The causative agent and symptoms of dysentery in pigs, methods of treatment and prevention

Ever since people started raising pigs, these animals have been plagued by an insidious disease called dysentery. This disease still poses a serious economic threat to many countries of the world. Dysentery affecting pigs is dangerous not only for them, but also for other animals living on the farm, in particular for cattle. By what signs can dysentery be traced and is it possible to cure domestic pigs from this disease?

Danger of disease for pigs

Experts have not yet studied the intricacies of the mechanism of dysentery in pigs. Often, the disease occurs in young individuals against the background of disruption of the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, the bactericidal effect of gastric juice in the stomach of the animal decreases and the secretory function is impaired. The intestinal microflora takes on the character of a pathogenic pathogen and is introduced into the mucous membrane.

Gradually, the mucous membrane of the large intestine becomes inflamed and clogged, edema and hyperemia appear. Pepsin activity decreases, hydrochloric acid gradually leaves the digestive tract. The concentration of acetic and lactic acids, on the contrary, increases, the intestinal mucosa is irritated. As a result, the pig has diarrhea, which gradually leads to intoxication of the animal's body and often leads to death.

Causative agent

Pigs bleat with dysentery due to the anaerobic spirochete. This pathogenic bacterium infects the intestinal mucosa of the animal. The disease can spread in several ways:

• from recovered individuals;
• as a result of feeding animals with poor quality feed;
• when drinking dirty drinking water;
• as a result of the accumulation of large numbers of pigs in small pens;
• in case of violation of sanitary standards of maintenance;
• through the manure of infected animals.

Often the disease on the farm breaks out after the acquisition of new individuals. Therefore, newly purchased animals are kept in quarantine for several weeks. During this period, it becomes clear whether the pet is sick with dysentery or not. Most often, piglets suffer from this ailment. Spirochete can be transmitted through the milk of a sick sow. Since the immunity of young individuals is not yet sufficiently formed, piglet dysentery most often ends in failure.

Recovered individuals are carriers of the virus for 5 months and should be isolated from other domestic animals.

Forms and symptoms of the disease

There are several forms of dysentery:

1. Sharp. The pathology most often affects piglets that were weaned from their mother a few weeks ago. A sick animal usually dies 4-5 days after the onset of the disease.
2. Subacute.This form is characterized by erased symptoms and growth retardation of the individual. Young animals most often suffer from subacute dysentery in the first month of supplementation.
3. Chronic. Periods of remission alternate with exacerbations.

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The main symptom of dysentery is profuse diarrhea. At the very beginning of the disease, the pig "walks in large" water. Gradually, the discharge becomes mucous, blood streaks appear in them. Further, the feces become coffee-brown, and immediately before the death of the pig, they turn black.

In addition to diarrhea, the following signs can be monitored in an animal:

• temperature rise (short-term) up to 41 С °;
• rapid and shallow breathing;
• clouded eyes;
• exhaustion.

Diagnostic methods

Dysentery is diagnosed on the basis of a number of studies: bacteriological, histological, pathological, and microscopy. In bacteriological studies, the contents of the large intestine and mucous membrane are studied. The diagnosis is considered established if a high concentration of anaerobic spirochete is found in the smear. Dysentery should be differentiated from salmonellosis, fodder toxicosis, plague and anaerobic enterotoxemia.

How to cure a pig of dysentery

The farm where the pigs get sick with dysentery should be restricted. Many countries prohibit the export of sick individuals outside the farm. They are also not used for divorce. Sick animals are urgently removed from healthy ones. The same is done with pigs in contact with sick relatives.

Dysentery is treated with the following drugs:

• Trichopolum;
• Nifulin;
• Osarsol;
• Vetdipasfen.
• Tilan;

A popular drug for the treatment of swine dysentery is Osarsol. The agent is introduced into complementary food for pigs or diluted in a soda solution in a ratio of 10 g of soda per 100 ml of water. The exact dosage depends on the age of the animals. This treatment is continued twice a day for three days. In this case, the pigs cannot be fed, but you can drink without restrictions. The therapy continues until complete recovery.

Important! The meat of an animal that has died of dysentery cannot be eaten. It is advisable to burn the carcasses. Individuals who have been ill are sent for slaughter to reduce the risk of infection of other animals. After cutting, the meat of such animals needs special heat treatment.

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Prevention

It is easier to prevent swine dysentery than to cure it. To prevent the farm from being hit by an epidemic of this disease, you should adhere to the mandatory rules:

• every 3 months give animals Tilan and Osarsol for preventive purposes;
• feed animals with high quality feed;
• every month the corral where pigs live, lime it;
• adhere to sanitary standards for keeping animals: monitor the temperature and humidity in the barn, clean the pens every three days;
• take care of the quality of drinking water;
• keep newly purchased animals separately from the rest for 3 weeks.