
- Live vacc - feed must be free from AB
- Then use water soluble AB tylosin to ‘embed’ the vacc
- AB: tylosin, tiamulin, OTC, CTC
Swine dysentery
- Tiamulin (Denagard) - feed or water
- Lincomycin (Lincospectin) - feed or water
- Combine Tiamulin w/ CTC
- Eradicate by removing growing stock off-site, intense cleaning then medicating sows or use a depopulation ‘bubble’ w/ C&D + medication
Enzootic pneumonia (EP) - Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae
- Biosecurity - keep out, vet to vet conveyance common, isolate incoming stock, AI only
- Vacc piglet - 1 - 2 dose protocols, combination vaccs
- Improve ventilation
- Reduce stocking density
- Medication - water, feed (continual or pulse), anti-mycoplasma drugs
APP - actinobacillus pleuropneumonia
- Ventilation + stocking density
- Medication of creep or grower - usually only short period required
- Vacc of sows or piglets (not common)
- Autogenous vaccs - so many sedrotypes
Glassers (G. parasuis)
- Vacc
- Medication - doxycycline
- Ventilation
Rectal prolapse
- Remove to recovery pen - if left in pen will become traumatised
- Can put into hospital - many will drop off on own
- Sx replacement pointless
- May result in strictures - ‘barrel’ pigs - will scar, faeces pressure build-up
Parasite Tx options
- If in doubt -> Ivermectin
- Injectable = avermectin
- In-feed = avermectin, flubendazole
- In-water = fenbendazole, flubendazole
- Coccidiostats = oral dose
Erysipelas (Erysipeloxthrix rhusiopathiae)
- Penicillin (or Lincomycin) by injection
- Vacc - v cheap, booster q 6 m, can be given at weaning
- MDA lasts 10 - 12 w so may have to vacc finishers - easier to give oral vacc at younger age
Greasy pig - Staph hyicus
- AB - penicillin, lincomycin by injection
- Topical disinfection
- NSAIDs
- B vitamins - ‘marmite disease’
- Managing environment
Mycoplasma arthritis (M. hyosynoviae)
- AB - tylosin, lincomycin, tiamulin
- NSAIDs
- Tx for 3 d -> if no improvement then euth
Anaesthesia/sedation products
- Azaperone - licensed
- Ketamine - licensed
- Butorphanol - licensed in other FPAs
- Meloxicam
- Xylazine - licensed in other FPAs
- Alcohol
Chemical restraint
- Pre-med: Azaperone (Stresnil) - 0.2 - 2 mg/kg IM, low dose for boars + Vietnamese Pot Bellied pigs
- Knock-down: Ketamine (Ketamidor) - 15 - 20 mg/kg IM following 2 mg/kg azaperone IM -> 20 min sed
Euthanasia - mechanical
- Blunt force trauma = neonates only
- Captive bolt + 2y action (pithing/bleeding), induces prolonged periods of random kicking
- Shotgun, rifle or human killer - requires appropriate license/certificate
- By VS or licensed slaughterman
Euthanasia - chemical
- Pentobarbital sodium - 0.7 mL/kg IV +/- prior sedation
- VS only
- Venous access - ear vein (jugular + mammary pos)
- Immobilisation - snare, previous sedation
Euthanasia - mechanical technique
- Correct restraint
- Captive bolt in contact w/ head
- Shotgun, rifle, humane killer approx 6” or more away from head
- Correct target - aim for tail, not base of jaw
- Pith/bleed if required
- H + S considerations
Euthanasia - 2y measures to stun
- Bleed out - via cut across jugular vein - sharp + long blade, messy
- Pithing - using rod, long screwdriver to destroy brainstem
- Wait until pig stopped kicking
Post-pentobarbital sodium chemical euthanasia
- Sed before venous access (ear vein) for bolus of pentobarbital, restraint e.g. high dose of xylazine (IM), make sure first dose counts, restrain - snare
- Intra-cardiac bolus following heavy sedation gives good success
- Lateral recum
- Point of elbow
- Feel/listen for heartbeat
- Between ribs
- 18 - 19g, 2 inch needle or spinal needle
- Must be heavily sedated - welfare considerations, wait 15 - 20 min
Euthanasia - blunt trauma
- ‘Priest’ or implement
- Cash Poultry Killer (CPK) - effective up to 7 kg piglets
- Restraint techniques
Mulberry heart disease
- Increase vit E levels of feed
Health status, PRRS - positive recipient herd
- May need vacc after delivery
Health status, enzootic pneumonia (EP) - positive recipient herd
- May need vaccination
Health status, S. suis - positive recipient herd
- May need strategic meds
Health status, diseases where recipient herd positive but don’t need intervention
- APP - actinobacillus pleuropneumonia
Erysipelas vacc (gilt)
- 2 vaccs
- 4 w apart
- Second dose at least 2 w prior to mating
Parvovirus vacc (gilt)
- Single vacc, not less than 2 w before mating
Boar exposure
- 10 - 15 mins
- Pheromones – saliva (& nose-to-nose contact
- Dry floors
- Mark in-heat gilts + record ear tag numbers
- Short expression of oestrus
- Must see cycle before synchronising
Diff options for boar contact
- Want novelty element
- Best = full content twice daily for short period of time
- (Or once daily for longer period)
- Adjacent pen
Oral progesterone (Regumate/Virbagest/Altresyn) synchronisation (gilts)
- Make sure they have been cycling
- Then move away from boar
- Feed progesterone for 18 d - via dosing gun (train with apple juice); on food in stalls; give small amount (0.5 kg) of feed with progesterone, then rest of food later; on pieces of bread
- Mix with boar as soon as progesterone stops - controlled, twice daily exposure
- Gilts come on heat 4 - 5 days after withdrawal
- Ideal for AI (pre-ordered)
- Flush feed prior to service if they have been on restricted feed (ensure not in energy deficient, good ovulation)
- Allow gilts to become familiar with the service housing/AI area
Service timings
- If wean on Thurs, first sows on heat on Mon, ideally all served by next thurs
- Average wean to service interval = 5.5. d
- Mix sows w/ boar on day one, then give contact w/ boar on a daily basis
- Boar needs to be max 1 m away from sows
Heat detection
- Boar stimulation
- Bring boar to sow, then apply back pressure - astride by stockman, when won’t move when sit on = will stand for insemination
- Enlarged vulva
- Avoid habituation (continual boar exposure), rotate boars - expose sows to diff services + allow boar to have some natural services
- Check for returns at 18 - 24 d
AI
- Have all supplies in place
- One boar per 5 sows maximum
- Do not inseminate unless solid heat seen
- Keep service area clean
- Wipe the vulva with a dry towel
- Use non-spermicidal gel on
catheter tip - Insert catheter gently at ~45
degree angle - Push firmly towards cervix
(rotating if necessary) - If in place, resistance to pulling back on catheter
- Connect semen dose to catheter
- Allow semen to run in without squeezing the dose
- Once completed, leave the catheter in place for 5 - 7 min
- Let sow settle before moving out of the service area
Board bleeding after service - torn frenulum
- Rest boar for 6 - 8 w, then have few ‘practice’ services
Diff types of service routines
- Daily
- Twice daily
- Miss first 12 h - AM/PM rule
- Mixed boars
- Ovulation = late in heat, need late service
Natural service routine
- Ideally put sow into boar pen
- One sow with boar
- Supervise service to ensure correct intromission
- Record service
Vaginal discharges
- Hygiene - clean and wipe vulva prior to AI
- Medication may be needed if widespread
- Diagnosis essential prior to treating - aware of zoonosis e.g. Chlamydia
- Serving will not do anything
Vacc - 2 - 4 w pre-farrowing
- E. coli
- Clostridia
- Salmonella
- PRRS
Abortion investigations
- Clinical inspection of affected dam and cohorts
- Serology - PRRS (need herd health status); Leptospirosis (paired samples); Parvo / Ery may be less useful
- Samples - foetus / aborted material
- Samples of feed, straw, water
- Hx + records
- Check vaccinations and herd health status
Batch farrowing
- 3 week systems - need more farrowing crates, but allows batch housing of growers and finishers; wean w 1; serve w 2; farrow w 3
- 5 week systems – Work well with smaller herds
Sow vaccs + timings
- Erysipelas - weaning
- Parvo - weaning + before service
- E. coli - late preg
- Clostridia - late preg
- Salmonella - late preg
- PRRS - in farrowing house
- PMWS (post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome) - booster prior to service
Mastitis post-weaning
- If several glands affected, cull
- AB - systemic e.g. amoxicillin
- NSAIDS
- Clean pens + floors cleaned out daily
- Give sows one pen for lying + two dung areas when first weaned
Mange - Sarcoptes scabei var suis
- Ivermectin – inj 2 doses 2 weeks
apart, as eggs persist for 2 weeks in
the environment - Inject immediately pre-farrowing or whole herd on one occasion
- Boars and older sows may need repeated doses if badly affected
- Ivermectin in feed for whole herd for 10 – 14 days
- Remove older sows/boars
Lice – Haematopinus sui
- Ivermectin
Vaginal/cervical prolapse
- Some go back in after farrowing
- Get sow out of crate and walk her around
- Generally leave well alone – poor response to epidural and replacement with purse-string suture
- Care if sow is to be culled – be aware of transport welfare regulation
Uterine (+ rectal prolapse)
- Euthanise
Rectal prolapse
- Separate sow to allow slow healing (other pigs will traumatise)
Clostridium novyi (oedematiens)
- Control by sow vaccination
- Will takes minimum of 5 w to get all sows covered
- Need to give all at-risk sows long-acting penicillin during the risk period
Mastitis - farrowing house
- Amoxicillin + oxytocin - to inc milk let down
Dx of nutritional disorders
- CS
- Site visit
- Feed analysis
- PME
- Histopath
- Viral/bacterial diseases for exclusion
- Blood biochem
- Radiography on pet pigs