The most common diseases of pigs

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Pig diseases should be known to every farmer who decides to start breeding these animals. At the first symptoms, you should contact your veterinarian. Only a specialist can correctly diagnose and take the necessary measures. With some pathologies, animals are sent for slaughter, with others, treatment is prescribed. Knowing their signs is necessary in order not to miss the moment when you can save the animal or all the livestock.

Pig diseases

Classification of diseases

All diseases of domestic pigs are conventionally divided into several groups. Each group has a number of pathologies that differ in etiology, symptoms, and treatment methods. Here is a brief working classification

Pig infectious diseases:

bacterial;
viral;
fungal.

Parasitic diseases:

caused by internal parasites;
ectoparasitic.

Non-communicable diseases of pigs:

congenital pathologies;
metabolic disorders;
avitaminosis;
inflammatory diseases;
purulent surgical pathologies;
injury.

Signs of pathology can be very different from each other, but there are also common symptoms. The sick animal becomes lethargic, loses its appetite, lies for a long time, buried in the bedding. With a long course of the disease, pigs lose weight. Infections are often accompanied by fever.

Below we will look at the most common diseases from different groups. To learn more about pathologies, it is worth considering photos of sick animals and looking at the veterinary reference book.

Pig bacterial infections

Pig bacterial diseases are quite common. Causes of occurrence: keeping livestock in dirty pigsties, introducing pathogens from other farms. The treatment of such pathologies is quite successful, antibiotics of different groups are used. If not diagnosed in a timely manner, animals may die. Infections have the ability to spread epizootic.

Pig erysipelas

The disease is caused by the bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, which is very resistant to environmental factors. In another way, this pathology is called erisepeloid. The infection is dangerous to humans and can cause serious acute or chronic illness. In pigs, pathology variants can also be acute, subacute and chronic.

Symptoms and treatment, as well as the causes of this pathology, are fairly well understood. The pigs have fever, decreased appetite. A characteristic sign is round or square spots on different parts of the body, which appear about a day after the onset of the disease, a vesicular rash on the skin. For treatment, use Bitsilin-5, penicillin. A vaccine against swine erysipelas has also been developed.

Swine dysentery

Dysentery is an intestinal infection caused by a spirochete. Sick and recovered pigs can be the source of infection. It is transmitted by the alimentary route, with food and drink. The incubation period lasts from 2 to 30 days. A sick pig does not eat well, its temperature rises, very soon diarrhea develops, streaks of blood are visible in the feces, its color is gray or black. When diarrhea appears, the temperature drops sharply. Periodically, diarrhea can be replaced by constipation.

Weaned piglets have a pronounced hemorrhagic component of colitis, there is a lot of mucus in the feces. In suckers, feces are watery, thin, and abundant, which quickly leads to dehydration. The mortality rate among young animals is very high. Dysentery is treated with antibiotics, sulfa drugs. The same medications are given to pigs from time to time for prophylaxis.

Salmonellosis of pigs

Salmonellosis is another intestinal infection that is quite common and dangerous for humans. Caused by salmonella, foodborne transmission. The incubation period lasts from a day to a week. On the first day, the main manifestation of the disease is fever. From the second day, fetid diarrhea appears, the feces are green, reminiscent of swamp mud. In severe and chronic cases, pneumonia and purulent rhinitis join.

The disease is especially difficult in newborn piglets: they quickly lose weight, refuse to eat. Diarrhea leads to significant loss of fluid and death. Treatment consists in the appointment of antibiotics, nitrofurans, sulfonamides. It is important to replenish the water balance of the pig's body. The basis of prevention is to remove the causes and routes of transmission, feed the pigs with fresh, high-quality food and keep them clean.

Pasteurellosis

One of the most dangerous infectious diseases of pigs. Called by the stick Pasteurella multicida. It is transmitted by alimentary and aerogenic routes. Incubation can last from 1 day to 2 weeks. In an acute course in pigs, the lungs are affected, there are signs of pneumonia, purulent nasal discharge, and coughing. A disease in a lightning-fast form can kill an animal in a couple of days, while the pig does not eat well, lies down, her temperature rises sharply.

Sometimes pasteurellosis is chronic. In pigs, joints are affected, eczema appears on the skin. The disease is often combined with other pathologies, including intestinal and viral infections. For treatment, pigs are given antibiotics ecmonovocillin and dibiomycin with prolonged action. To increase their effectiveness, they are combined with the tetracycline series, penicillins.

Pig viral diseases

Among all infectious diseases, viral pathologies are the most dangerous. To date, there are very few drugs that would act on their causes. Many viral infections are still incurable. After a disease, pigs often remain carriers for life. The only effective preventive measure is vaccination.

Classical and African swine fever

Classic (CSF) and African (ASF) plague are the 2 most dangerous infectious diseases of this animal species. They are capable of destroying all livestock in a couple of days. Viruses are very resistant, therefore they can be transported over long distances. Plague is transmitted through food, care items, transport. The carriers are often people, wild and stray animals, and rodents.

The symptoms of both infectious diseases are similar. First, the pig's temperature rises, it eats poorly, constantly lies, it vomits. Then, pinpoint hemorrhages and large purple spots appear on the body of the animal. Sometimes you can see purulent pustules on the skin. Death occurs after 1-7 days, depending on the form of the disease. Chronicle is rare.

The classic plague causes death of piglets in 80-100% of cases. There is a vaccine against it that allows you to protect the livestock. No treatment has been developed. African plague has a 100% mortality rate; there is no vaccine.The only way to protect yourself is to comply with strict sanitary rules. In an outbreak, all pigs within a radius of 25 km are destroyed and burned. In the territory where the African plague was detected, strict quarantine is declared. It is possible to breed this species of animals there only after a year.

Foot and mouth disease in pigs

The disease is caused by a virus that infects not only pigs, but also cattle, sheep, goats, and can be dangerous to humans. It is transmitted from sick and recovering animals through the air and food. In adult gilts, a vesicular rash appears on the skin around the udder, on the hooves, around the stigma, eyes, ears, and in the mouth and nose. Then it turns into erosion and sores, the skin becomes swollen. General symptoms are mild, after about 3-4 weeks the ulcerative surface heals, the rash disappears.

Pathology is much more severe in newborn piglets and weaners. They have pronounced gastroenteritis, changes in the heart, neurological symptoms. If a piglet gets sick, it has a very high chance of dying. Often, pregnant sows with foot and mouth disease are aborted. Treatment for this pathology is ineffective. The best way to protect yourself is to get vaccinated on time.

Parvovirus infection

Parvovirus infection is caused by the Parvovirus suis virus. In adult boars and gilts, it is asymptomatic. Animals excrete the pathogen with feces, urine, vaginal secretions and semen for 2 weeks. This virus is dangerous for pigs because the uterus gives birth to dead piglets. If the infection occurs in the first month of pregnancy, the fruits simply dissolve and the female begins to estrus again.

The diagnosis of parvovirus infection is made when sows do not conceive, dead mummified fetuses are born. Sometimes piglets are born alive, but they have a low body weight, severe anemia. Young growth dies in 2-3 days. For the prevention of all females and breeding boars-producers are vaccinated every six months. Measures are being taken to prevent the introduction of infectious agents from other farms.

Circovirus infection

Circovirus infection manifests itself in young animals, weaned pigs. It is transmitted from adult carrier pigs through urine, feces. Often, the first symptoms appear immediately after birth. Piglets show tremors, difficulty in sucking, apathy and drowsiness, their body turns blue. Older piglets have anemia, cough, shortness of breath, jaundice, weight loss, white muscle dystrophy, and signs of CNS damage.

More recently, a vaccine against this infection has appeared. In Western countries, 80-95% of individuals on industrial farms have already been vaccinated. A treatment for piglet circovirus disease has not yet been developed. To prevent the little piglet from getting sick, it is better for him to be vaccinated.

Viral pathologies such as pseudorabies or Aujeszky's disease and Teschen's disease are much less common in the livestock. Pseudorabies is caused by the porcine herpes virus, which affects the nervous system, provokes convulsions, paralysis and death of animals, especially young animals. With Teschen's disease, serous encephalomyelitis develops. In piglets, paralysis of the front legs and the entire upper half of the body occurs, and a wobbly gait appears. Pathology in most cases ends in death.

Parasitic diseases of pigs

Parasitic or invasive diseases in pigs can be caused by protozoa, helminths, and insects that live on the skin. These pathologies are contagious, but they do not cause large epidemic outbreaks with high mortality. Treatment, prevention and prognosis depend on each specific type of disease.

Pyroplasmosis in pigs

Pyroplasmosis is caused by intracellular parasites that are transmitted through tick bites. Outbreaks of the disease occur in the spring and summer. The characteristic sign of invasion is hemolytic anemia, which is manifested by jaundice.The pig also develops a hemorrhagic rash on the skin, red urine, sluggish pig, and does not eat anything. The nervous system is often affected.

The blood shows signs of hemolysis, leukopenia. Swine fever, leptospirosis, hemophilic polyserositis, or Glesser's disease have similar symptoms and descriptions, therefore the pathology is differentiated by these diseases. For treatment, flavocridine, acaprine, azidine, berenil and other antiparasitic drugs are used.

Pig coccidiosis

The disease is caused by a parasite that lives inside the cells of the intestinal mucosa and bile ducts. Pigs become infected when eating feed, on walking grounds. When multiplying in cells, the pathogen causes their inflammation and necrosis. The disease manifests itself in pigs with fever, loss of appetite, weakness, profuse diarrhea, weight loss.

Very often, coccidiosis is complicated by other bacterial intestinal infections. For treatment, drugs such as Beykox, Brovaseptol, Tribrisen, Trivaseptin are used. The same medicines are given for the purpose of prevention, first of all, to pregnant females.

Cestodosis

Parasitic diseases, called cestodosis, are caused by tapeworms. These worms are parasitic in the intestines of the pig. The larvae with the blood flow enter various organs and tissues. They can enter the muscles, liver and even the brain. The main symptoms of the disease are weight loss, anemia, diarrhea, followed by constipation. With large capsules with larvae, symptoms of tumors of certain organs may occur. Most often in pigs there are:

echinococcosis;
alveococcosis;
cysticercosis.

For treatment, anthelmintic drugs are used that act on tapeworms. Prevention consists in overexposing hygiene rules when raising pigs.

Nematoses

Worm infestations that are caused by roundworms are called nematodes. Adult worms from this group parasitize in the intestines of the pig. The larvae enter the gastrointestinal tract through the mouth, then through the walls of the intestine and stomach they enter the bloodstream, are carried into the lungs. When they mature, with mucus through the trachea, they again enter the mouth and are swallowed. At the intestinal stage, animals may experience constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite and weight. In the larval stage - cough and other signs of bronchitis. Of nematodes in pigs there are:

ascariasis;
trichinosis;
chiostrongylosis;
metastrongylosis;
physocephalosis;
strongyloidosis;
acanthocephalosis.

Treatment is carried out with antiparasitic agents, to which roundworms are sensitive. Prevention is the same as for other parasitic diseases.

Ectoparasites

Most often, among ectoparasites, pigs are disturbed by ticks and lice. Bloodsucking mites get on the pig's skin from the external environment during walks, from the litter collected in the fields and in the forest. They are sucked in temporarily until blood is drunk. The main danger of such parasites is the transfer of various infectious diseases.

There are mites that live inside the skin and feed on epithelial cells. The disease they cause is called scab or scabies. A sick pig itches, it has specific redness on its body, the pattern of which resembles the interlacing of numerous paths. There is a tick that infects a pig's ear. A black or brown coating with small dots can be seen in the auricle.

Lice do not bother domestic pigs very often, as they prefer animals with thicker coats. If these parasites have settled on light pigskin, they are quite noticeable. Whitish eggs can be seen on the bristles. The animal behaves restlessly, itches, with a massive lesion, anemia may develop. The main way to combat ectoparasites is insecticides. Their appearance can be prevented by regular cleaning and periodic treatments from insects in the pigsty. It is also necessary to control rodents, the main carriers of parasites.

Non-communicable diseases

Non-infectious pathologies most often arise due to metabolic disorders, improper feeding and maintenance. Some diseases in pigs are associated with birth defects as well as trauma.

Peptic ulcer

This pathology occurs when a pig eats poor-quality feed, it can be the result of severe stress. The first sign is loss of appetite, decreased activity. In the future, there may be vomiting with bile after eating, bleeding, black feces. They treat the disease with a diet, give antibacterial drugs, drugs that reduce acidity, improve the healing of the gastric mucosa.

Dyspepsia and gastroenteritis

Pathologies are found in suckling piglets if they are quickly weaned and transferred to an adult diet. Manifested by vomiting, diarrhea, refusal to eat, the temperature in most cases remains normal. Sick piglets are transferred to easily digestible feed, liquid talkers and cereals. Then you can gradually introduce boiled potatoes, sugar beets, flax and oatmeal decoctions. For the prevention of intestinal infections, nitrofurans and sulfonamides are given.

Pneumonia and bronchitis

Lung diseases are most often associated with keeping in cold or dusty rooms, in a draft. Pigs begin to cough, wheeze, shortness of breath appears. Respiratory symptoms from the upper respiratory tract often join - a runny nose, hoarseness. In most cases, the temperature rises, the animals become weaker, and eat poorly. For treatment, antibiotics or antibacterial agents, expectorants are used.

Anemia and vitamin deficiencies

These non-communicable pathologies are associated with an improper diet of pigs, which does not provide them with all the necessary substances. Also, they can be caused by congenital metabolic disorders, latent infections, helminthiases. With anemia, the piglets' skin is pale, they are weak, and do not recover well. For treatment, drugs are used, which include iron, the pigs' menu is being revised.

Each vitamin deficiency has its own specific clinical picture. Little pigs most often suffer from a lack of vitamin D. Because of this, they develop rickets. Bet on this disease, the skeleton develops incorrectly, muscle weakness appears, interruptions in the work of the heart. If the sow is deficient in vitamin E, she may have miscarriages or problems with fertilization. With a deficiency of B vitamins, disturbances from the nervous system and hematopoiesis come to the fore. Lack of ascorbic acid leads to a drop in immunity, bleeding from the mucous membranes may appear.