Diarrhea in piglets and pigs: causes and treatment

Pig breeding is a lucrative but troublesome business. The health of young animals and adults must be constantly monitored, because these animals are prone to various diseases. A common problem faced by farmers is diarrhea in piglets and adult pigs.

Do not underestimate a disease such as diarrhea, because it can lead to the death of an animal. As a rule, on the farm, all pigs are kept in a common room - because of this, the death of livestock from diarrhea can become massive.

Possible causes of diarrhea in piglets and adult pigs

Diarrhea is frequent, loose bowel movements that can be an independent condition or a symptom that indicates more serious health problems. Before starting treatment for diarrhea in pigs, you should find out the cause of this disease.

Diarrhea in pigs of different ages can be triggered by the following factors:

1. Pig keeping conditions inappropriate to sanitary standards. If it is too cold in the barn, the immunity of adults, and even more so of small piglets, quickly decreases. This leads to the fact that the body of the pigs is attacked by various infections, including intestinal. Rare or poor-quality barn cleaning can also cause diarrhea in piglets. Indeed, in just a few hours, a million bacteria and dangerous microbes develop in hay stained with pig feces. The litter on the floor should be changed regularly as it gets dirty.
2. Water that is not drinkable also causes diarrhea in piglets and pigs. It is strongly not recommended to water the entire herd, and especially small piglets, with water from an unverified source.
3. Intestinal parasites are especially dangerous for babies. Usually, piglets become infected with helminths while walking, so it is necessary to monitor the cleanliness not only in the barn, but also in the area of ​​the street accessible to pigs. Diarrhea caused by parasites in pigs is not so easy to treat: helminths still need to be identified, and they are very good at hiding. When conventional diarrhea remedies are ineffective, piglets' feces should be urgently donated for analysis for helminths. Pigs two to four months old can easily die due to worms, because the parasites are very toxic, they strongly poison the weak body of the piglet.
4. Infectious diseases don't come out of nowhere. When piglets less than 2 months old are diarrhea, it is possible to suspect a latent disease in the mother. A pig that contracted an infectious disease late in pregnancy transmits the infection to the piglets even before they are born. Since the mother's immunity did not cope with the infection, the sow's body did not develop antibodies - the babies are defenseless against the disease. If the treatment of diarrhea in the piglets themselves does not work, it is necessary to take care of the health of the sow or wean the babies from the mother, because together with milk they receive a new dose of infection every day.
5. Pigs can have the same internal diseases as humans. In the case of diarrhea in an adult animal or in three to four month old piglets, intestinal inflammation, liver, biliary or stomach problems can be suspected. Usually, such diseases can be identified by the appearance of the stool (undigested food fragments, the presence of mucus, streaks of blood in the stool, discoloration).Piglets that have just been born occasionally have congenital defects of internal organs, which are manifested, first of all, by diarrhea. Treatment in such cases does not help, alas.
6. An unbalanced diet also causes diarrhea in pigs. Piglets that are only switched to coarse food often react with diarrhea. Both freshly cut grass and new food can cause stomach upset in older young animals. Do not forget that adult pigs are prone to overeating - you need to constantly monitor the size of the "portions". Diarrhea from an unbalanced diet is not particularly dangerous. As a rule, such diarrhea does not need to be treated - the piglet's digestion is normalized immediately after the nutritional correction.
7. Poisoning in pigs and piglets (bacterial diarrhea) is not uncommon. Piggies often eat whatever is under their nose. Therefore, the farmer must keep order in the stable, clean the feeders from sour feed in time, and regularly change the water. Poisoning leads to intoxication, and this condition is especially dangerous for small pigs - without treatment, they can quickly die from diarrhea.
8. Toxic and poisonous substances are the rarest, but very dangerous, cause of diarrhea in piglets. Pigs are curious, they immediately taste any new object. It is necessary to make sure that there are no poisons, fertilizers, chemicals and medicines in the barn with piglets or on the walk. Small pigs can be poisoned even with old paint, which is why it is not recommended to paint and varnish boards on the floor and fence of the barn.

You need to start treating pigs and piglets for diarrhea right away, without wasting precious time. The sooner the animal receives competent help, the more chances the farmer has to go out.

Why diarrhea is dangerous in piglets and pigs

It is imperative to treat diarrhea in a piglet, this is not a problem that will go away without a trace. Diarrhea is a dangerous condition that, in some cases, can lead to the death of not only young animals, but also the entire population of adult pigs.

Diarrhea is very insidious, because in just a few hours it can lead to the death of a small pig. This condition is all the more dangerous, the smaller the mass of the animal: babies die very quickly. The farmer usually has several days to save an adult and strong pig from diarrhea.

Severe diarrhea, aggravated by vomiting and high fever, leads to rapid elimination of fluid from the body. Together with water, valuable salts and minerals leave the piglet's body, without which the work of vital organs (heart, nervous system, brain) is impossible.

It is dehydration, coupled with intoxication, that causes the mass death of pigs. Treatment of diarrhea in the early stages should be aimed at restoring the salt and alkaline balance in the pig's body.

Symptoms of diarrhea in piglets and pigs

It is not difficult to identify a pig suffering from diarrhea - such individuals are immediately visible in the herd. Signs of diarrhea are considered to be:

1. Loose loose stools. In healthy piglets, feces are usually of medium density. In individuals with diarrhea, defecation can even occur spontaneously, since the feces are very liquid, sometimes like water.
2. Bowel movements more than five times a day are no longer the norm.
3. Under the tail of a piglet with diarrhea is always wet - you need to literally look under the tails of the kids so as not to miss the problem.
4. A pig with diarrhea weakens quickly, looks lethargic, refuses to eat, or eats less than usual.As a rule, an animal with diarrhea lies on its side and breathes heavily.
5. Chronic diarrhea caused by malfunctioning of the digestive system, leads to exhaustion of the pig, a sharp decrease in the weight of the animal. The sick pig's piglet is pale, the skin is dirty and unkempt.

Newborn piglets vilify: reasons and what to do

Suckling pigs that feed only on mother's milk can also vilify. Moreover, in practice, this happens quite often. There is even a saying among farmers: "To avoid trouble, often look down the tail of the pigs." It is clear that in such cases, the cause of diarrhea lies in the condition of the sow.

Newborn piglets and toddlers under one month of age may vilify due to factors such as:

• mastitis in a sow, which sometimes does not show external signs;
• the hunt that began in the pig on the 7-10th day after farrowing increases the mother's nervousness, makes her wander around the barn, dig hay, lie less, leads to a decrease in the amount of milk and a decrease in its fat content;
• a pig's milk deficiency or insufficient nutrition;
• overfeeding the sow can also provoke diarrhea in piglets;
• even a low barn temperature can affect the health of the sow and cause diarrhea in newborn piglets.

Treatment of diarrhea in suckling piglets sometimes comes down to normalizing the condition of the sow. The floor in the barn is covered with a thick mat of dry hay, a lamp is turned on for additional heating of the room. The farmer must monitor the quality and quantity of feed for the allowed pig, pay attention to the condition of the mother and her health.

It is very difficult to treat diarrhea in small pigs at home, because every minute counts! If newborn babies have severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever, urgent action is needed. First of all, you will have to pick up the babies from the sow in order to block access to food. Then an electrolyte solution should be poured into the mouth of each pig: "Regidron", "Smecta". As a last resort, boiled water with the addition of lemon juice is suitable for the primary treatment of diarrhea. After that, you need to call the veterinarian. The doctor will determine the dosage and give the piglets injections for diarrhea: probiotic + sulfanilamide.

Growing up piglets have diarrhea: causes and how to treat

Piglets weaned from their mother are easier to cure from diarrhea, because they have already gained weight and have grown a little stronger. In mild cases, the farmer will be able to cope on his own, without the help of a veterinarian.

Drugs for the treatment of diarrhea in piglets 2-5 months are used the same. It is only necessary to take into account the different weights of the babies and calculate the dosage of the medicine in accordance with the instructions.

As in the case of newborns, they immediately begin to solder adolescent piglets. To do this, you can use:

• "Human" medicines, such as "Smecta", "Regidron" and other electrolytes (the powders are diluted with water and the solution is gradually poured into the mouth of the pig every half hour);
• independently prepared solutions of salts and minerals (a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of sugar are dissolved in a glass of water);
• potassium chloride or 0.9% sodium chloride solution - a piglet of 2-4 months can be given no more than 100 mg of salts per day;
• infusions of medicinal herbs such as chamomile, nettle, oak bark.

In addition to drugs, piglets need to drink plenty of fluids. If babies, in addition to diarrhea, have vomiting, every 15-20 minutes water will have to be poured into the mouth in small portions.For desoldering, it is better to use slightly warm boiled water.

The veterinarian should select the medicine for diarrhea for piglets. Usually, pigs 2-5 months old are prescribed the following medications:

1. For infectious diarrhea, "Akolan" is used. They need to treat piglets for five days, choosing a dosage based on 1 g of the drug per 10 kg of body weight. It will take two doses of the medicine a day.
2. "Brovaseptol" is an antibiotic, therefore it is treated with bacterial diarrhea and complex poisoning in piglets. The drug is sold in the form of powder or injections. The powder should be added to the feed in accordance with the weight of the pig (1 g per 10 kg of animal weight). Treatment continues until the symptoms of diarrhea in the piglet disappear, but no longer than five days.
3. The combined preparation "Biovit" contains an antibiotic of the tetracycline group, minerals and vitamins necessary for a piglet to recover from diarrhea. The amount of medication depends on the age of the "patient". Newborn piglets are prescribed 0.75 g per day, babies up to one month old - 1.5 g, pigs from 1 to 3 months are treated with 3 g of "Biovit" per day. Piglets 5-6 months old will need about 7-7.5 g to effectively treat diarrhea.
4. It is recommended to give "Amoxicillin" to piglets in the most severe cases. A strong antibiotic is administered intramuscularly. They treat them for diarrhea, both small and adult pigs.

What to do if pigs have diarrhea

Adult pigs also suffer from diarrhea. If you need to act very quickly with piglets, then the farmer has several days to treat mature individuals. Therefore, there is no need to treat the pig at random: the exact cause of the painful condition should be established. Ideally, tests (blood and feces) are taken from an animal with diarrhea, the results of which will reliably indicate the causative agent of the disease.

In practice, farmers rarely turn to veterinarians for help when trying to cure a pig with proven medicines or folk remedies. If an adult has diarrhea, first of all, you need to consider its stool - sometimes this helps to establish the cause of the disease. So:

1. A very liquid consistency of stool or the presence of undigested food fragments in it indicates a malfunction in the digestive system. In such cases, the pigs are treated with probiotics. You can try to change the food, remove fresh grass from the animal's diet.
2. Foam on a puddle of feces and a pronounced putrid odor are evidence of a bacterial infection. This means that the pig has been poisoned or has eaten stale food. It is necessary to treat such diarrhea with antibiotics.
3. An upset of the gastrointestinal tract can cause gray, yellow or green stool, its fat content. This is sometimes treated by changing the diet or changing the size of the "portions".
4. Too light color of the pig's stool indicates a malfunction in the liver or an insufficient amount of bile. Then the diseased organs of the animal are treated, calling for the help of a veterinarian.
5. Red and dark brown feces are an alarm! It will not be possible to do without a specialist, since the pig has internal bleeding - an operation is necessary.
6. If vomiting is added to the pig's diarrhea, and the skin and mucous membranes of the animal are abnormally dry, the disease is most likely caused by parasites. In such cases, treatment consists of the use of anthelmintic drugs. They give medicines to all the livestock, for the purpose of prevention.

Pigs are treated with the same medications as piglets for 2-5 months. It is not necessary to solder the adults; it is enough to ensure that animals with diarrhea have constant access to fresh clean water.

Treatment of diarrhea in piglets and pigs with alternative methods

In mild cases of poisoning or with minor problems with the gastrointestinal tract in pigs, you can do without the help of drugs.Diarrhea in piglets is 2-5 months old and in adults it can be treated with folk remedies. Effective and proven ways:

1. Alcoholic coniferous tincture. This product is an extract from pine needles, which has a pronounced astringent effect. Piglets 2-6 months old are recommended to be treated with 2 ml of tincture three times a day. It is convenient to administer the medicine to pigs with a syringe without a needle.
2. From birth, piglets can be treated with decoctions with an enveloping effect. Such remedies will not save you from complex diarrhea, but they will protect the stomach walls and prevent inflammation. You can cook a decoction from flax seeds, rice, oats.
3. Herbal infusions will also help "hold together" the intestines of a sick pig. They are prepared from pharmaceutical herbs: chamomile, oak bark, chicory, dioecious nettle, calendula, sea buckthorn. For the best effect, you can treat mumps with decoctions of several herbs. In a bucket of boiling water, steamed a glass of crushed collection, be sure to filter it and give the pig to drink instead of water.

Regardless of the method chosen, the treatment of swine diarrhea should begin with a strict diet. On the first day, food is not given at all, starting from the second day of treatment, the piglets are offered half of the usual portion at least 5-6 times a day. If the pig refuses to eat for several days, this is not a reason for panic. On the contrary, it will make it easier for the body to cleanse itself of toxins and bacteria.

Prevention measures

A good master is one whose pigs do not get sick. In order not to miss the first signs of the disease and not to lose part of the livestock, it is better to prevent diarrhea in animals. This is easy to do - you just need to:

• keep the barn clean, provide the herd with warmth and good nutrition;
• make sure that the pigs do not overeat and do not suffer from hunger;
• prophylactically treat five-day-old piglets with iron preparations (Ferroglyukin, Ferrodex), which will protect them from diarrhea and anemia;
• to strengthen the immunity of the livestock with vitamin complexes for pigs or to give animals fish oil and vitamin B12;
• prevent pigs of all ages from deficiency of vitamin A, which is responsible for digestion (feed with carrots, peas, grass);
• introduce new feeds into the pigs' diet gradually;
• food for piglets should not contain large fragments, it must be crushed;
• feed with mold, bad smell, sour mixtures, food waste should not be given to pigs;
• twice a year for the whole herd to do prophylaxis with anthelmintic drugs;
• regularly wash feeders and drinkers.

Pigs do not need to be treated if they are kept properly. The organism of these animals is very similar to that of humans. We can say that an adult pig is a two-year-old child, she will just as easily "pick up" an infection and get diarrhea.

Conclusion

Treating diarrhea in piglets is not an easy task. Sometimes you just can't do without a specialist. There are times when, due to such a banal reason, the farmer loses most of the herd. To prevent trouble, you need to keep the pigs clean, feed them quality food, and follow the recommendations for the prevention of diarrhea. If the piglets are already sick, treatment should be started immediately. Preparations for diarrhea and their dosage are selected only taking into account the age and weight of the animals.

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