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Often, farmers who raise pigs and piglets notice that strange dark, almost black scabs appear on the animals' skin, which tend to grow over time. What does such a black crust on the back of a pig mean and how to treat it, you can learn in detail from the article.
Why do pigs and piglets itch?
If a breeder is faced with a situation where piglets are constantly itching, then most likely he or she will quickly come to the conclusion that the disease is beginning and try to treat the disease at home. Efficiency in the treatment of any disease is never superfluous, but first you should determine what exactly you have to fight. Intense itching in animals can have many causes, but the most likely is infection with some kind of skin disease.
Skin diseases of piglets and pigs
Pigs are susceptible to a wide range of skin diseases.Some of them affect mainly young animals, while other diseases affect piglets and adult animals equally. Among the most common diseases it is worth noting:
- scabies;
- dermatitis;
- furunculosis;
- ringworm;
- erysipelas;
- vesicular disease.
Most skin diseases have similar symptoms, which is why even experienced livestock breeders often make mistakes in diagnosis. It should be remembered that only a veterinarian can accurately recognize the disease after conducting appropriate research.
Scabies in piglets and pigs
Scabies, also known as scab or sarcoptic mange, is a disease caused by a specific type of mite that lives under the skin of pigs and piglets, as pictured. These parasites can settle on any part of the animal's body, but most often affect the areas around the eyes, nose or ears, where the skin is thinnest and most delicate.
There are several types of scabies:
- ear scabies, in which mites infect only the ears of piglets;
- total scabies, when parasites spread throughout the animal’s body.
Symptoms, diagnosis
The first signs of scabies in piglets can be recognized even before symptoms appear: the animals experience severe itching and scratch intensely, sometimes tearing the skin until it bleeds, as in the photo. At the site of the most extensive scabies damage, the epidermis begins to peel off and become overgrown with scabs.
Other symptoms of mange in piglets include:
- the appearance of off-white crusts on the affected areas, as shown in the photo above;
- redness on the snout and near the ears;
- the presence of paired dots on the skin of piglets, similar to insect bites;
- anxiety and aggressive behavior of animals due to itching.
If scabies is not treated at this stage, the mites will spread throughout the body, affecting the sides, limbs and back. The skin will become thicker and rougher, and the crusts will become dark brown, almost black. Severe cases of scabies cause anemia and severe weakness in piglets.
At this point, it is especially important to diagnose scabies as soon as possible. Any delay in treatment may result in the death of the animal.
The diagnosis is made by a qualified veterinarian based on characteristic clinical symptoms and laboratory results. To carry out tests to detect scabies, skin scrapings from the ears of piglets are required, and samples must be taken from at least 10% of the piglet. If the causative agents of scabies could not be detected, the examination should be repeated after 3 to 4 weeks.
How to treat scabies in piglets and pigs
Scabies can be treated in various ways: both traditional and folk. Drug treatment of scabies involves the use of a variety of ointments, aerosols, and injections against mites. The latter is considered the most effective.
Drugs such as Doramectin and Ivermectin, which are administered under the skin of the animal at the rate of 0.3 ml per 1 kg of pig body weight, have proven themselves especially well against scabies.
Preparations for external use, such as:
- Phosmet;
- Amitraz;
- Creolin;
- Ectosinol.
Based on them, a solution is prepared, checking the instructions, after which the piglets’ scabs are treated 2 times with an interval of 10 days.
Livestock breeders often practice treating scabies in pigs and piglets with folk remedies. The most popular of them is a composition based on sour cream with gunpowder:
- Sour cream and gunpowder are mixed in a 3:1 ratio.
- The resulting mixture is left to infuse for 3 hours.
- The affected areas are treated with the prepared composition.
In addition to this method, treatment of scabies in piglets is also carried out using other folk remedies, for example:
- ointment from wild rosemary and hellebore roots;
- a mixture of laundry soap, onions and garlic;
Oil-garlic tincture has also proven its benefits in the treatment of scabies:
- 100 g of chopped garlic are combined with 0.5 liters of mustard oil and brought to a boil.
- Then the fire is removed and the mixture is simmered for another 20 minutes.
- Next, the mixture is cooled, filtered, and the garlic is squeezed out.
- The prepared product is used to treat the skin of piglets.
Dermatitis
Unlike scabies, dermatitis is a non-contagious disease. It occurs when a pig or piglet accidentally injures the skin and the wound becomes infected. It causes an inflammatory process. Pigs of any age can get dermatitis.
Symptoms of this disease vary, depending on its cause, the severity of the injury and the piglet's immunity.As a rule, the affected area loses hair and turns red, and the wound is covered with a scab, under which tissue regeneration processes are activated. Touching the affected area causes discomfort to the piglet.
If the animal's body does not cope with the infection, the wound becomes an ulcer, pus is released from it, and in advanced cases, necrosis may occur.
Mild forms of the disease are treated with ointments and antiseptic lotions, which disinfect wounds and relieve inflammation. If a pig or piglet has necrosis, the affected tissue is surgically removed.
Furunculosis
The appearance of single ulcers on the body of piglets can be caused by various staphylococcal bacteria. When wounded or otherwise damaged, they enter the hair follicle and contribute to its inflammation, resulting in the formation of a boil. Furunculosis also occurs due to a lack of vitamins in the animal’s diet or due to poor hygiene.
The disease is often treated by rubbing the affected areas of the skin with iodine, brilliant green or salicylic alcohol. To relieve inflammation, lotions with ichthyol ointment or paraffin are used in treatment.
If the boil is too large and causing severe pain to the pig, veterinary intervention may be required in addition to normal treatment. He will give the animal an injection of novocaine, clean the tumor from pus and disinfect the wound. Usually after this the piglet is prescribed a course of antibiotics.
Ringworm
Another reason why piglets itch may be ringworm. This skin disease occurs when pigs and piglets become infected with a fungal infection through contaminated household items or through contact with other animals. As a rule, piglets up to 6-8 months of age are most susceptible to the disease. Their immunity at this age is not yet strong enough, and therefore they are much more sensitive to the effects of pathogens.
Piglets infected with ringworm exhibit the following symptoms:
- oval or diamond-shaped spots appear on the surface of the body;
- the skin in areas of irritation thickens and peels off;
- animals experience severe itching and scratch the affected areas until crusts form.
Pigs should be treated for this disease by ensuring that infected individuals are isolated from healthy ones. For preventive purposes, the latter should vaccinate piglets against lichen.
As a treatment, it is recommended to treat the skin of sick animals with antifungal ointments or solutions. Various suspensions that are intended for internal use are very effective in treating the disease. Among them it is worth mentioning:
- Griseofulvin;
- Ketoconazole;
- Itraconazole
Erysipelas
Changes in skin color and the appearance of a crust on the back of piglets can be signs of erysipelas. Erysipelas is a dangerous infectious disease, equally for pigs and humans. The first symptoms of the disease begin to appear after 7 - 8 days. Signs of acute inflammation include:
- a sharp increase in the animal’s temperature to 42 °C;
- loss of appetite;
- numbness in the piglet’s limbs, causing it to refuse to move;
- disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
- redness or bluish discoloration of the skin in the abdomen and neck area.
This form of the disease is considered the most dangerous for animals, as it develops rapidly and, in the absence of timely treatment, can cause the death of pigs.
The chronic type of the disease is no less dangerous for piglets. It is accompanied by extensive tissue necrosis, and over time affects the joints and heart muscle. Chronic erysipelas develops if treatment of the animal is ignored for a long time.
The subacute form of the disease proceeds much more slowly and can be treated quite successfully. It has pronounced symptoms. So, it is characterized by:
- itching;
- a specific rash that forms purple patterns on the skin, reminiscent of spots on the skin of a leopard.
With proper treatment of the subacute variety of the disease, piglets return to their normal lifestyle after 10 - 14 days.
Erysipelas in piglets should be treated as part of complex therapy, since the infection affects all systems of the pig’s body. For this use:
- antibiotics and antipyretic drugs;
- vitamin and mineral complexes;
- medications that regulate cardiac activity;
- anthelmintic compounds.
Since erysipelas is an infectious disease, during treatment, sick piglets must be separated from healthy ones, and at the end of the procedures, the pens must be treated with bactericidal agents.
Vesicular disease
If sores similar to scabs appear on the body of piglets, this may serve as a signal of the manifestation of vesicular disease. The cause of this disease is considered to be a virus of the genus Enterovirus, which enters the body of healthy animals upon contact with sick animals or their waste products. The following symptoms of vesicular disease are noted:
- refusal of animals to eat;
- general deterioration in the condition of animals, lethargy;
- temperature increase;
- the appearance of scabs in piglets in the snout area, on the belly, on the hind and front legs.
The vesicular disease virus is very tenacious and remains in the piglet’s body and meat for a long time. It is practically immune to disinfectants. You can get rid of it by treating areas where pigs are kept using high temperatures (more than 65° C) and various chemical solutions, for example:
- 2% formaldehyde;
- 2% chlorine;
- heated with 2% sodium hydroxide.
To date, it remains unclear how to treat vesicular disease. Adult animals usually recover without additional treatment within 7 days if they are provided with rest and plenty of fluids. During this period, their body produces special antibodies that defeat the virus. Pigs die from this disease very rarely, in 10% of cases. However, this does not apply to piglets that are fed their mother's milk: they are the most vulnerable group to infection.
Prevention measures
Scabies and other skin diseases can be quite difficult to treat, but most of them can be avoided if you properly care for your piglets:
- Regular hygiene procedures and maintaining cleanliness in pens with piglets will help prevent the occurrence of diseases.
- A balanced diet with the addition of vitamins in the autumn-winter period will strengthen the animals' defenses, which will make them less susceptible to fungi and microbes.
- Piglets should always have access to clean and fresh water. Dehydrated and weakened individuals primarily become carriers of diseases.
- Regular veterinary examinations should not be neglected. A qualified doctor will be able to recognize the first signs of the disease and give the necessary recommendations on how to treat it.
- Timely vaccinations will help prevent many diseases that can lead to serious complications, so you shouldn’t put them off.
Conclusion
As can be seen from the article, a black crust on the back of a piglet may not always be a sign of scabies and is a fairly common symptom of other skin diseases. With some exceptions, all of these ailments can be treated without complications. Moreover, the sooner measures are taken regarding the disease, the higher the guarantee that the pig will recover.
The pig had red spots behind the ears on the eyes, on the legs and on the chest after the injections there were black spots
Pigs itch without symptoms, puncture from scabies and worms itch for 2 months