What to do about constipation in piglets? All the solutions are here
What to do about constipation in piglets? The solutions are here!
What to do about constipation in piglets
I. Constipation in newborn piglets
1. Causes and symptoms: No meconium is passed within 1-2 days after birth, specifically manifested as poor appetite, listlessness, pain and restlessness, arched back, straining hard but no feces passed, with yellow-brown meconium stuck to the outside of the anus. The main reason is that the piglets do not suckle colostrum in time after birth (colostrum can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis and also contains certain trace elements and magnesium salts, which can promote the passing of meconium in piglets), or the sow has insufficient milk or no milk and cannot support the piglets' suckling, or improper feeding and management of the sow during pregnancy causes the piglets to fail to receive adequate nutritional supply during development in the womb, resulting in weak constitution after birth, leading to constipation and even death.
2、Prevention and controlmeasures:
①Treatment: Infuse 100-300ml of soapy water into the rectum of the small piglet, preferably warm water, 45°C warm water, then gently rub the piglet's anus with a warm wet tissue to stimulate defecation. You can also orally administer 10-15ml of vegetable oil during the enema, which can have a relatively obvioustreatmenteffect. You can also take 1 croton seed and grind it, and 50g of fresh hemp root also crushed, mix the two into a small amount of congee and feed it to the piglet, once a day, and it generally takes effect after half a day. Traditional Chinese medicine therapy: use 50g of mirabilite and 150mg of sesame oil, add an appropriate amount of water and mix to administer orally to the piglet, and it can generally be cured after 2 doses.
② Prevention: Within 2 hours after the piglets are born, use manual assistance to ensure every piglet gets colostrum. Colostrum should be given once every 1 hour, and the interval can be gradually extended. After 3 days, let the sow nurse the piglets on her own. In addition, during the sow's pregnancy, provide the sow with high-quality feed and sufficient and reasonable nutrients (vitamins, amino acids, minerals, etc.).
II. Constipation in suckling piglets
1. Causes and symptoms: When constipation occurs during the suckling stage of piglets, they do not defecate or the feces passed are dry and ball-shaped, they do not suckle or only occasionally suckle, the abdomen is swollen, breathing is rapid with abdominal breathing, they are listless, prefer lying down, have an arched back, shiver and sway when walking, assume a defecation posture but pass no feces, and on palpation hard dry fecal masses can be felt in the large intestine, and pressing causes the sick pig pain and restlessness. The main reason is that insufficient drinking water, insufficient exercise or early supplementary feeding can all lead to constipation. Piglets have a small stomach volume and secrete relatively few digestive enzymes. After early supplementary feeding, breast milk plus feed accumulate in the intestinal tract, and the piglet's digestive capacity is insufficient to fully digest all the feed in the gastrointestinal tract. Over time, accumulated day after day, together with insufficient drinking water, this leads to the occurrence of constipation.
2、Prevention and controlmeasures:
①Treatment：TreatmentRepeated enemas with warmed soapy water, 2% baking soda water, and vegetable oil can be used, combined with abdominal massage, to relieve constipation. Western medicine therapy can also be used, with subcutaneous injection of 2-5mg of neostigmine or 0.5-1.0ml of 2% pilocarpine, which can improve thetreatmenteffect. In addition, 50-100 of white wax can be ground up and mixed with a small amount of feed for oral administration; for those that do not eat, it can be administered with water. Twice a day, and it can be cured after 2-3 days of use.
② Prevention: At 2-3 days of age, teach the piglets to drink water, and provide the piglets with clean and sufficient drinking water. At 7 days of age, supplementary feed can be provided, but choosepiglet feedwith good palatability and easy digestion and absorption, and feed small amounts more frequently.
III. Constipation in weaned piglets
1. Causes and symptoms: When constipation occurs after weaning, the sick pigs mainly show reluctance to eat, increased drinking, gradually enlarged abdomen, increased rapid breathing, passing a small amount of dry hard fecal balls, restlessness when lying down and getting up, straining to defecate but passing no feces, a small amount of mucus at the anus, followed by protrusion and edema of the anus. On palpation of the abdomen, there are dry hard fecal masses. In more severe cases, the feces press on the bladder, causing the pig to be unable to urinate. The main reason is that the feed fed after weaning contains too much crude fiber, and after weaning piglets are prone to stress-induced reduction of intestinal function, compounded by poor-quality feed, insufficient salt, insufficient drinking water, and excessive drugs in the feed, causing constipation.
2、Prevention and controlmeasures:
①Treatment: Use 6g of sodium sulfate and 6g of artificial salt, mix with feed and administer, 3 times a day, and it cantreatit; you can also use 250g of raw sesame seeds, add an appropriate amount of salt, grind into fine powder, and mix with boiling water for oral administration by gavage.
② Prevention: Do not feed pigs coarse hard feed, carefully check feed quality, and feed more green and succulent feed. Adding insoluble fiber to the diet within 10 days after weaning can regulate the properties of the chyme in the piglet's gastrointestinal tract and enhance the piglet's fermentation capacity. In addition, from after weaning to the nursery period, insist on feeding the same brand of feed and do not change it easily; provide sufficient drinking water, give an appropriate amount of salt and appropriate exercise. An appropriate amount of wheat bran and oil bran can also be added to the feed formula to prevent constipation.
IV. Constipation in nursery-period piglets
1. Causes and symptoms: When constipation occurs during the nursery period, the sick pigs mainly show passing dry hard granular feces, listlessness, reduced appetite, some with vomiting, swaying when walking or unwillingness to move. Constipation causes the intestinal tract to press on the bladder, resulting in difficulty urinating, and as the condition worsens, rectal prolapse occurs. The main reason is that feed supplemented with antibiotics was fed, and in additionpig farmersthemselves added drugs to prevent piglet diarrhea and other diseases. The drug-induced effect destroys the beneficial bacterial flora in the piglet's intestinal tract and causes constipation. In addition, many febrile infectious diseases and some toxic diseases can also cause constipation.
2、Prevention and controlmeasures:
①Treatment: Use 250ml of 0.9% normal saline, 250ml of 5% glucose, 10g of sodium bicarbonate, and 5g of potassium chloride, mix and warm, then perform enema treatment on the sick pig. First infuse 20ml, and after the feces soften and are passed, administer a nutrient solution (glucose + astragalus polysaccharide) orally to the sick pig.
② Prevention: Microecological preparations can be added to the feed to help piglets establish beneficial bacterial flora. In addition, traditional Chinese medicines can also be used to increase disease resistance. Add water-soluble traditional Chinese medicines such as astragalus polysaccharide and Banqing granules to the drinking water. Constipation in piglets is not of a single nature; it is caused by multiple factors. Improper care, poor pig house environment, incomplete disinfection, poor-quality feed, and low nutritional levels in the sow's feed during pregnancy can all cause piglet constipation. Therefore, strengthening piglet feed management and the hardware facilities of the nursery house can effectively improve these conditions. Feeding piglets more green feed, more exercise, sufficient drinking water, and adding vitamins, minerals, salt, etc. to the feed can all avoid the occurrence of constipation.