Preventing edema disease is especially critical in wild boar farming

Wild boar edema disease is an enterotoxemia of piglets caused by pathogenic Escherichia coli. This disease can occur in all four seasons, but is especially common in winter and spring. It is fairly widespread, with a morbidity rate of about 10%-35% in pig herds and a mortality rate of 10%-30%. Among piglets, it is most common in those that grow fast, are in good physical condition, are slightly larger in size, and have excellent nutrition.

Symptoms. In the early stage of an outbreak of piglet edema disease, affected pigs often die suddenly without visible symptoms. In early-stage affected pigs with a slightly slower onset, the signs include listlessness, poor appetite, mostly normal body temperature, rapid heartbeat, unsteady walking, swaying, and uncoordinated movement of the limbs. Some affected pigs kneel on the forelimbs with the hind limbs standing upright. When stimulated or caught, they are very sensitive, scream when handled, kick their limbs wildly, assume a swimming posture, chew emptily and grind their teeth, and drool foam. Pressure leaves marks. In the late stage, responses become sluggish, breathing is difficult, and they emit groans or hoarse cries. When standing, the back arches. Constipation is common, while diarrhea occurs before the onset. After becoming emaciated, they suddenly appear swollen and plump. First the hind limbs can no longer stand upright, and red rings appear around the eyelids. Then edema develops in the eyelids, anus, and head lymph nodes, along with neurological symptoms. There may also be edema of the lungs, liver, heart, and the whole body. On necropsy, edema is seen in the stomach wall and the mesentery of the small and large intestines. A diagnosis can generally be made based on these findings together with the epidemiological characteristics.

Prevention. At weaning, feeding management should be strengthened to prevent sudden changes in feed and feeding methods, reduce stress, and avoid feed that is too simple or has too high a protein ratio (not exceeding 20%). Piglets should be given supplementary feed early and trained to eat. Before formal weaning, piglets should be managed for 3-4 days by separating them from the sow during the day and letting them nurse at night, so that after weaning they can adapt more quickly to the new environment and live independently.

During feeding training, add garlic leaves or chopped garlic to the piglet feed, and do not feed concentrated feed. After formal weaning, reduce the feed amount for a few days, then increase it to the full amount after 1 week, and mix in an appropriate amount of green feed. Frequently scatter some red soil in the pigpen and let them lick it, and add medications to the feed, such as rhubarb powder, norfloxacin, neomycin, sulfonamides, or feed mixed with mequindox and selenium agents.

On days 14-18 after birth, piglets should be injected with 1 milliliter of inactivated oil-adjuvant vaccine against multiple strains of piglet edema disease, which can achieve a very good preventive effect.

Treatment. When piglets have had diarrhea for many days and treatment has not cured it, and it is confirmed not to be paratyphoid, do not assume that unweaned piglets cannot develop edema disease, because edema disease in unweaned piglets generally begins with extremely prolonged diarrhea and then turns into constipation. During diarrhea, immediately use high-efficiency edema-toxin remedy (produced in Chongqing) at 0.4 milliliters per kilogram of body weight mixed with 40,000-80,000 units of gentamicin by intramuscular injection in the neck. This vaccine can both cure diarrhea and has a very good effect in preventing and treating edema disease.

Intraperitoneal injection of aminophylline-glucose. That is, use aminophylline-glucose injection, 40-60 milliliters per pig by intraperitoneal injection. During injection, the medicinal solution should be warmed to near body temperature.

Large-dose injection of dexamethasone sodium phosphate, sulfadiazine, and vitamin C injection. Also mix mequindox (mequindox) into the feed for feeding (2-5 milligrams/kilogram body weight).

For affected pigs, inject the indicated dose of Qiangli Shuizhongxiao into one side of the neck, and inject 2 milliliters of kanamycin sulfate (250,000 units/milliliter) or sulfadiazine injection into the other side for treatment, which can also achieve satisfactory results.

For affected piglets, add saline laxatives to the feed for 2 consecutive days, then use kanamycin, neomycin sulfate, or streptomycin sulfate, 2 times/day, for 2-3 consecutive days of injection.

In the early stage of the disease, symptomatic treatment with sodium selenite and vitamin E has a certain effect.

Persist in disinfecting daily, and add 1 kilogram of 15% chlortetracycline to the sow feed.

Before newborn piglets receive colostrum, orally administer 2-3 milliliters of 0.1% potassium permanganate water, once every 5 days.

Oral ciprofloxacin at a single dose of 2.5 milligrams/kilogram body weight, once in the morning and once in the evening.

Atropine 0.5 milligrams/vial and furosemide (furosemide) 1 vial/20-kilogram pig, by intramuscular injection.

3% hydrogen peroxide 2-3 milliliters and 50% glucose 10 milliliters by drip infusion, to treat dehydration.