Common diseases
This pig diseases guide is a reference list of pig diseases commonly encountered. It is not intended as an aid for diagnosing pig diseases but is intended to provide basic information about diseases that pork producers should be aware of. We recommend consulting a veterinarian for diagnosing, treating and controlling disease in the pig herd. The recognition of disease is extremely important to keep adverse effects on production and economic losses to a minimum.
When an antibiotic is used to treat and control a disease, the user must understand the reasons for its use, the correct dose rate and the antibiotic's withholding period (the minimum period that must elapse between the last use of the antibiotic and the slaughter of the treated animal). Where antibiotics are listed in this guide, the abbreviations following them stand for:
- I - injectable
- O - oral
- W - in-water medication
- F - in-feed medication.
Other chemicals, such as miticides, wormers and others, also have withholding periods that must be heeded to prevent the detection of chemical residues in pork.
Where vaccines for the prevention of disease are listed, they must be used according to manufacturers' recommendations or optimum vaccine antibody protection will not be produced and disease breakdowns may occur.
| Disease | Major signs | Treatment | Prevention | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colibacillosis (E. coli) | Diarrhoea (scours); sudden death | Fluid therapy; antibiotics (I,O,W); warmth | Improve hygiene; vaccinate sow/gilts; provide a warm clean creep area | Coccidiosis may be involved |
| Coccidiosis | Diarrhoea at 10-21 days of age | Fluid therapy; coccidiostats | Improve hygiene; provide a warm, clean creep area | - |
| Overlay / trauma | Sudden death | None | Provide a warm, clean creep area; check farrowing crate design | - |
| Starvation (hypo-glycaemia) | Weakness; death | Dextrose solutions; supplementary feeding | Improve sow's milk supply | Ensure gilts have adequate functional teats |
| Stillbirths | Born dead | None | Various methods | Many causes; consult a veterinarian |
| Miscellaneous infections | Lameness; sudden death | Antibiotics (I) | Improve hygiene; repair flooring | Infection due to bacteria; swollen joints commonly seen |
| Exudative epidermitis (greasy pig) | Skin lesions; death | Antibiotics; skin protectant; vitamins | Improve hygiene; provide a dry, warm, clean creep area; prevent skin abrasions | Staphylococcus hyicus infection |
| Disease | Major signs | Treatment | Prevention | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colibacillosis (E. coli) | Diarrhoea; sudden death | Fluid therapy; antibiotics | Vaccinate; improve hygiene; provide warmth for weaners; reduce stress at weaning | A common and expensive problem |
| Respiratory disease | Coughing; sneezing; reduced growth rate; sometimes death | Antibiotics (I,W,F); improved ventilation and environment | Improve ventilation; reduce stocking density; reduce stress; antibiotics; vaccinate | |
| Swine dysentery | Diarrhoea with blood; diarrhoea; reduced growth rates; death | Antibiotics (I,W,F); reduced stocking density | Improve hygiene; antibiotics (F) | Avoid purchasing infected pigs; control rodents |
| Proliferative enteropathy (PE)(ileitis) | Diarrhoea with blood; diarrhoea; reduced growth rate; sudden death | Antibiotics (I,W,F); iron; vitamin B | Antibiotics (F) | Three main syndromes affecting different aged pigs |
| Sarcoptic mange | Itching; dermatitis; rubbing; scratching; reduced growth rate | Miticidal sprays; pour-ons; injection and in-feed premix | Strategically treat breeder pigs and weaners/growers | May go unnoticed in a herd; may add to pneumonia problems; pigs of all ages can be affected |
| Intestinal torsion | Sudden death | Diet manipulation | None | A common cause of death in some herds |
| Gastric ulceration | Loss of appetite; vomiting; death | Rarely effective | Manipulate diet, including feed coarseness; reduce stress; reduce disease | Probably feed and disease related; can affect pigs of any age |
| Erysipelas | Arthritis; skin lesions; reduced growth rate; condemnations at slaughter | Antibiotics (I) | Vaccinate | Most losses occur between two and six months of age |
| Internal parasites (worms) | Diarrhoea; reduced growth rate; pneumonia | Parasiticides in-feed or injection | Parasiticides | Roundworm; whipworm; kidney worm |
|
Exudative epidermitis (greasy pig) | Skin lesions; death | Antibiotics; skin protectant; vitamins | Improve hygiene; provide a dry, warm, clean weaner pen; prevent skin abrasions | Staphylococcus hyicus infection |
| Disease | Major signs | Treatment | Prevention | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farrowing sickness (mastitis, metritis, agalactia - MMA) | Reduced milk production; loss of appetite; higher body temperature | Antibiotics (I,W,F); oxytocin; anti-inflammatory drugs | Reduce feeding prior to farrowing; ensure good hygiene in farrowing crate; reduce stress on sows | Reduces number of pigs weaned per sow; infection due to bacteria |
| Lameness | Premature culling; reduced herd fertility | Rarely effective | Improve floor design; control erysipelas; prevent injuries; reduce conformation defects | Regularly check breeder pigs for leg lesions |
| Vaginal discharge syndrome | Reproductive tract infections | Antibiotics (I,W,F); antibiotic treatment of boar's prepuce | Cull affected animals; improve hygiene of mating pens and dry-sow shed | Caused by bacteria and poor hygiene |
|
Bladder infection (cystitis) Kidney infection |
Blood-stained urine Reluctance to stand; sudden death |
Antibiotics (I,W,F) Antibiotic infection of boar's prepuce |
Antibiotics Increase water intake; improve hygiene in dry sow shed | Boars transmit bacteria to sows and gilts at mating |
| Leptospirosis | Stillborn or weakborn pigs; abortion; returns to service | Antibiotics (I,W,F) | Vaccinate | Can also affect humans |
| Erysipelas | Abortions; reproductive failure | Antibiotics (I,W,F) | Vaccinate | Can also cause arthritis and skin lesions |
| Gastric torsion (see intestinal torsion ) | Sudden death | None | Feed twice or three times per day; do not overfeed hungry pigs | Commonly seen when level of feeding is increased |
| Gastric ulcers | Loss of appetite; vomiting; depraved appetite; blood in dung; sudden death | Antibiotics (I); wet feed | Investigate feed, fineness, crude fibre and vitamin E/selenium; reduce stress | Can occur in pigs of any age |
