{"id":7315,"date":"2015-11-16T15:36:23","date_gmt":"2015-11-16T15:36:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/?page_id=7315"},"modified":"2016-04-25T12:32:57","modified_gmt":"2016-04-25T11:32:57","slug":"piglet-diarrhoea","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/disease-management\/pig-diseases\/piglet-diarrhoea\/","title":{"rendered":"Piglet Diarrhea"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignright\">\n                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/disease-management\/pig-diseases\/piglet-diarrhoea\/?pfstyle=wp\" rel=\"nofollow\" onclick=\"pfTrackEvent(&#039;Piglet Diarrhea&#039;); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF & Email\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"pf-button-img\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.printfriendly.com\/buttons\/printfriendly-pdf-email-button-notext.png\" alt=\"Print Friendly, PDF & Email\" style=\"width: 110px;height: 30px;\"  \/>\n                    <\/a>\n                <\/div><\/p>\n<h2>Pig Diseases<\/h2><div id=\"gticontainer\"><div class=\"gti_clear\"><\/div><div id=\"gti_letterindex\"><ul><li><a href=\"#gti_all\">All<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_B\" href=\"#\">B<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_C\" href=\"#\">C<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_D\" href=\"#\">D<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_E\" href=\"#\">E<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_G\" href=\"#\">G<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_L\" href=\"#\">L<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_M\" href=\"#\">M<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_P\" href=\"#\">P<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_R\" href=\"#\">R<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_S\" href=\"#\">S<\/a><\/li><li><a id=\"gti_sel_T\" href=\"#\">T<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"gti_clear\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"tagindex\"><div id='gti_div_B'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_B'>B<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/blue-ear-disease\/\">Blue Ear Disease<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_C'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_C'>C<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/clostridia\/\">Clostridia<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/coccidiosis-in-pigs\/\">Coccidiosis in Pigs<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/colibacillosis-in-pigs\/\">Colibacillosis in Pigs<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_D'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_D'>D<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/piglet-diarrhoea-3\/\">Diarrhea (Piglet)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_E'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_E'>E<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/colibacillosis-in-pigs-2\/\">E. coli<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/coccidiosis-in-pigs-2\/\">Eimeria<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/enteritis-necrotic\/\">Enteritis - Necrotic<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/erysipelothrix-rhusiopathiae\/\">Erysipelas<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/external-parasites\/\">External Parasites<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/colibacillosis-in-pigs-3\/\">Edema Disease<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_G'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_G'>G<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/skin-conditions-4\/\">Greasy Pig Disease<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_L'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_L'>L<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/skin-conditions-2\/\">Lice<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_M'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_M'>M<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/skin-conditions-3\/\">Mange<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/meningitis\/\">Meningitis<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_P'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_P'>P<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/porcine-parvovirus-2\/\">Parvovirus<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/prrs-2-3\/\">PEARS<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/piglet-diarrhoea\/\">Piglet Diarrhea<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/pneumonia\/\">Pneumonia<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/prrs-3\/\">Porcine Epidemic Abortion and Respiratory Syndrome<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/porcine-parvovirus\/\">Porcine Parvovirus<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/prrs-2\/\">Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/piglet-diarrhoea-2\/\">Post-weaning Diarrhea<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/prrs\/\">PRRS<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_R'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_R'>R<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/pneumonia-in-pigs\/\">Respiratory Disease<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/skin-conditions-6\/\">Ringworm<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_S'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_S'>S<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/piglet-diarrhoea-4\/\">Scours<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/prrs-2-2\/\">SIRS<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/skin-conditions\/\">Skin conditions<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/streptococcus-suis\/\">Streptococcal Infections<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/prrs-2-4\/\">Swine Infertility and Respiratory Syndrome<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/skin-conditions-5\/\">Swine Pox<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><div id='gti_div_T'><div class='blockletter' id='gti_T'>T<\/div><ul><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/tetanus\/\">Tetanus<\/a><\/li><li style=\"width:100%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/pig-diseases\/\/skin-conditions-7\/\">Ticks<\/a><\/li><\/ul><div class='gti_clear'><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<h4>Piglet Diarrhea<\/h4>\n<p><em><strong>Also known as: Scours.\u00a0Including Post-weaning Diarrhea<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h3>What Causes Piglet Diarrhea?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"two_third\">\n<strong>Piglet diarrhea or &#8220;scour&#8221; can be common at both the neonatal and the post-weaning stages. It is a common cause of <span class=\"tooltips\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"tooltip\" title=\"Usually expressed as a rate, it is the number of deaths in a given population\">mortality<\/a><\/span> and is often closely associated with poor hygiene, inappropriate husbandry (e.g., early weaning), stressful environment and inappropriate feeding factors.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Common causes of piglet diarrhea include the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Escherichia coli<\/em> (<em>E. coli<\/em>) strains are common within the first week of life, and again in the first week after weaning. This is a serious cause of the piglet diarrhea affecting piglets, to read more see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/disease-management\/pig-diseases\/colibacillosis-in-pigs\/\">Colibacillosis;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><em>Clostridial enteritis<\/em> causes acute enteritis and scouring within the first week of life, to read more see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/disease-management\/pig-diseases\/clostridia\/\">Clostridial disease <\/a>;<\/li>\n<li><em>Coccidia<\/em> cause scouring commonly between 9 days of age and weaning, to read more see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/disease-management\/pig-diseases\/coccidiosis-in-pigs\/\">Coccidiosis<\/a>;<\/li>\n<li>Transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea) causes sudden and severe diarrhea in piglets under 3 weeks of age;<\/li>\n<li>Salmonellosis causes diarrhea in weaned pigs. It is often associated with other diseases; and<\/li>\n<li>Other causes include Rotavirus, cryptosporidiosis and <em>Brachyspira hyodysenteriae.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Pre-Weaning in Piglets<\/h3>\n<p>Diarrhea in pre-weaned piglets is common and can be fatal, but the causes are varied. The onset of diarrhea may occur within a matter of hours, and it is likely to spread rapidly to all piglets in a litter. Piglets can become quickly dehydrated and <span class=\"tooltips\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"tooltip\" title=\"Usually expressed as a rate, it is the number of deaths in a given population\">mortality<\/a><\/span> rates can be high.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"one_third last\">\n<a class=\"button medium alternative-1\" title=\"What causes piglet diarrhoea?\" href=\"#cause\">What Causes Piglet Diarrhea?<\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"button medium alternative-1\" title=\"Control and Prevention\" href=\"#control_prevention\">Control and Prevention<\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"button medium alternative-1\" title=\"What are the treatment options?\" href=\"#treatment\">Treatment Options<\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"button medium alternative-1\" title=\"Welfare implications?\" href=\"#welfare\">Welfare<\/a><br \/>\n<a class=\"button medium alternative-1\" title=\"Good Practice Based on Current Knowledge\" href=\"#good_practice\">Good Practice<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"responsive\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6018\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a class=\"Pre-weaned piglets\" href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/sleeping-piglets.jpg\" rel=\"Pre-weaned piglets\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6018\" class=\"Pre-weaned piglets wp-image-6018 size-medium\" title=\"Pre-weaned piglets\" src=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/sleeping-piglets-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"sleeping piglets\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/sleeping-piglets-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/sleeping-piglets.jpg 448w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-6018\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Diarrhea in pre- and post-weaned piglets can be fatal if severe. There are many different pathogens and factors that can cause diarrhea so outbreaks should be investigated\u00a0thoroughly.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<h3>Post-Weaning Diarrhea in Piglets<\/h3>\n<p>The weaning process increases the stress on piglets, and thus their susceptibility to viral and bacterial infections. Diarrhea in these older piglets tends to <a id=\"control_prevention\"><\/a>be less severe, and <span class=\"tooltips\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"tooltip\" title=\"Usually expressed as a rate, it is the number of deaths in a given population\">mortality<\/a><\/span> rates lower. Potential sources of diarrhea at this stage include <em>E. coli<\/em>, Rotavirus, TGE, salmonellosis, <em>Campylobacter<\/em> and <em>Brachyspira hyodysenteriae<\/em> (<a href=\"#ref\">Bohl et al., 1978<\/a>; <a href=\"#ref\">Taylor, 1995<\/a>).<\/p>\n<div class=\"description clearfix style-1 or 2\">\n<h3>Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv)<\/h3>\n<p>Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) is a differential diagnosis to piglet diarrhea, and is caused by a pig coronavirus. There are a range of pig coronaviruses that cause similar diseases around the world, but at present PEDv is the most common and important form globally (<a href=\"#ref\">McOrist, 2014<\/a>). PEDv is a devastating <span class=\"tooltips\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"tooltip\" title=\"Relating to, or affecting, the intestines\">enteric<\/a><\/span> disease, with\u00a0outbreaks tending to occur every 6-12 months, varying in duration and intensity. Piglet mortality is high, but older animals can also be affected, with long term effects on sow performance (<a href=\"#ref\">McOrist, 2014<\/a>). PEDv is characterized by watery diarrhea, it appears\u00a0similar to transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE), and\u00a0can be confirmed by blood tests or PCR tests. It is a very serious condition and Swine Enteric Coronavirus Diseases, including PEDv, are reportable to the USDA. If you suspect PEDv on your farm, contact your veterinarian immediately.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<div class=\"hr hr3\" style='margin:0px 0 20px 0 !important;'><\/div>\n<h4>Control and Prevention of Piglet Diarrhea<\/h4>\n<p>Piglet diarrhea is a threat in most herds and a range of different infections can be expected to exist in the environment, regardless of control measures. Nevertheless, the incidence and severity of diarrhea outbreaks are often closely associated with herd management factors well within the control of the stockperson (<a href=\"#ref\">Hill and Sainsbury, 1995<\/a>).<\/p>\n<h3>Maintenance of Disease Resistance<\/h3>\n<p>Maternal antibodies provided through colostrum are the primary protection against piglet diarrhea and its effects on pre-weaning piglets. Resistance to disease is also associated with the general well-being of individual animals, and excessive levels of stress should be avoided where possible (<a href=\"#ref\">Cowart, 1995<\/a>; <a href=\"#ref\">Hill and Sainsbury, 1995<\/a>; <a href=\"#ref\">Taylor, 1995<\/a>).<\/p>\n<div class=\"description clearfix style-1\">\n<h5><strong>Maintenance of disease resistance can be enhanced in two ways:<\/strong><\/h5>\n<ol>\n<li>By ensuring adequate colostrum intake in the first hours after farrowing (not always practical and easy in extensive outdoor systems); and<\/li>\n<li>By ensuring good antibody development in the sow before farrowing. The development of active immunity in sows against the prevalent pathogens can be enhanced by controlled exposure of maiden gilts to dung from the farrowing unit in the introduction\/acclimatization paddock before mating. If weaner gilts are bought into the unit, they should be introduced to the herd as early as possible after an appropriate period of isolation, to allow immunological acclimatization.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<h5>There are several vaccines available that will incur protection against multiple strains of both <em>E.Coli <\/em>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/disease-management\/pig-diseases\/clostridia\/\">Clostridial<\/a> disease, for vaccination of sows and gilts before farrowing in order to enhance active immunity and production of antibodies in milk. See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/disease-management\/pig-diseases\/colibacillosis-in-pigs\/\">Colibacillosis<\/a> for more details.<\/h5>\n<h3>Reducing Exposure of Piglets to Infection<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_6011\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a class=\"Farrowing huts\" href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Outdoor-pigs.jpg\" rel=\"Farrowing huts\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6011\" class=\"Farrowing huts wp-image-6011 size-medium\" title=\"Farrowing huts\" src=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Outdoor-pigs-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Outdoor pigs\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Outdoor-pigs-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Outdoor-pigs.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-6011\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Build-up of infectious agents that cause piglet diarrhea in farrowing huts can be avoided by cleaning and disinfection between litters and regular provision of dry clean bedding.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Exposure of piglets to pathogens that\u00a0cause diarrhea is linked to hygiene practises and bacterial growth and survival in the immediate environment of the piglet. Poor hygiene will allow bacteria and other pathogens to proliferate. \u00a0Initial infections can be greatly reduced by a good level of\u00a0hygiene and farrowing\u00a0accommodation\u00a0management. In farrowing paddocks, huts should be disinfected between litters, and bedding in each hut kept fresh, clean and dry. Huts should be moved between litters, and paddocks moved annually. Cold, wet, draughty conditions are likely to exacerbate infections, and huts should be kept enclosed, dry and warm, particularly in colder weather.<\/p>\n<h3>Good Sow and Piglet Feeding Practice<\/h3>\n<p>Inappropriate or excessive feeding of sows can further exacerbate infections, and regulated high fiber and high protein diets are advisable.<\/p>\n<p>One of the consequences of incomplete starch digestion in the small intestine may include excessive large intestinal fermentation leading to diarrhea and dehydration. Starch from peas is digested less well in the small intestine than from cereals (<a href=\"#ref\">Wiseman, 2006<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"treatment\"><\/a>Some feeds, such as processed soya bean products, particularly cooked soya bean and tempeh, a cooked and mold-fermented product, may be beneficial in the case of post-weaning diarrhea in piglets (<a href=\"#ref\">Kiers et al., 2003, 2006<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Almost all diarrhea will result in dehydration, and control of increasing <span class=\"tooltips\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"tooltip\" title=\"Proportion of animals with the particular disease\">morbidity<\/a><\/span> and <span class=\"tooltips\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"tooltip\" title=\"Usually expressed as a rate, it is the number of deaths in a given population\">mortality<\/a><\/span> may be prevented by timely introduction of rehydration with glucose-based fluids.<\/p>\n<div class=\"hr hr3\" style='margin:20px 0 20px 0 !important;'><\/div>\n<h4>Treating Piglet Diarrhea<\/h4>\n<p>In a case of diarrhea outbreak in a herd, it is important to diagnose the infective cause of the disease promptly and accurately in order to target further control measures appropriately. Antimicrobial sensitivity testing should be used to ensure the correct products are used and\u00a0there\u00a0issues with <span class=\"tooltips\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"tooltip\" title=\"Resistance of a micro-organism (including bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites) to a drug\">antimicrobial resistance<\/a><\/span> are not amplified. Isolation and provision of rehydrating, glucose-based fluids can be helpful in weaned piglets. Also combined antimicrobials may be effective in addressing a number of potential infections, but their efficacy cannot be guaranteed (<a href=\"#ref\">Cowart, 1995;<\/a> <a href=\"#ref\">Taylor, 1995<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Reference should be made to treatment measures for specific causes of diarrhea:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/disease-management\/pig-diseases\/clostridia\/\">Clostridial infections<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/disease-management\/pig-diseases\/coccidiosis-in-pigs\/\">Coccidiosis<\/a><\/li>\n<li><i><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/disease-management\/pig-diseases\/colibacillosis-in-pigs\/\">E. coli<\/a><\/em><\/i><\/li>\n<li>Salmonellosis<\/li>\n<li>Transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE)<\/li>\n<li>Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a id=\"welfare\"><\/a>The demonstrated positive effect of zinc supplementation on diarrhea in weaned piglets may be due to zinc reducing the intestinal mucosal susceptibility to <span class=\"tooltips\"><a href=\"#\" rel=\"tooltip\" title=\"A substance that causes another to be secreted\">secretagogues<\/a><\/span> that activate chloride secretion (<a href=\"#ref\">Carlson et al., 2004<\/a>).<\/p>\n<div class=\"hr hr3\" style='margin:20px 0 20px 0 !important;'><\/div>\n<div class=\"description clearfix style-1 or 2\">\n<h4>Piglet Diarrhea and Welfare<\/h4>\n<p><a id=\"good_practice\"><\/a>Early weaning should be avoided as it is likely to increase risk for post-weaning scours. Maternally derived passive immunity does not prevent infection, but does prevent expression of clinical disease while active immune defences are being formed in later weaned animals (<a href=\"#ref\">Fangman and Tubbs, 1997<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>If a unit has a serious <em>E. coli<\/em> problem, the situation should be improved with a combination of husbandry and hygiene changes and vaccination of sows\/gilts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h4>\n<div class=\"hr hr3\" style='margin:20px 0 20px 0 !important;'><\/div>\n<\/h4>\n<h4>Good Practice Based on Current Knowledge<\/h4>\n<p>In order to control piglet diarrhea, the situation on the farm needs to be assessed in order to decide whether a disease reduction plan needs to be developed.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<div id=\"attachment_6593\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/piglets-feeding.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6593\" class=\"wp-image-6593 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/piglets-feeding-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"piglets feeding\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/piglets-feeding-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/piglets-feeding.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-6593\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Supervise suckling to ensure piglets get sufficient colostrum<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Maintain good immune status and antibody production in sows by exposing maiden and weaned gilts early enough (minimum four weeks before farrowing) to prevailing pathogens in farrowing units (this will only be helpful in controlling <em>E. coli<\/em> infection and may be contraindicated if the herd suffers from clostridial enteritis)<\/li>\n<li>Supervise farrowing and suckling to ensure adequate colostrum intake. A balance has to be struck here as in extensive systems, night time farrowing means that supervision is not always possible without causing unnecessary disturbance, which in turn can result in increased mortality if the sow is standing up and laying down<\/li>\n<li>Decrease exposure to pathogens by disinfecting huts between litters, by keeping bedding in each hut fresh, clean and dry and by moving huts between litters and paddocks annually<\/li>\n<li>Plan your rotations and paddock changes so that farrowing paddocks can be changed between litters and piglets can be weaned on to clean ground<\/li>\n<li>Decrease stress by protecting litters from bad weather<\/li>\n<li>Wean late: piglets should be at least six weeks of age at weaning<\/li>\n<li>Reduce stress at weaning by allowing piglets to mix before weaning<\/li>\n<li>Wean piglet onto clean ground (i.e., no pigs in the previous 12 months)<\/li>\n<li>In the case of an outbreak or continuous problems with scours, identify the causative agents and factors and develop a written disease control plan with the vet<\/li>\n<li>Vaccinate gilts and sows against <em>E. coli\/<\/em>Clostridial disease, if problems cannot be solved by improved husbandry. If vaccination is introduced, it should be part of a written plan to reduce disease incidence by other methods (i.e., husbandry and hygiene) as well<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a id=\"ref\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"toggle\">\n<div class=\"toggle-title active\">Piglet Diarrhea References<span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"toggle-inner\">\n<div id=\"zotpress-81490270e86b1d5791f1233ed4184f09\" class=\"zp-Zotpress zp-Zotpress-Bib wp-block-group\">\n\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_API_USER_ID\" style=\"display: none;\">254757<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_ITEM_KEY\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_COLLECTION_ID\" style=\"display: none;\">SUW8SAES<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_TAG_ID\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_AUTHOR\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_YEAR\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n        <span class=\"ZP_ITEMTYPE\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n        <span class=\"ZP_ITEM_TYPE\" style=\"display: none;\">items<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_INCLUSIVE\" style=\"display: none;\">1<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_STYLE\" style=\"display: none;\">apa<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_LIMIT\" style=\"display: none;\">0<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_SORTBY\" style=\"display: none;\">author<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_ORDER\" style=\"display: none;\">asc<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_TITLE\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_SHOWIMAGE\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_SHOWTAGS\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_DOWNLOADABLE\" style=\"display: none;\">1<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_NOTES\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_ABSTRACT\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_CITEABLE\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_TARGET\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_URLWRAP\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZP_FORCENUM\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n        <span class=\"ZP_HIGHLIGHT\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n        <span class=\"ZP_POSTID\" style=\"display: none;\">7315<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"ZOTPRESS_PLUGIN_URL\" style=\"display:none;\">https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/zotpress\/<\/span>\n\n\t\t<div class=\"zp-List loading\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"zp-SEO-Content\">\n\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .zp-zp-SEO-Content -->\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .zp-List -->\n\t<\/div><!--.zp-Zotpress-->\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":7675,"parent":1189,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-fullwidth.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7315"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7315"}],"version-history":[{"count":73,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7315\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11650,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7315\/revisions\/11650"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1189"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmhealthonline.com\/US\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}