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In the last few yearseven people far from animal husbandry learned about the existence of one of the diseases of domestic animals. This is eclipsing other diseases African swine fever.
Indeed, this infection, fatal to domestic animals, still can not be cured. Fortunately, it is not dangerous for people. But there are a lot of diseases that threaten not only these animals, but also the person caring for them or eating infected meat and fat. Knowledge of methods for the treatment of diseases of pigs, their symptoms and methods of prevention will protect owners of household farms and ordinary consumers from serious risk.
African swine fever
The first data on the disease in Russia appeared in 2008.Due to the high rate of spread, the absence of any effective treatment and vaccines that prevent the spread of a viral infection, this disease of the pigs can cause the most serious damage to the livestock.
Not only are African swine fevers not only domesticated, but also wild species, the disease affects all breeds and age groups and spreads in winter and summer. From the moment of infection in the body of a pig to death, sometimes it takes less than a week. And the virus released into the external environment in favorable conditions can remain viable for up to several years. To destroy the causative agent of infection can only:
- heat treatment at temperatures above 60 ° C;
- thorough treatment of all surfaces with preparations containing chlorine or formalin.
For humans, the virus does not pose an immediate danger, but the farm personnel, along with domestic and wild birds, rats, mice, and other animals that fall on the paddocks and in pigsty animals, can spread a deadly infection. In this case, infection with African swine fever occurs:
- through direct contact with infected or already sick animals;
- through heat-treated food or drinking water;
- when using patient walking places or general equipment;
- through contact with carcasses of animals killed by the virus.
After infection of animals waiting for almost inevitable death, and the surviving individuals become lifelong carriers of the infection.
Pigs can be diagnosed on the basis of collected samples and analyzes. If the diagnosis is confirmed, quarantine is introduced in the farm and its district, treatment is not carried out, and animals are destroyed. 
Classical swine fever
In addition to the African variety, there is the classic swine fever, which, with its common name, differs in both the causative agent and the symptoms. This disease also has a viral nature and close sources of infection.
The main symptoms of swine fever include:
- fever;
- apathy, loss of activity and appetite;
- redness, followed by purulent discharge or traces of mucus blood;
- appearance of red spots on the skin, as well as rash.
For the treatment of classical swine fever, specialized serums are used, but it is much more effective to use vaccines in advance to protect adult and young stock from a dangerous disease.
Preventive measures that can seriously reduce the risk of spreading infection in both African and ordinary swine fever are associated with maintaining the hygienic condition of the pigsty and walking.
Animals should be kept in clean, ventilated areas, get tested food and clean water, not in contact with unauthorized people, rodents and birds. When suspicious symptoms appear in individuals, they are immediately isolated.
Pig pasteurellosis
Hemorrhagic septicemia or pig pasteurellosis is dangerous not only for pets, but also for people. Most often the disease is recorded in farms where livestock are kept in tight pens.
But infection with this disease of pigs of a bacterial nature provokes not only crowding. Sources of infection are:
- sick individuals brought from other farms;
- exhaustion with poor nutrition;
- constantly increased humidity in the pigsty;
- bacteriasted with feed, water, bedding, implements and soil;
- insects and rodents.
The recovered and recovered individuals remain carriers of the infection, excreting the pathogen of pasteurellosis of pigs into the environment with droppings, saliva, urine and exhaled air.
Symptoms appear within two weeks of infection. The course of the disease varies from extremely acute to chronic, depending on which manifestations of pig pasteurellosis and the duration of the disease may vary. Usually animals die in 1–8 days, but with a chronic picture they live longer.
The signs of the disease include:
- increase in body temperature to 41 ° C;
- shortness of breath, signs of asphyxia;
- loss of appetite, depression;
- ; aggravated cough with separation of mucus and its discharge from the nose;
- congestion in the chest, in the abdomen;
- swelling.
At the first symptoms of the disease for the treatment of pigs use antibiotics of prolonged action, specialized serum.
In order to avoid the loss of the herd of pigs, it is necessary to vaccinate beforehand using the vaccine directed against pigs with pasteurellosis or complex preparations.
In addition, preventive measures should include:
- compliance with quarantine conditions if animals are purchased from other farms;
- maintenance of sanitary conditions of premises, equipment and walking grounds;
- fight against parasites and rodents in the compound.
Ascariasis of pigs
Unlike African swine fever and other diseases, ascariasis is a worm infestation that is dangerous not only for animals, but also for humans. Pigs from 3 months to half a year suffer massively from an illness. If symptoms of swine disease are detected, treatment is prescribed immediately, otherwise the farm will face not only the loss of a part of the sick stock, but also a decrease in the productivity of the entire herd.
Ascarids are large, parasitic worms in the small intestine, the infection of which most often occurs when eating contaminated feed, with water, through bedding or on pasture. The eggs of the pathogen entering the external environment with the droppings of sick animals can be found anywhere pigs can be found. Ascariasis of pigs does not have a pronounced seasonality, and the spread of the infection contributes to:
- crowded stock of livestock;
- disregard for sanitary rules;
- insufficient nutrition or poor diet, leading to a weakening of the immunity of the animal.
Parasites feed on intestinal contents, poison the body with toxins and cause serious damage to the mucous membrane. If the disease has grown, the number of worms in the digestive system of a piglet can amount to hundreds.
Signs of swine ascariasis are initially similar to the symptoms of pneumonia. Animals cough, their temperature rises, activity and appetite decrease. Intestinal manifestations gradually increase. Suckers often have vomiting, indigestion, drooling, refusal to eat, difficulty breathing. The increase in the number of parasites threatens to rupture the intestines and peritonitis.
Adult pigs do not become sick with open ascariasis, but become sources of infection.
Treatment of this disease of pigs is carried out with the help of anthelmintic drugs that animals should be given and for preventive purposes. Usually such work is carried out twice a year: in the fall and in the spring.
In order to avoid mass disease, it is imperative:
- maintain the veterinary and sanitary condition of the housing facilities for pigs;
- monitor the quality of feed, drinking water, cleanliness of equipment, waterers and feeders.
Swine trichinosis
The pathogen of pig trichinosis is a small dangerous not only for domestic animals, but also for humans, nematode. Moreover, this disease is the most dangerous for people that they can be infected by trying meat products prepared from a sick animal. Swine disease is characterized by:
- fever;
- the appearance of edema;
- rash on the skin;
- inflammatory processes in muscle tissue;
- allergic manifestations;
- pathological changes in the nervous system.
Adult worms are localized in the intestines, and inside the muscle tissue during the study, the parasite larvae are found.
Guaranteed effective treatment of pig trichinosis is not developed, therefore, when signs of disease are detected, animals go to slaughter. With a weak degree of damage, the meat goes for technical processing, and with a strong one, it is disposed of in compliance with safety standards.
Swine cysticercosis
Another disease caused by helminths, swine cysticercosis proceeds without clear symptoms, but can affect both domestic and wild animals, as well as humans.
The causative agent and the main cause of the disease are the larvae of one of the tapeworms, grouped mainly in pigs in the muscle tissue of the heart and skeleton, and in people in the eye area and in the brain.
Due to the lack of effective treatment and symptoms of swine disease, a lot of attention is paid to comprehensive, regular prevention. In order to prevent the production of contaminated raw materials, all meat-processing enterprises carry out specialized control of carcasses. Meat from homesteads can only be sold after examination at veterinary centers.
Sarkoptoz or scaly itch in pigs
The disease provoked by pruritic mites dropping into the epidermis is accompanied by:
- inflammatory processes in the skin;
- the appearance of bubbles containing fluid and foci of foci;
- itching;
- formation on the affected surface of the crusts and edematous folds.
In advanced cases, itching in pigs scabies, as in the photo, is accompanied by irreversible changes and leads to the death of the animal.
Treatment of pig sarcoptosis should be methodical and complex. For this, external agents are used, as well as preparations for intramuscular oral administration.
It is only possible to kill pigs that have had a scabies after the quarantine period, depending on the therapy chosen.
Prevention of the disease, as in African swine fever and other diseases, is to follow zoohygienic and sanitary rules, maintaining the cleanliness and safety of places of detention and walking animals.
. Paratyphoid pigs.
. Asking the question “How to treat diarrhea in piglets?”, Novice breeders do not always realize how many diseases are accompanied by this common symptom. One of the most commonly diagnosed diseases is paratyphoid fever, affecting young animals between the ages of 2-6 months.
The cause of the disease is the neglect of the content of sows and the diet of the younger generation. Depending on how severe insemination with a paratyphoid rod is, the disease takes an acute or chronic form, can lead to a significant weakening or even death of animals.
Unlike African swine fever and other diseases that cannot be cured, the paratyphoid is susceptible to antibiotics and special serums. And for piglets at the age of one and a half months vaccination is provided.
Edema disease of piglets
If piglets are not properly weaned from human milk, they are disharmonized and are kept in inappropriate conditions, farms often face another dangerous disease of pigs. Excited by the bacteria Coli, an edematous disease of piglets is accompanied by:
- almost immediate development;
- the formation of multiple edema of tissues and internal organs;
- lesion of the nervous system.
Symptoms of the disease become noticeable only 2–4 days after infection and most often manifest themselves in a sharp increase in temperature to 41 ° C.The rapid nature of the disease of pigs leads to the fact that the most susceptible individuals are paralyzed, suffer from edema even when touched and die within a few hours.
Treatment of edema disease of piglets should be urgent. To do this, animals for 12-20 hours in the feed limit and give acidophilic and antibacterial drugs for the purpose of the veterinarian. Change the diet, including in it lactic products and succulent feed.
