Porcine epidemic diarrhea can be treated with starvation therapy

Porcine epidemic diarrhea is a common disease of pigs, and pigs of all types can be affected. Because the disease mostly occurs in the cold winter and spring seasons and is highly contagious, in some places it is customarily called cold diarrhea. There are many methods for treating the disease, but according to practice, the currently more effective method is starvation therapy.

So-called starvation therapy means that once symptoms of the disease appear in pigs, the method of stopping feeding is adopted, and absolutely no feed-related food may be given to the sick pigs, including green fodder and so on. Generally, feeding is stopped for 2~3 days. The specific operation method is as follows:

Clean up leftover feed and the pig pen First, clean up the leftover feed in the trough. At the same time, to prevent sick pigs from drinking urine and dirty water because of thirst caused by diarrhea, the pen must be swept clean; whenever dirty water is seen it must be swept up, and it must be swept 3~4 times a day.

Prevent dehydration in sick pigs Put clean, fresh lightly salted water in the trough. The mixing ratio of the lightly salted water is 1 gram of table salt per kilogram of water. The amount of water to put in can be decided according to the number of pigs and how much they drink. It must be replaced once a day, and water must not be cut off. If conditions permit, it is best to let the sick pigs drink oral rehydration salts, with each packet added to 1 kilogram of water. For affected pigs, they should also be given an oral electrolyte solution to promote earlier recovery. Electrolyte solution formula: glucose 25 grams, sodium bicarbonate 2 grams, vitamin C 2 grams, water 1 kilogram. Method of use: lactating sows and large pigs drink it on their own; 10-day-old suckling piglets are drenched, with each piglet given 2~5 milliliters each time, for 3 consecutive days.

Control worsening of the condition and concurrent other diseases Put lichunqiang powder into the lightly salted water, with the same ratio as the lightly salted water, that is, add 1 gram of 25% lichunqiang powder to each kilogram of water. This helps control other diseases and shorten the course of the disease.

Issues needing attention Under the condition that the sick pigs' stools have not completely returned to normal, feeding is absolutely not allowed. Only in this way can the condition be controlled and the treatment goal achieved, and at the same time the recurrence rate of the disease can also be reduced. For particularly severe sick pigs, such as those whose ears and limbs appear black or dark red, infusion therapy should be adopted promptly.

Other prevention and control methods In the disease season, do a good job of cold protection and warmth. When the weather is clear, use the midday time to open doors and windows for ventilation for 2~3 hours. In addition, during the disease season, indoor vinegar fumigation can be carried out once a week. Specific method: put 0.5 kilograms of rice vinegar in an iron pot (do not cover it) and fumigate over gentle heat until the rice vinegar has completely evaporated, while keeping doors and windows closed.