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HomePigletdiarrheas:acommonproblemexplained

Pigletdiarrheas:acommonproblemexplained

Carefulmonitoringofpigletsisessentialtoensurerapidintervention.|MiroslavMisiura,Dreamstime.com
WrittenApril11,2016
ByZoeKay
PigNutritionPigHealth&DiseasePEDVSows&HogsPigletsPigWelfareWeaning&Farrowing

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4/15/2016

Pigletdiarrheas:acommonproblemexplained|20160408|WATTAgNet

Scoursarethemostcommonhealthconcernofpiglets,andunderstandingthefactorsinvolvedwillhelpproducerspreventoutbreaks.
Scours,ordiarrhea,aretheexcretionoffecescontainingexcessfluid.Therecanbeavarietyofcauses,andthereforeamultifacetedapproachto
preventionisnecessary.Pigletsareparticularlyvulnerabletoscoursastheirdigestivesystemisstillimmatureandanupsetismoreeasilytriggered.E.coli
isoneofthemostfrequentsources,butscourscanalsobeviral,parasiticornutritional.

Digestiveupset
Ingeneral,thereasonforscouringisanimbalanceinthemicrofloraofthegut.Forthedigestivesystemtofunctionproperly,bacteriaarenecessarythese
beneficialmicroorganismshelptobreakdownthefeedandproducenutrients.Itisnormalforanumberofpathogenic(diseasecausing)organismstoalso
bepresent.However,anychangesinthegutcanupsetthebalancebetween"good"and"bad"bacteria.Theresultofwhichisabnormalsecretionofliquid
andelectrolytesintothegut.Theabilitytodigestandabsorbnutrientsisalsoaffectedalongwiththerateofpassagethroughthedigestivetract.Scours
maycontainmucus,undigestedfeedorevenblood.Damagetotheguttakestimetorepair,andperformancecontinuestobeaffectedevenafterscouring
hasceased.

Healthandproductioneffects
Oneofthemainresultsofscouringisareducedabilitytoabsorbnutrients.Iftheamountgainedfromthefoodisnotenoughtomaintainthepiglets
requirementsthenithastouseitsbodyreserves.Atatimewhengrowthratesshouldbehigh,ifscouringbecomesaproblem,thepigletswillloseweight.
Inthecaseofveryyounganimalswherereservesaresmalltheresultingexhaustioncancausedeath.Similarly,dehydrationcausedbyscourscanbefatal.
Ifthenumbersofpathogenicbacteriamultiplyquicklytheycanspreadfromthegutorreleasetoxins.Deathcanthereforeoccurfromsepticemiaor
toxemia.
PathogenicstrainsofE.coliarethemostcommoncauseofscouringinpiglets,sostrategiestominimizethisthreatarekey.
Lossofapiglethasasignificanteffectonproductiveperformance,butevenifanimalssurvivegrowthrateswillbereduced.Duringscouringnutrient
utilizationisreduced,andlaterontheefficiencywithwhichpigsutilizetheirfoodisaffected.Thereisalsoaninfluenceonlongtermhealth,assecondary
infectionscanoccurpneumonia,forexample.Animalsthathavebeenweakenedbyscouringmaybemoresusceptibletofuturediseasechallenges.

Typesofscouring
Bacterial:AnumberofbacteriacanberesponsibleforscourscommonculpritsareE.coli,SalmonellaandCampylobacter.
Viral:Rotavirusandreoviruscanresultinscours,alongwithswinefeverandtransmissiblegastroenteritis.Theporcineepidemicdiarrhea(PED)
virusandthePRRSvirusalsocausescouring.
Parasitic:Heavyburdensofbothcoccidiaandwormscancausescouring.
Dietaryornutritional:Anychangeinfeedcancausescours.Differencesinthenutritionalspecificationormaterialqualitycanresultindigestive
upset.Introductionofanewingredientorevenvariationinthequantityoffeedsuppliedcanalsoberesponsible.Contaminationoffeedorwater
alsohasthepotentialtoaffectgastrointestinalfunction.

Peaktimes
Thecauses,severityandsymptomsofscoursaredependentontheageofthepiglet.Forexample,babypigscoursarecharacterizedbylightcolored,foul
smellingliquidscour,whichmayresultinseveraldeathsinalitter.Thiscommonlyoccurssoonafterbirthpigletsappearlistlessandmayhuddletogether.
Diarrheathatoccursattwotothreeweeksofageisoftencalledpreweaningormilkscours.Althoughnotnormallyassociatedwithhighmortality,itdoes
resultinsignificantgrowthsetbacks.Theimmunityacquiredfromthecolostrumhasfallentolowlevelsbythistime,althoughantibodiesinthemilk
offersomeprotectiontothegut.

Treatment
Antibiotictreatmentmaybenecessaryforseriouscasesofscouring.Rehydrationtherapy,intheformofelectrolyteadditiontothewater,iseffective.An
oversupplyofmilkcanexacerbatetheproblem,inwhichcasefeedintakeforthesowcouldbereducedduringanoutbreak.

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Pigletdiarrheas:acommonproblemexplained|20160408|WATTAgNet

Ensuringadequateintakeofcolostrumisimportantinpreventingscours.|Stewairns,Dreamstime.com
Theoptiontomoveorsegregatelittersaswellasputtingpigletsinasickbaycanhelptoreducethespreadofscours.Fosteringofpigletsfromsowswith
largelittersornotenoughmilkwillpreventthembecomingtooweak.UsinganE.colivaccinationbeforefarrowingisasensibleconsideration,
particularlyiftherehasbeenaprobleminthepast.

Prevention
Antibodiesfromthesowintheformofcolostrumareimportantinpreventingscours.Therefore,ensuringthatallpigletsaresucklingwellinthefirstthree
daysoflifeisveryimportant.Thisisdependentonboththehealthofthesowandherpiglets.Weakorsmallpigletsmaynothavetheenergytosuckor
theremaynotbeenoughviableteatsforthewholelitter.Pigletsborntosowsthatarentproducingenoughmilk(agalactia)arealsoathighrisk.Other
conditionsthatpredisposepigletstoscouringincludeanemiaandpneumonia.
Whatcausessecretoryornutritionaldiarrheasinpiglets?
Whileisitimportanttogetpigletseatingfeed,itmustberememberedthattheirdigestivesystemsareimmatureandbettersuitedtoconsumingmilk.Diets
shouldcontaineasilydigestibleingredients,andchangestothecompositionshouldbeminimized.Undigestedfeedinthegutcreatesabreedingground
forpathogens,particularlyE.coli.
Makinghygieneinthefarrowinghouseaprioritywillhelptoreducetheinfectionpressure.Theapplicationofanallin,alloutsystemoftenmakesthis
easiertoachieve.Conditionsshouldminimizestress,asthisalongwithotherdiseaseswillpredisposepigletstoscouring.Forexample,thecreeparea
shouldbesafe,clean,warmanddry.

Conclusions
PathogenicstrainsofE.coliarethemostcommoncauseofscouringinpiglets,sostrategiestominimizethisthreatarekey.Intermsofdigestivestability
anysuddenchangestofeed,waterorenvironmentshouldbeavoided.Toensureanadequateintakeofqualitycolostrum,sowsshouldbehealthyat
farrowingandhavehadadequateopportunityforexposuretopathogenspresentonthefarm.Forthepiglets,carefulmonitoringandrapidinterventionwill
helptoreducemortality.
ZoeKayisanindependentconsultantprovidingtechnicalservicestotheanimalhealthandnutritionindustry.Shecanbereachedat
cuckooconsulting@gmail.com.
RelatedArticles

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6mostcommonpigdiseasesworldwide

Whatcausessecretoryornutritionaldiarrheasinpiglets?

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Tipsforfeedinghyperprolificsows

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1Comment

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Jointhediscussion
Kevin 8hoursago

DearZoe,whatdoyouthinkabouttheuseoftanninstoprevent/treatpigletsdiarrhea?
Regards
Kevin

Reply Share

ALSOONWATTAGNET

Greatermycotoxinriskinimportedcerealswhy?

Livestockfeedindustry'sinterestinalgaesurges

1comment2monthsago

2comments2monthsago

RobertHugginsIwillmakeageneralstatementherethat

BeharRavishankarIfinditdifficulttowriteamailtoMs.Laurain

mycotoxinsaregoingtobefoundincerealgrainnomatterwhat

thegivenmailid.Itshowsanerrormessage

WilltheVFDreduceantibioticresistanceinUS?

#tbt:RussiabansmeatimportsfromUS

1commentadayago

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StevenRoachIamactuallyunawareofanypolicymakersor

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advocatesthatarguethatmedicallyimportantantibioticsshould

goodthing,ifwestoppedallexports.Maybewhen

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