What causes vomiting in pigs? Common diseases and prevention and treatment methods

In production, the symptom of vomiting in pigs can often be seen. Sometimes we may think it is some common gastrointestinal disease, but we must pay attention to the possibility that it may be caused by certain infectious diseases. Below is a summary of the diseases that can cause vomiting in pigs.

1. Porcine transmissible gastroenteritis

Porcine transmissible gastroenteritis is a highly contagious viral infectious disease characterized by causing vomiting, severe diarrhea and high mortality in piglets under 2 weeks of age. Although pigs of different ages are all susceptible to this virus, the mortality rate of pigs over 5 weeks of age is very low. The clinical symptoms of growing pigs and finishing pigs are mild, showing only a few days of anorexia or diarrhea. Under normal circumstances, they can recover after 7 days. Replacement gilts, breeding sows and boars show diarrhea or anorexia but can recover. If there is a history of the disease, they may show no symptoms at all because of resistance. At present, the efficacy of commercial vaccines is not high. The characteristic of this disease is high mortality in newborn piglets, and there is no practical and effective treatment method. It is prone to occur in winter and early spring, especially during the seasonal transitions from autumn to winter and from winter to spring, and when the weather changes suddenly. The typical symptoms in piglets are brief vomiting, yellow watery diarrhea, and the excrement often contains curd lumps with a foul odor. The morbidity and mortality rates are high in piglets under 2 weeks of age; growing pigs show anorexia and diarrhea for several days, accompanied by vomiting. They can recover without medication; sows show a slight increase in body temperature, agalactia, vomiting, anorexia and diarrhea, and most sows have mild symptoms with no diarrhea; replacement boars and gilts show symptoms similar to those of growing pigs. The incubation period of this disease is short, and most pigs become infected and develop the disease within 18 to 72 hours. This characteristic can serve as a basis for clinical diagnosis.

Do not introduce breeding pigs carrying the disease, and do thorough disinfection work. In winter, do a good job of cold protection and warmth preservation. During seasonal transitions and sudden climate changes, pay special attention to strictly preventing the intrusion of drafty wind. From October to March of the following year, do a good job of vaccine injection. The transmissible gastroenteritis vaccine produced by the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute can be used, and it must be used according to the instructions. It is best to prevent the occurrence of this disease starting from the sows, and implement an all-in, all-out system in management.

2. Porcine epidemic diarrhea

Porcine epidemic diarrhea is an infectious disease caused by a virus and characterized by vomiting and diarrhea. This disease mainly occurs in spring and winter, and also occurs occasionally in summer and autumn. Pigs of all sizes are susceptible, and it occurs in an endemic form. Sick pigs are listless and anorexic, and generally do not have a high body temperature. The symptoms of piglets and feeder pigs are relatively obvious. Vomiting appears first, followed by severe diarrhea. The feces are as thin as water, grayish yellow or gray, and have small bubbles. Sick pigs show obvious dehydration and lose weight quickly. Some can lose 25% of their weight within 24 hours, and generally die within 5 to 6 days. Piglets within 5 days of age or piglets that have just been weaned die even faster, while pigs over 60 kg can often recover on their own. Necropsy reveals obvious catarrhal inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa, small intestine containing yellow or grayish green feces, loose and thinned intestinal walls, and swollen mesenteric lymph nodes. The stomachs of suckling piglets are full of incompletely digested milk curds, and the mucosa of the greater curvature is shed with ulcers. Because this disease is caused by a virus, the effect of drug treatment is not ideal, so treatment can only be symptomatic, along with prevention of bacterial infection and improvement of the resistance of piglets.

3. Porcine pseudorabies

Porcine pseudorabies is an acute infectious disease of pigs caused by pseudorabies virus. In adult pigs, the disease often presents as a latent infection or catarrhal symptoms of the upper respiratory tract, while in pregnant sows it causes reproductive disorders, manifested as abortion, stillbirth or mummified fetuses, and weak piglets. Suckling piglets develop fever, encephalomyelitis and septicemia symptoms, and finally die. Suckling piglets and weaned piglets have the most severe symptoms, often with elevated body temperature, difficulty breathing, salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, and typical neurological symptoms. The mortality rate is very high and can reach 100%. Growing pigs commonly have constipation, and the general symptoms and neurological symptoms are milder than those in young pigs, with a lower fatality rate. The course of the disease is generally 4 to 8 days. Adult pigs often have latent infection, and the more common symptoms are slight fever, sneezing or coughing, with neurological symptoms rarely seen. Pregnant sows mainly show reproductive disorders. When sows are infected more than 40 days after conception, abortion, stillbirth or mummified fetuses and delayed delivery may be seen. Most sows have no obvious clinical symptoms before or after abortion or stillbirth.

4. Rotavirus infection

Porcine rotavirus is an acute intestinal infectious disease caused by rotavirus infection that triggers outbreaks of digestive tract dysfunction in piglets. Clinically, it is characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration and acid-base balance disturbance. This disease mostly occurs in the cold late autumn, winter and early spring seasons, and the mode of transmission is mostly outbreaks or sporadic cases. Pigs of all ages can be infected with this disease, but piglets within 8 weeks of age are most commonly affected, and the infection rate can reach 90% to 100%. The digestive tract is the main route of transmission. Feces discharged by sick pigs contaminate feed, drinking water and various utensils, and can become the source of infection for this disease. Sick pigs often vomit and rapidly develop diarrhea, which is watery or pasty. The color of the feces can be yellowish white, gray or dark black. Dehydration often occurs 2 to 3 days after severe diarrhea. There is no specific treatment for this disease. Symptomatic treatment can be used to prevent dehydration and stop diarrhea and secondary infection.

5. Strongyloides

Porcine strongyloidiasis is a parasitic disease caused by Strongyloides ransomi parasitizing the small intestine of pigs. This disease is most harmful to piglets, especially 3 to 4 week old piglets. It mainly occurs in warm and rainy seasons and is one of the causes of diarrhea in piglets. Sick pigs vomit, develop enteritis and diarrhea, and then become emaciated. If larvae infect through the skin, they often cause eczema; when they enter the lungs, they cause bronchitis and pneumonia, with elevated body temperature; if they migrate to the myocardium, brain and spinal cord, acute death can occur, and in severe cases death occurs due to extreme weakness.

6. Gastric ulcer

Occurrence and prevention and treatment of gastric ulcer in pigs. Gastric ulcer in pigs mainly refers to keratinization, erosion and necrosis of the mucosa at the gastroesophageal region, or autodigestion, forming round ulcer surfaces, and even gastric perforation. Symptoms include anorexia, abdominal discomfort, abnormal intestinal movement leading to constipation or diarrhea, and in some cases gastric bleeding and melena. In the early stage of this disease, the stomach shows slight bleeding, with only manifestations of indigestion, which people often do not easily notice. After gastric perforation, when acute diffuse peritonitis occurs, death can be rapid. It often occurs sporadically, causing the death of individual pigs within a group. This disease can occur at any age, but is more common in rapidly growing pigs over 50 kg and sows housed in individual gestation stalls. It occurs in all four seasons, but is more common in the hot summer and autumn seasons. Chronically affected pigs show reduced appetite or no eating. The body surface and visible mucous membranes of sick pigs are obviously pale. There is sometimes hematemesis, or blood in vomit, arching of the back or lying prone, and a preference for lying down due to weakness, with progressive emaciation. At first there is constipation, which later changes to tarry feces, and the occult blood test is positive. The condition sometimes worsens and sometimes eases, causing digestive disturbance and abdominal pain. A small number of cases have symptoms of chronic peritonitis. The course of the disease is 7 to 30 days. During acute onset, due to massive bleeding from the ulcer, sick pigs can die suddenly; some sick pigs also suddenly vomit blood after intense exercise, biting each other, or around farrowing, pass tarry bloody feces, have decreased body temperature, rapid breathing, abdominal pain and restlessness, pale body surface and mucous membranes, and physical weakness, and finally die from exhaustion. When sick pigs develop peritonitis due to gastric perforation, they generally die within 1 to 2 days after symptoms appear. The treatment principles are to eliminate the causative factors, neutralize gastric acid, and protect the gastric mucosa. For sick pigs with mild symptoms, keep them quiet and reduce stress responses.