Bryan Myers DVMPipestone Veterinary Services

Starts before the pigs arrive Barn Setup Barn Layout Health Program

Barn Clean◦ Underneath feeders◦ Load out◦ Office/Entryway

Barn Disinfected◦ Synergize 1 ounce per gallon

Barn Dry◦ Cheapest disinfectant you can buy

Barn Warm◦ Starts minimum 12 hours before pigs arrive

Barn Set up◦ Feeders set

Not wide open from washing Clean and Dry (Synergize does not taste good)

◦ Feed delivered Right bin, right slide open?

◦ Water Clean and Dry (Synergize does not taste good)

◦ Ventilation and Temperature Set Controller is set – curve if used is set

◦ Pig Deliveries Set

Barn Layout and Inventory Plan◦ Utilizes all available space◦ Provides pens for general population◦ Provides pens for small pigs◦ Provides hospital pens◦ Provides graduation/recovery pens.

Health Plan◦ Vaccination program

Mycoplasma and Circovirus given at the sow farm Ileitis and Erysipelas in water

◦ Feed Medication program◦ Water Medication program◦ Injectable Medication program

Pigs are sorted by size on arrival Smallest 5% of pigs put together

Pull down pens left open on placement

Are they the same thing?

Usually not Pull down pens are

for healthy fall behind pigs (small pigs)

Treat pens are for pigs that need to be treated with anti-infective

Developing a marking system for pigs◦ Treated pigs need to be identified◦ Different colors◦ Different parts of body marked◦ By number of injections◦ By day of week

By the day of the week

Monday Red Mark

Wednesday Green Mark

Friday Blue Mark

By the injection

First Injection Red Mark

Second Injection Green Mark

Identification of Pigs Needing TreatmentCareful head to tail, top to bottom observation of

each individual pig.Need to see every pig every day.Should take 2-3 seconds per pig.

(40-60 minutes for 1200 head barn)To be successful the pig needing treatment

needs to be found at the proper time.

NOT TOO LATE!!

Look at headDischarge out of nose?Watery eyes?Ears – red or purple? up or laid down?

Look at bodySpine showing?Chest thumping?Belly full or empty?

Look at feet and legsSwollen joints?Lameness?

All sick pigs start their disease event as an “A” pig “A” clinical signs include usually the following:

Usually looks like a healthy pig until further investigation. An “A” pig is not easily found especially if individuals are not assessed

Usually in full flesh and/or bloom May or may NOT be gaunt based on the length of time

the pig has been sick May or may NOT be rough haired. If fuzzy, this might be

due to weather conditions or bad environment Commonly depressed Listless ears and dull, red or weepy eyes are common Commonly hard breathing/thumping if respiratory

What is a “B” Pig?◦ Remember, all sick pigs start their

disease event as an “A” pig “B” clinical signs include definite gauntness;

thinner, slab sided Beginnings of flesh loss, some spine showing Rough hair is common May be have a soiled coat due to laying down

more than healthy pigs Black exudate around the eyes, listless ears

What is a “C” Pig?◦ Remember, all sick pigs start their

disease event as an “A” pig, move to a “B” pig and then to a “C” pig.

“C” clinical signs include severe gauntness and thin

advanced tissue loss, typically the spine is showing

severe depression and nearing euthanasia

It is the right thing to do. High level of success when;

◦ Identify sick pig early◦ Treat with the right drug◦ At the correct dose◦ At the right time = Early

Find pigs with slight gauntness, stomach slightly tucked

High chance of success

May not have to be sorted off

May just need an antibiotic injection.

Treatment for success drops

Poor flesh, eyes glassy and dull

Need to be sorted off into hospital pen

Need extra nutrition, extra heat, extra space, as well as an antibiotic injection.

Most likely too late Examples Strep pig

◦ On side paddling◦ Swollen left rear hock◦ Saliva staining on floor

Severely debilitated pig

Chance of treatment success is very low

Euthanasia may be the only option.

“A” Pig “B” Pig “C” Pig

To be successful it is critical that pigs needing treatment are identified early.

Observe treated pigs for signs of response

Eyes are clear Appetite has returned Activity has returned Pigs are up eating and

drinking Essential to follow up

to ensure the treatment is appropriate

Conduct pull downs in a timely manner

24-48 hours is all that is needed for fall back pigs to go into a negative energy balance or dehydrate

Provide them a chance to compete with pigs of similar size

Pull down pens will have a variety of sizes

Extra nutrition is essential

There is no nutritional value in Excede or Draxxin!

Extra heat Antibiotics do not help

keep the pig warm.

High energy products Easy for pigs to access

Creep feeder filled with pellets and water to make agruel.

1 minute later pigs are starting to come up to the pan and eat.

2 minutes later the pan is surrounded by pigs.

Radiant heat from above (electric or gas) is preferred.

Electric mats may also be beneficial but increase incidence of enteric disease

Solid mats allow pigs to sleep on something that doesn’t pull their body heat away.

Gas heater hanging from ceiling plus board over concrete slats.

Electric heat mat in nursery.

Disposable mats over concrete slats in wean to finish barn.

Efficacy◦ What diseases/bacteria are we treating?

Duration of Treatment◦ How long will an injection treatment last?

Cost◦ How much does the treatment cost?

Drug Dose Cost/ 20 lb bwt treated

# treatments

Days covered

Cost of treat/ day

Cost of 5day treat

Draxxin 1cc / 88 # $0.71 1 9 $0.08 / day $ 0.71

Excede 1 cc / 44 # $0.37 1 7 $0.06 / day $ 0.37

Excenel 1 cc / 37 # $0.31 2 3 $0.21 / day $ 0.62

Baytril 1 cc / 30 # $0.53 1 2 $0.26 / day $ 1.06

Penicillin 1 cc / 20 # $0.03 3 3 $0.03 / day $ 0.15

LA 200 1 cc / 20 # $0.07 1 3 $0.02 / day $ 0.14

All antibiotics are cheap if they are effective.All antibiotics are expensive if they don’t work.Example:

Strep suis could possibly be treated with 3 injections of penicillin ($0.10) or 1 injection of Excede ($0.37).

Questions to ask yourself:Is Strep. more likely to be resistant to Penicillin or Excede? NoWill Penicillin be as effective as Excede against other possible pathogens? NoCheaper? Longer lasting? More convenient? Broader spectrum?

7 days37 cents

2 days53 cents

Many commonly used antibiotics are low volume

1 ml per 44 pounds1 ml per 88 pounds

Critical that a proper syringe is used so that an accurate dosage is given without wasting product

Sort off pigs for treatment into hospital pen.Give Excede (1 ml per 44 pounds)Mark with red mark.Re-evaluate in 5 days.

Fully recovered, looking goodMove pig to graduation penLooking better, but not fully recoveredRetreat with Excede and mark with blue markLooking significantly worseEuthanize

Hospital Pen Two heat lamps for extra heatCreep feeder for extra nutrition

Pellets and Baby Pig Restart made into a gruel and fed twice

dailyGraduation Pen

Higher energy diet – (pellets)

Look – Listen – FeelLook for:

Water UsagePigs PilingFloorFeeders

Look – Listen – FeelListen for:

ActivityNormal soundsCough

Look – Listen – FeelFeel:

Air qualityGood?Bad?

Why?

Utilize water meds when more than 5% of pigs are exhibiting clinical signs

Utilize water meds when the daily injection count is over 2% of population for 3 consecutive days

Daily sick pig identification and treatment must continue when water meds are utilized◦ Sick pigs that need meds are the first to back off

water consumption. ◦ Water medication does not replace injectable

medications.

Efficacy◦ What diseases/bacteria are we treating?◦ Can I get the antibiotic from water to the

necessary organ? (i.e. lungs) Cost

◦ How much does the treatment cost?

What problems are being seen?◦ Get a diagnosis.

How extensive is the problem?◦ How many pigs are affected? 1%? 5%? 10%? 20%?

What is going to be the cost of the therapy?◦ Cost of antibiotic◦ Cost of labor

Remember

Sick Pigs Don’t Eat

Feed Medication Levels are Set( i.e. Cannot use 100 gms of Mecadox)

Have a plan and budget in place for normal production.

N1 Denegard/CTC F1 Denegard/CTCN2 Mecadox 50 gm F2 No MedicationN3 Mecadox 50 gm F3 No MedicationN4 No Medication F4 No Medication

F5 Tylan 100 gm/tonF6 Paylean 4.5 gm/ton

On an individual group basis medicate as needed with injections and/or water.

Feed medications are not very effective when dealing with an acute disease issue

Feed Medications are not a replacement for water medications.

Water or Feed Medications are not a replacement for injectable medications.

Sick pigs don’t drink much and usually don’t eat anything!

Take appropriate steps to minimize the need for antibiotic use.

Assess advantages and disadvantages of all uses of antibiotics.

Use antibiotics only when they provide measurable benefits

Antibiotic use will require a Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR)

All injectable and water soluble antibiotics will be prescription only.

Many feed grade antibiotics will be VFD.