Pigs - medicine basics & vacc conundrums

What are the aims of vaccines?

• Dx control

• Improve health & productivity

• Encourage responsible AB use

What dxs may you want to protect against in a breeding herd?

• Parvovirus

• Erysipelas

• Porcine Reproductive & Respiratory Syndrome Porcine Circovirus 2

• Leptospirosis

• Clostridium novyi

What diseases may you want to actively protect against in a growing herd?

• Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (EP)

• Porcine Circovirus 2 (PCV2)

• Porcine Reproductive & Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS)

• Glaesserella parasuis (Glassers)

• Lawsonia intracellularis

• Erysipelas

• Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP)

• Escherichia coli

• Autogenous vaccines —> salmonella typhimurium

What dx immunity in a growing herd may be passed on from the sow (passive transfer) to the piglet if you protect the sow?

• Erysipelas

• Porcine Reproductive & Respiratory Syndrome

• Porcine Circovirus 2

• Escherichia coli

• Clostridium perfringens

• Glaesserella parasuis (Glassers)

• (Atrophic rhinitis)

• Autogenous vaccines

What are the diff types of vaccs?

• Inactivated —> primary course, slower response

• Live —> primary course, quick, strong response but risky

• Autogenous —> emergency only & comes w/ its challenges

  • no viral or fungal versions

What are the methods of admin of vacc in pigs?

• Injection —> SC, IM, intradermal

• Oral

• Water

What vaccines may you give to gilts in a commercial herd?

• Parvovirus

• Erysipelas

• PCV2

• E.coli

• Clostridium perfringens

• PRRS

• Leptospirosis

What vaccines may you give to sows in a commercial herd?

• Parvovirus

• Erysipelas

• PCV2

• E.coli

• Clostridium perfringens

• PRRS

• Leptospirosis

• Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae

• (GPS)

(booster vacc from what given as gilt)

What vaccines are commonly used in piglet programmes?

• PCV2

• Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae

• PRRS

• Lawsonia intracellularis

• Erysipelas

• Glaesserella parasuis

• E.coli

• Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae

When vaccinating a growing pig what are some important things to keep in mind?

• MDA interference (Sow PRRS & Eryspielas vaccine can interefere w/ piglet vaccine)

• Duration of protection variation

• Infection pressure vs immune protection

  • clean to prevent dx

What are the diff methods of restrain in pigs?

• Snare gold standard —> behind canine teeth

• Pig board

• Walkways , gates

• Crates —> farrowing, free access

• Crowding

• Holding (young pigs)

What are the advantages & disadvantages of injectable vaccs?

What are the advantages & disadvantages of in water vaccs?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of in feed vaccs?

Describe the different admin types for meds

SC —> short needle, 45 degree angle

IM —> 90 degree angle, long needle

Oral —> make sure actually swallow

Topical (none licenced for pigs) —> PPE, careful application

What are the legalities behind autogenous vaccines?

• Have to culture bacteria from the farm where you are going to use it in the UK

• Can only be used if there is nothing else licensed/ doesn't work

• All inactivated

What is the injection site for a pig?

Side of neck

• IM —> 90° angle so not sitting in fat, end of needle sits in m. (long needle)

  

(don't want to hit sciatic in leg or damage meat in leg)

What are the storage legalities of vaccs / meds for pigs on farm?

• Locked / security

• Fireproof —> 30mins

• Leak / spill proof

• Separate area (staff room, office, feed store)

• Clinical equip separate

• Signs & records

What do the medication records on a farm have to include?

• Product used & batch

• Treatment period (start & end dates)

• ID of animal

• Treatment reason

• Dose given & route

• Withdrawal period

• Clearance date

• Initials / name of person giving the medicine

Recall the low, medium & high penetration ABs

• Low —> beta lactams, penicillins, aminoglyosides, spectinomycin

• Medium —> sulphonamides; trimethroprim; macrolides; tetracyclines

• High —> Florfenicol

What are the different categories of ABs?

• Class 1 —> first line defence

• Class 2 —> used for specific reason or class 1 hasn’t worked

• Class 3 —> critically important —> prove nothing else worked (resistant to other things) & backed up by +ve result when tested for

What are the additional therapies for pigs?

Anticoccidals

Hormones

NSAIDs

Steroids —> short term tx

What are the differences between AB use prophylactically, metaphylactically and as tx?

• Prophylaxis —> not allowed to use ABs prophylactically

• Metaphylaxis —> suspected dx, tx of whole group

• Tx —> showing signs of dx & tested +ve

How do you carry out group therapies?

• Calculate daily dose for group

• To be provided in daily intake of water / feed

  • consume ~10% BW of water daily

  • medication calculated as ppm for finished feed

• Cleandown needed post tx window

What size needle do you use for an IM injection in weaners, frowers and finishers?

Weaners: 21G (green)

Growers: 19G (pink)

Finishers: 16G (metal hub)

What is the only cocidiostat licensed in pigs and the ROA?

Toltrazuril

• Oral & injectable (combined w/ iron)

What hormones can be given to pigs?

Oestrus changes

• Stimulate —> GnRH analogues

• Synchro —> Synthetic progestogens

Farrowing assistance

• Induction- PGF2a

• Uterine contraction/milk let down —> oxytocin

How are progestagens given in pigs for synchronisation?

• Oral dose for 18 days, w/ oestrus seen 5 days after last dose

• Ovaries must be active

• Don't underdose —> will never cycle again because cystic ovaries created

What are the two forms of NSAIDs available for pigs?

Injectable & oral