What causes loss of appetite in pigs? How should it be solved?

Pigs are one of the common livestock animals, and their farming has a long history. Pig farming is also an important means for farmers to increase their income, and many pig farmers often encounter the problem of loss of appetite in pigs during breeding. So what causes loss of appetite in pigs? How should it be solved? Let's take a look together below.

I. Causes of loss of appetite

1. High-temperature heat stress

In summer, high temperatures can suppress the appetite of pigs to a certain extent, causing their feed intake to decline. If the water temperature and water quality in the pig farm itself do not meet standards, this can also cause a decline in feed intake in the pig herd, especially in pregnant sows.

2. Highly febrile infectious diseases

When pigs are infected with diseases such as swine pasteurellosis and swine streptococcosis, they may also show loss of appetite or stop eating when the disease occurs. Especially when suffering from gastrointestinal diseases or chronic gastritis, it can cause complete loss of appetite in pigs, while diseases with elevated body temperature and poor spirits will only cause loss of appetite in pigs.

3. Gastrointestinal discomfort

When the pig's gastrointestinal tract is blocked, such as constipation or gastrointestinal obstruction, it will affect normal gastrointestinal peristalsis and lead to loss of appetite in pigs. Or if atropine sulfate is given to pigs, it will also slow gastrointestinal peristalsis and affect the pig's appetite.

4. Lack of stimulation

Just like when people eat, if there is only cabbage boiled in plain water, they will have no appetite. The same is true for pigs. If the feed has no other flavors, such as stimulation from sour, sweet, bitter, or spicy tastes, they will not eat either.

II. Solutions

1. For loss of appetite in pigs caused by heat stress, find ways to cool them down, such as strengthening ventilation and using measures such as spraying, water curtains, and electric fans to lower the temperature. For sows, feed more green feed. For sows that do not eat before giving birth, feed more green feed such as green grass and vegetables. Water shortage and water cut-off must be strictly prohibited to avoid causing heat stress.

2. For highly febrile infectious diseases, use medication to control the pathogen to avoid secondary infection, and second, suppress the loss of water caused by the high temperature from the illness and replenish water in a timely manner.

3. For situations such as avoidance and gastrointestinal obstruction, find ways to promote defecation. You can change the feed formula and choose easily digestible feed. You can add a proportion of crude fiber to the feed and add an appropriate amount of salt and vinegar. This helps promote appetite and aid digestion.

The above is an introduction to the causes of loss of appetite in pigs and solutions. I hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.