What is the fatal cause of sudden abdominal bloating and death in pigs?
Livestock Farming0 views
Pigs suddenly die from abdominal bloating, what is the fatal cause?
Sick pigs often show no warning signs, with the abdominal circumference rapidly distending, signs of abdominal pain, rapid breathing, inability to stand, accompanied by symptoms of elevated body temperature. Some pigs eat feed normally in the evening and are found dead in the morning with stiff bodies, distended abdomens, and white foam flowing from the mouth and nose.
This is the most common Clostridium welchii disease in pig production. The disease has many alternative names, such as: pig clostridial enteritis, pig infectious necrotizing enteritis, piglet enterotoxemia, commonly known as piglet red diarrhea. The disease is an infectious disease caused by Clostridium perfringens, affecting pigs of all ages regardless of sex, and can occur in all four seasons. The incidence rate is not high, but the mortality rate is extremely high, making it an important disease that seriously harms the pig farming industry.
Many cases of sudden death in healthy pigs are related to this bacterium, with acute onset, short course, and sudden death without any early symptoms. Necropsy shows obvious abdominal distension, cyanosis of the ear tips, hooves, and nose and lips, and pale skin after death.
If the pig's feeding trough and water trough share the same source, and if the pig has leftover feed, it is prone to souring and molding and producing Clostridium perfringens. After the pig consumes it, a large amount of harmful gas is produced in the intestinal tract and cannot be expelled in time, causing gastrointestinal bloating, compressing the internal organs and leading to blood circulation disorders, causing insufficient blood supply to the brain, hypoxia, and suffocation death. In some cases, overfeeding weakens digestive function, so that a large amount of gas cannot be expelled and also causes bloating.
Differential diagnosis
Constipation In modern production, sows are often placed in gestation crates. Due to insufficient exercise and less feeding of green fodder, sows are prone to constipation. This leads to bloating and ultimately death. This should be distinguished from this disease.
Colibacillosis Its symptoms are similar to those of piglet yellow and white scour. However, on necropsy, Clostridium welchii disease shows obvious intestinal hemorrhage and marked gas distension in the jejunum segment, bubbles on the serosal layer, lymph node hemorrhage, pinpoint hemorrhage in the kidneys, and severe meningeal hemorrhage.
Botulism poisoning The clinical similarities between the two diseases are sudden onset and acute death. However, abdominal distension is obvious in Clostridium welchii disease. Botulism poisoning is mainly caused by eating spoiled feed. The better the body condition and the fuller the pig eats, the more severe the poisoning.