1. Swine Topics Walk through
Slides adapted from Dr. Alex Ramirez
Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine 445
Iowa State University

2. IDENTIFYING THE CORRECT PIG !
It can be difficult to identify the truly sick pig
Generally, the tendency on many sites is to treat pigs that do not show signs of sickness
On some sites, we fail to identify and treat pigs that are sick

3. Abnormal Postures Normal: sternal or lateral recumbency Dog sitting
Pneumonia, pleuritis
Head extended
Respiratory distress
Arched back
Pain: lameness, polyserositis
Favor limb
Head tilt

4. General behavior Normal: curious, avoid confrontation
Will squeal when held or in pain
Rarely bite BUT will if hand is placed in mouth (reflex action)
Hyperkinetic: nutritional deficiencies, genetics, CNS disease
Listless/lethargic/slow
Systemic illness
Drooping ears
Reluctant or fail to move when menaced

5. Drugs and Dosage: Use of the correct drug
Use of the correct dose amount
Most sites use a lower dose than required for the drug to be effective
Importance of follow up treatments
Correct injection site

6. Identification and Treatment

7. Normal Rectal Temperature Ranges
Weaned Pig: o F
Growing Pig: o F
Finishing Pig: o F

8. Normal Respiratory Rates
Weaned Pig: breaths / min
Growing Pig: breaths / min
Finishing Pig: breaths / min

9. How to evaluate a
ROOM /BARN
of pigs

10. STOP !
LOOK !
LISTEN !
EVALUATE :
Environment
Pig Comfort
Feed Delivery
Water Supply

11. How to evaluate a
PEN
Nursery and Finisher

12. Use a systematic approach ! Do it the same way every time !
EVALUATE :
Pig Comfort
Pig Health
Waterer position / flow
Feeder adjustment

13. Environment:
Are the pigs comfortable?
Are they cold (piling)?
Are they hot?
Are there drafts present?
Think about the environment from
the pig level, not yours!

14. Water supply:
Are the nipples at the proper height
(top of the shoulders)?
Is the water flow appropriate?
pints / minute (nursery)
quarts / minute (finishing)

15. Water Flow

16. Measuring water flow rates:
Nursery:
pints / minute
(25-40 seconds to fill a pint container)
Finishing:
quarts / minute (finishing)
(20-30 seconds to fill a pint container)

17. Nipple Height

18. Feed supply: Are the augers operating correctly?
Are the feeders adjusted properly?
Is the feed in the feeder trough free of mold and manure?

19. Feeder Adjustment
Good
Wet Feed
Excess Feed

20. The pigs CAN tell you how they feel !!
How do these pigs feel ?

21. How the pigs feel is determined by:
Not only the temperature but the combination of humidity and the air speed (drafts) with the temperature !

22. What are these pigs telling
YOU ?

23. Piling of piglets: Indicates that the pigs are chilled, huddling for warmth. Maybe due to low ambient temperature or radiant cooling from cold facilities.

24. either because they are the barn is too cold or drafty
They are chilled
either because they are
sick or
the barn is too cold or drafty

25. 5 Most Common Symptoms #1 CNS (strep) #2 Lameness #3 Diarrhea
#4 Pneumonia
#5 Off Feed

26. Piglet is in recumbent with extensor rigidity, paddling, and nystagmus due to meningitis likely caused by Streptococcus suis septicemia.

27. # 2 LAMENESS
Lameness and
Swollen Joints

28. Both rear legs have swollen joints
Pigs will stand with the rear legs more under its body than normal pigs to try to take weight off of the joints that are painful.

29. Recovered infection or
Finishing Pig
Not Lame with
Firm, swollen joints =
Recovered infection or
injury
No treatment !

30. Swollen hocks: Are commonly associated with lameness – common agents associated with this condition in finishing pigs are: Mycoplasma hyosynoviae, Mycoplasma hyorhinis, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, Streptococcus suis

31. Can the pig compete with other pigs for food and water?
It must be pulled!

32. Diarrhea in a Nursery Pig

33. Labored Abdominal Breathing
# 4 PNEUMONIA
"THUMPING" or
Labored Abdominal Breathing

34. “Thumping” pigs are animals that are using more effort than normal to breath.
Pigs will use its abdominal muscles to breath!
Not just the muscles of the chest.

35. # 5 OFF FEED
LOSS OF
BODY CONDITION

36. Pigs generally have a full stomach.
Gaunt, flat sided looking pigs will be the first sign.
More advanced cases the pig's backbone will begin to show.

37. OTHER SYMPTOMS
Tail Biting
Navel Sucking
Greasy Pig

38. First ask…Is this a primary
TAIL BITING
First ask…Is this a primary or
secondary problem ?

39. Most likely a
secondary problem if…
It is not healthy…
Loss of condition
and depressed

40. It may need to be pulled to keep it from getting worse!
Most likely a
primary problem if...
It is healthy..
in good condition
It may need to be pulled to
keep it from getting worse!

41. Vices: Pigs bite to get cohorts moving away from desired resources
Vices: Pigs bite to get cohorts moving away from desired resources. Most vices are a result of a scarcity of resources such as feeder space, water, and well ventilated pen space. Difficult to stop once started in a group, requires identification and correction of risk factor.
Tail-bite lesion in a finishing barn
Cannibalism of tail by other pigs
in the same pen

42. NAVEL SUCKING

43. Possible causes of Navel Sucking:
1) Pigs that are weaned too early.
2) Improper environment causing pigs to be uncomfortable.
The pig that is doing the navel sucking should be removed from the pen!

44. Navel sucking: This behavior is associated with early weaned pigs and increases in frequency as wean age drops below 12 days of age.

45. Younger pigs that suck the navels of other pigs: Usually have “muddy” stained foreheads and can be recognized and removed to eliminate injury to other pigs.

46. Physical Exam Summary Pigs are not easy to examine up close
Learn to evaluate from a distance
Many clinical signs not specific to a certain disease
Be aware of environment including feed and water availability
Need to develop a “feel” for group health
Post-mortems are often done to reach a specific diagnosis

47. Don’t forget that not everything is disease!

48. Acknowledgements
I would like to recognize others for their significant contributions to this presentation:
Dr. Alex Ramirez
Dr. Locke Karriker
MKS Productions