Content
- 1 Why is cough dangerous for pigs and piglets?
- 2 Signs of the disease
- 3 Why does a pig or pig cough: a list of possible reasons
- 4 Colds
- 5 Pneumonia, tuberculosis
- 6 Stomach diseases
- 7 Ascariasis
- 8 Other causes of cough in piglets or pigs
- 9 Diagnosis of diseases
- 10 How to treat cough in piglets or pigs
- 11 Prevention measures
- 12 Conclusion
Piglets cough for many reasons, and it is a fairly common problem that all farmers face at one time or another. A cough can be a reaction to unfavorable environmental conditions, or it can also be a sign of a serious illness, so it is very important to take action in time.
Why is cough dangerous for pigs and piglets?
Cough in piglets can be a symptom of dangerous, life-threatening animal diseases, which are often treated only with medications. Pig diseases are very similar to human diseases. It is important to be able to recognize the first signs of their manifestation in time, since many of the diseases are infectious and can quickly be transmitted from animal to animal, endangering the entire herd.
Signs of the disease
Coughing is a normal reaction of the human and animal body to external irritants.However, when the cough persists for an extended period of time, pigs lose their appetite and exhibit any uncharacteristic behavior, the cause should be investigated as soon as possible.
General signs of disease development in pigs:
- cough;
- dry skin, blemishes or rashes;
- tousled matte stubble;
- lethargy;
- decreased or lack of appetite;
- low or high body temperature;
- overly excited state.
Why does a pig or pig cough: a list of possible reasons
The main reasons why piglets and pigs cough are:
- poor ventilation in the room;
- the presence of mold fungi in the feed;
- lack of nutrients;
- injuries;
- colds;
- pneumonia;
- tuberculosis;
- gastroenteritis and other gastric diseases;
- ascariasis;
- presence of a foreign body in the lungs;
- lung irritation.
Colds
If piglets are kept in unventilated, damp and cool areas, they can catch a cold. Weakened immunity and cough can also cause a lack of nutrients and vitamins in the body of piglets, so it is important to use balanced feed of good quality to feed the animals.
The first signs of a cold are a cough, an overly excited or, on the contrary, apathetic state. Another characteristic symptom of a cold is a change in the color of the ears from pink to greyish.
It is recommended to treat colds in piglets with specialized medications and antibiotics prescribed by a veterinarian. The best prevention is compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards and recommendations for feeding animals.To strengthen the immune system, pigs are injected with 15-20 ml of glucose 2 times a day.
Pneumonia, tuberculosis
The cause of cough in piglets may be pneumonia, which is caused by harmful microorganisms entering the animal's body. The main symptoms of this disease are:
- difficulty breathing;
- the appearance of wheezing and dry cough;
- increased body temperature;
- lethargic, apathetic state, inactivity;
- poor appetite and increased need for water;
- It is also possible to develop conjunctivitis and the formation of crusts on the skin.
Similar symptoms characterize another very dangerous disease for piglets - infectious tuberculosis. When the first signs appear, it is necessary to isolate sick animals from the rest of the herd and call a veterinarian to conduct a smear of the mucous membranes and analyze the condition of the animal. Such an analysis will allow us to identify infectious agents and prescribe appropriate treatment.
Pneumonia is treated with a complex of medications, including antibiotics, for example, Spiramycin, Oxytetracycline and others. To disinfect the herd, you can use aerosols such as Etazol and Norsulfazol. Treating tuberculosis in piglets is very difficult and expensive, so sick animals are usually culled.
Stomach diseases
Small piglets that are weaned early from their sows and placed on a standard diet may develop gastroenteritis. The main symptom of this disease is blue discoloration of the ears and snout.Pigs cough, begin to suffer from constipation and diarrhea, become inactive, eat little and do not gain weight. Stomach diseases can also be caused by an unbalanced diet.
Flushing the gastrointestinal tract with a 0.9% saline solution will help cope with gastric diseases in piglets. As a laxative, you can add 1 tsp to the food. vegetable oil.
Diarrhea in piglets is usually treated with chloramphenicol. In case of dehydration, the administration of saline solution is required. In some cases, treatment with antibiotics may be required. At the same time, food must be enriched with vitamins. If the animal needs pain relief, use a 1.5% solution of novocaine.
Ascariasis
In some cases, cough in piglets appears due to the presence of roundworms in the body, which grow, develop and multiply in the body of animals, choosing the intestines as their habitat.
The length of roundworms reaches 20 - 35 cm. During the day, one female lays about 200 thousand eggs, which leave the piglets' body along with their waste products and accumulate in enclosures. New animals become infected through the ingestion of roundworm eggs into the mouth. Some eggs laid in the intestine turn into larvae and break through its walls, penetrating the blood, and then with it into the bronchi and lungs. The larvae release toxins into the piglets' bodies, causing poisoning.
Mucus fills the animal's lungs, preventing normal breathing.Piglets develop a characteristic wet, expectorant cough. Together with coughed up mucus, roundworms re-enter the pigs' body, contributing to re-infection. Adult parasites live in the body of piglets for 5 - 7 months; repeated infection can significantly prolong the course of the disease.
Symptoms of ascariasis in pigs and piglets:
- the presence of wheezing and coughing;
- difficulty or rapid breathing;
- vomit;
- poor appetite or lack thereof.
If the listed symptoms are present, infected piglets must be isolated as soon as possible, and their housing must be cleared of waste, remaining food and water. The next step is to disinfect the enclosures, for which you can use a 5% potassium solution or a 3% iodine solution. To prescribe medication, you should contact a veterinarian, who can prescribe drugs such as Albendazole, Fenzol and others. Tansy flowers are considered a good folk remedy for roundworms.
Other causes of cough in piglets or pigs
There are other reasons for the appearance of cough in piglets, which include development:
- pasteurellosis;
- salmonellosis;
- African swine fever;
- Aujeszky's disease.
These diseases are extremely dangerous and can take the life of an animal in a matter of hours. It is important to promptly isolate coughing piglets and call a veterinarian.
Foreign body
Another reason that a piglet is coughing may be a foreign body that has entered the body along with food.Typically, treatment occurs naturally and does not require outside intervention, but in some cases it may be necessary to seek the help of a professional veterinarian.
Lung irritation
Lung irritation is one of the non-contagious causes of cough in piglets. It can be caused by gaseous allergens such as ammonia or dust particles from food. Therefore, when a pig eats, it coughs, inhaling overly crushed food, which ends up in the lungs, causing them to become inflamed.
Diagnosis of diseases
It is often possible to save a pig, and sometimes an entire herd, only if signs of the disease are detected in a timely manner. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out diagnostics of the animal’s condition on an ongoing basis, including:
- appetite control;
- checking breathing rate;
- examination of the mouth, nose and eyes for the presence of various secretions;
- examination of the body and limbs for the presence of neoplasms and tumors;
- monitoring changes in the color and condition of feces and urine;
- checking stool for the presence of helminths.
If piglets have a cough or other signs of poor health, the first step is to take their temperature. The normal body temperature of animals is 38 - 40 oC. Diagnosis of viral diseases is carried out through laboratory tests.
How to treat cough in piglets or pigs
The first thing to do if a piglet is coughing is to put it in a separate, isolated enclosure and call a veterinarian to make an accurate diagnosis, since treatment methods for various diseases are very different. Improper treatment can cause complications, including the death of the animal.
For example, for pneumonia in piglets, broad-spectrum antibiotics are used: Oxytetracycline, Tilan, Bicillin. The drugs are administered intramuscularly. If necessary, after 7-10 days the course of treatment can be repeated.
You can treat a piglet that is coughing due to worms with Albendazole, Levamisole, Ivermectin: dosages are selected by the doctor, depending on body weight. After treatment for helminths, pigs can be released for slaughter only after 10 days.
When infected with African plague, sick animals must be taken to slaughter, and the premises must be disinfected with a 2% formaldehyde solution so that the infection does not subsequently spread to healthy animals.
Prevention measures
To prevent diseases, first of all, it is necessary to provide piglets with proper living conditions. The room must be dry, warm and clean. To avoid the accumulation of harmful gases, it is important to remove manure in a timely manner and ensure that the animals’ diet is balanced.
To keep piglets strong, pre-start feed is introduced into their diet from the 5th to 7th day of life. Weanlings require special attention, since their separation from their mother is a stressful situation that contributes to the development of diseases.
In addition, great attention should be paid to the transportation of animals. It is not recommended to transport piglets on cold and damp days.Before transportation, it is advisable to use anti-stress drugs (tranquilizers, lithium salts, succinic or ascorbic acid).
On farms affected by infections, allogeneic sera are used to treat healthy animals. In the presence of animals, the room can be disinfected with a 1 - 2% chloramine solution.
For general disinfection of enclosures, use:
- 20% suspension of freshly slaked lime;
- 4% sodium hydroxide solution;
- 2% iodine monochloride;
- calcium hypochlorite solution containing at least 3% active substance;
- 4% hydrogen peroxide solution.
Conclusion
The best solution if piglets are coughing is to call a veterinarian. He will help quickly determine the causes of coughing and will be able to prescribe effective treatment in a timely manner, on which the lives of animals often depend.
How to get rid of cough piglets have good appetite and there are no spots of any kind in the morning when you go to them they get up and start coughing and there are signs of regurgitation. What it is?