Proper deworming methods on pig farms make the results twice as effective with half the effort

        Not long ago, a certain deworming drug became popular across the country overnight, overturning the previous tradition of small-package deworming with single-agent ivermectin. The four-plus-one deworming model took root in people's minds. Major veterinary drug manufacturers followed suit one after another, successively launching large-package ivermectin & albendazole compound preparations, which became standard equipment for deworming on large-scale pig farms. But in recent years, haven't you felt that the golden duo of ivermectin and albendazole is working less and less well? Previously after deworming, the coat was soft and smooth and feed intake increased; now, even after two rounds, almost no change can be seen. Scabies, which had already disappeared after deworming, is now troubling many pig farms again. Some farms even find that one month after deworming, pregnant sows still pass large roundworms. Same formula as before, same brand as before, so why is the effect just not working? What exactly is going on here?

My analysis is that the most likely reason is that certain additives in the feed antagonize ivermectin. Everyone knows that there are as many as hundreds of commonly used and legal additives, and among them there may be many cases of incompatibility with ivermectin and albendazole. Or to put it another way, certain feed additives may react chemically with ivermectin and albendazole in the gastrointestinal tract, causing ivermectin and albendazole to fail, or various adsorptive mold removers may adsorb the deworming drugs and expel them from the body.

Based on this, many large-scale pig farms in the south began to change their original deworming strategy, shifting from a feeding-based deworming model to an injection-based deworming model, and replacing ivermectin + albendazole powder with ivermectin injection.

　　The new deworming program was changed to:

1. Gilts and boars receive one intramuscular injection of ivermectin before mating.

2. Breeding boars receive intramuscular injections of ivermectin four times a year, combined with body surface spraying of phoxim pour-on solution.

3. When multiparous sows enter the farrowing house, spray phoxim on the body surface until thoroughly wet all over, and give one intramuscular injection of ivermectin.

4. Piglets in the farrowing house receive one intramuscular injection of ivermectin when transferred to the nursery.

5. Pigs receive one intramuscular injection of ivermectin when transferred from the nursery to the finishing stage.

6. Spray phoxim over the pigs once a month in the pig house and the broader environment.

Through the improved deworming program, parasite control on pig farms became simpler. Although the workload increased, when everyone saw the huge benefits brought by the change in model, they still felt it was very necessary. So more and more pig farms began to recognize and promote the injection-based deworming model.

　 So why are parasitic diseases never fully eliminated despite repeated bans?

1. Under suitable external conditions, eggs hatch into larvae in 1-2 days, molt twice within 3-6 days, and develop into sheathed infective larvae. Pigs become infected orally, the larvae shed their sheaths in the intestine, and after infection they develop into adults in 38 days (young pigs) or 50 days (adult pigs). Adult pigs are more heavily parasitized.

2. Infective larvae can overwinter, and under moist conditions at room temperature of 22-24 degrees, they can survive for 10 months.

3. From being eaten by a pig to developing into an adult, one infective egg takes about 2-2.5 months.

　　Therefore, in production we should also do the following:

1. Pigs should be dewormed twice;

3. Manure passed within 1 week after deworming pigs should be cleaned every day and then piled separately in one place for fermentation to kill eggs, so as to avoid the excreted worms and eggs being eaten by pigs and causing reinfection;

4. For prevention, attention should be paid to good sanitation in pig houses and exercise yards, keeping them dry, cleaning manure promptly, keeping feed and drinking water clean, and avoiding contamination. Ensure dedicated vehicles for dedicated tasks;

    Keep good pig farm data, and use the data to detect situations promptly; formulate the best plan. It is recommended to use under the guidance of a licensed veterinarian.