What are the treatment methods for diarrhea in weaned piglets
SummaryFor diarrhea in weaned piglets, a drug sensitivity test can be carried out to select the right drug for symptomatic treatment. If conditions do not allow, drugs such as Ben Cao Xie Li Qing, Chang Xiao Yi Zhen and Bai Li Sha can also be chosen for treatment. In severe cases, about 20 ml of compound saline or 5% glucose with a small amount of antibiotics can be used for intraperitoneal fluid replacement, and oral rehydration salts can also be given. For individual piglets with diarrhea, the feed amount can be appropriately controlled; if all of them have diarrhea, the feeding frequency and amount should be reduced.
I. How to treat diarrhea in weaned piglets
1. Drug treatment
If conditions allow, a drug sensitivity test can be carried out on the pig farm to select the right drug for symptomatic treatment. If conditions do not allow, drugs such as Bai Li Sha, Ben Cao Xie Li Qing and Chang Xiao Yi Zhen Tuo can be chosen for treatment.
2. Fluid replacement treatment
If diarrhea has already lasted a long time or symptoms of dehydration have appeared, about 20 ml of compound saline, or 5% glucose with a small amount of antibiotics, can be used for intraperitoneal fluid replacement, and oral rehydration salts can also be given.
3. Control feed intake
If some piglets have diarrhea, the feed amount should be appropriately controlled. If all of them have diarrhea, the number of feedings and the amount of feed should be reduced.
II. Comprehensive prevention and control measures for piglet diarrhea
1. Strengthen feeding management
(1) Minimize weaning stress as much as possible: the stress factors that may cause diarrhea include environmental stress, psychological stress and nutritional stress. The methods to reduce weaning stress are as follows.
(2) Temperature control and cleanliness: control the indoor temperature well and keep the room dry and hygienic.
(3) Early supplemental feeding: carry out supplemental feeding in advance, starting at 7 days of age, so that piglets adapt to plant-based feed early and their gastrointestinal digestive function is strengthened, which can effectively reduce the impact of nutritional stress.
(4) Gradual weaning: weaning should be carried out gradually. About 5 days before weaning, reduce the number of sucklings each day until weaning, thereby reducing the impact of psychological stress.
(5) Moving the sow out of the pen: on the night before weaning, first move the sow out of the pen, then feed the weaned piglets separately for about 5 days, and mix them into the same pen only after they have adapted, thereby reducing the impact of environmental stress.
2. Balanced nutrition
(1) Iron supplementation: piglets around 4 weeks of age are prone to iron deficiency anemia, so newborn piglets should be given exogenous iron in advance to prevent diarrhea caused by anemia in piglets.
(2) Supplemental feeding: generally, supplemental feeding starts at 7 days of age. Choosing easily digestible creep feed can effectively stimulate the intestinal tract, thereby improving the digestive function of the small intestine. It can also meet the nutritional needs of piglets, increase their body weight and disease resistance, and at the same time improve the piglets' ability to adapt to feed at weaning, thereby reducing intestinal stress.
(3) Use enzyme preparations: these can supplement the digestive enzyme activity in weaned piglets, thereby improving the digestion rate. A commonly used enzyme preparation is phytase. Mixing probiotic drugs or Chinese herbal medicine powder into the feed can improve digestive function and prevent diarrhea.
3. Keep warm
The house should be kept warm and needs a certain humidity, about 60%, to avoid sudden rises and falls in temperature. Environmental management and disinfection work should be strengthened, and the house should be kept clean, hygienic and dry at all times, with a reasonable stocking density, so as to avoid various stress reactions that cause diarrhea in piglets.
4. Disinfection
Before weaned piglets are fed separately, the piglet house, pens and troughs and other equipment should be disinfected in good time. Bai Du Sha or
amine salt disinfectants can be used, diluted in the normal proportion and then sprayed for disinfection. After about a week, they can be moved into a special nursery house. Regular cleaning and hygiene should then be carried out, and disinfection with pigs present should be done twice every seven days.