Swine (Sithole) Flashcards
What are the 3 components of commercial breeding farms?
Nucleus herds
Breeding herds
Finishing herds
What do you call a herd that is proven to be free from a certain disease? What if there is firm evidence that the disease is not present, but the herd cannot be declared 100% free of that pathogen?
Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) herds
High health herds
How are piglets born in SPF herds?
Via C-section
40 years ago piglet production was 16 piglets per sow per year, now sows produce ____ piglets per year.
a. 10-15
b. 20-24
c. 30-34
d. 35-40
c. 30-34
What dietary component is required for early weaning of piglets?
Animal proteins
What 2 feeding components can induce health risks, including diarrhea and gastric ulceration?
High protein
Finely ground feed
How many days after parturition does each piglet have its own teat?
3 days
What can be done to prevent pigs/piglets from biting eachother out of boredom?
Environmental enrichment
What is the method used to optimize health, welfare, and production in a population of animals through the systematic analysis of relevant data through regular objective observations of the animals and their environment, such that, informed timely decisions are made to adjust and improve herd management over time?
Herd Health Management (HHM) approach
Key words: optimize health, welfare, production; data, informed timely decisions
What are (some of the) the objectives of HHM?
5 total
- Optimize health status by preventing health, production and reproductive problems
- Optimize productivity by improving herd management practices
- Optimize animal welfare and ecological quality of the environment
- Optimize the quality and safety of dairy and meat products
- Optimize profitability of the enterprise
What are 2 reasons for monitoring production data?
May provide a reflection of both clinical and subclinical disease
May provide a reflection of sub-optimal husbandy (e.g. imbalanced diets, stressors)
Why do the strongest/largest piglets get the front teats?
They produce the most milk
With which body system are many of the early infections in neonatal piglets related to?
GI tract
What does sow colostrum contain which enhances the uptake of intact immunoglobulins?
Anti-trypsin factor
Why are young piglets extremely susceptible to enteral infections? What can occur when they are housed in an area that is too cold?
Stomach pH is close to neutral
Chilling can cause low gastric motility
What disease causes diarrhea due to multifocal suppurative and erosive colitis in piglets 2-10 days of age?
Clostridium difficile-associated enterotoxemia
What does orange-stained diarrhea indicate and what is it caused by?
Sign of fecal blood loss
Caused by A/B toxins of C. difficile
Which cause of enterotoxemia in 2-10 day of piglets is treated with Bacitracin in sows and piglets or with Salinomycin? There is also a vaccination available for the condition.
Clostridium perfringens type-A
How does the vaccination against enteric colibacillosis function?
Prevents attachment of the bacterial fimbria/pili of E.coli
In addition to hypothermia, shivering, watery diarrhea and possibly vomiting, what can E.coli cause in piglets?
Fibrinous polyserositis
Stressed in lecture
Which disease causes recently weaned piglets to squeal abnormally when handled? It can also result in sudden death and neurological symptoms.
Edema Disease (Colibacillosis) - E.coli (certain serotypes)
Stressed in lecture
What is the source of infection for coccidiosis (Isospora suis) in piglets?
Carrier sows
You treat a piglet for what you suspect is colibacilosis, but there is no response to the antibiotics you are giving. What disease is now your top differential? What is the treatment?
Coccidiosis
Tx: Toltrazuril (coccidiostat)
What form of viral diarrhea causes occasional vomiting in piglets?
Rotaviral enteritis
What causes bright yellow feces and vomiting, often in older piglets?
Transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE)
What is the main DDx for a piglet with swollen joints and abscesses?
Streptococcus suis
What zoonotic disease causes septicemia, acute meningitis, polyarthritis, polyserositis, or bronchopneumonia in nursing or recently weaned piglets? Which disease that affects older pigs is also zoonotic?
- Streptococcus suis*
- Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae*
What are your top 2 DDx for a piglet presenting with CNS signs after weaning?
Edema disease
Streptococcus suis
What syndrome usually occurs within 3 days of farrowing and is characterized by inadequate milk production?
MMA (Mastitis, Metritis, Agalactia)
(or Hypogalactia)
What etiologic agent is the most common cause of mastitis in sows?
E.coli (Environmental bacteria)
What causes teat necrosis in young piglets and which teats are most commonly affected? How can this be prevented?
Endogenous estrogen (from sow or colostum) or exogenous (zearalenone) estrogen making the teats for vulnerable to trauma
Front teats
Taping the teats shortly after birth
What disease causes dermatitis, characterized by 1-20 cm raised, red, ring-shaped lesions usually on the ventral abdomen, in pigs 4-12 weeks old? How is it treated?
Pityriasis rosea
No treatment required, resolves eventually and most recover completely
You notice a neonatal piglet with lateral extension of the hind legs with an inability to adduct the legs. What is the cause of this condition and what can be done to increase the likelihood of survival?
Myofibrillar hypoplasia (due to delayed development and degenerative change)
Can tie back legs together loosely
This is splay leg
Why must sows who persistently produce piglets with splay need need to be culled/removed from the breeding stock?
Because there is a genetic component to the disorder
What inherited condition is characterized by the absence of discrete areas of skin, usually over a part of the back, loin, thigh, or anterior surface of the tongue? What 2 conditions often accompany this?
Epitheliogenesis Imperfecta
Hydroureter and Hydronephrosis
What should you rule out when noticing umbilical bleeding in a group of piglets?
Warfarin poisoning
What age groups are most commonly affected by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae?
Growing or adult swine
Name 4 (or more) conditions that cause cyanosis in pigs.
Erysipelas
African Swine Fever
Classical Swine Fever
Salmonellosis
Actinobacillas pleuropneumonia
Haemophilus parasuis (Glasser’s)
Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS)
What aspect of erysipelas results in abortions in sows?
Fever