Posted by Dr. Steve Dudley on July 15 2009 10:44

Edema Disease Cause: E. coli with exotoxin Signs: Sudden deaths +/- diarrhea Diarrhea Piling (chilling) CNS signs- Seizures, ataxia Treatment: Usually resistant to antibiotics Citric acid (Bioacidifier) Mild feed restriction Prevention: K88/F18 E.coli vaccine - Competitive inhibition Clean/dry environment Feed 3000 ppm of zinc oxide in ration Wean pigs above 12 lbs Salmonella Can affect any age of pig Clinical signs: Fever (105-107... [More]

Posted by Dr. Steve Dudley on July 14 2009 15:53

History PCV1: a non pathogenic contaminant of PK-15 PMWS: first described in Canada (1991) and related with porcine circovirus PCV2: cause of PMWS Type 2 Porcine Circovirus (PCV2) First isolated/characterized 1997/1998 Stable in environment (similiar to parvo) Ubiquitous High prevalence (PCR) High seroprevalence: most pigs lose maternal Ab at 6-12 weeks, seroconvert in finishing period Antibodies in sera from at least mid 1970's PMWS: Diagnostic Criteria Clinical... [More]

Posted by Dr. Steve Dudley on July 13 2009 08:19

Diagnosis Veterinarian involvement send a fecal into diagnostic lab get your veterinarian involved. Not all scours are the same. What is Lost? Energy, electrolytes, energy, etc. visual of calf with scours Assessing dehydration Visual of dehydrated calf and techniques to assess Bullet % dehydrated Bullet additional electrolyte needed Electrolyte Visual electrolytes and esophageal feeder Treatments Antibiotic and drug therapies Breaking the Cycle Prevention hygiene disinfectants... [More]

Posted by Dr. Steve Dudley on June 29 2009 13:49

These two diseases have been the most economically important diseases recently. Prevention and control strategies have been an area of focus in herd health. We have come a long way in our understanding of these pathogens, but there is still much to learn and accomplish.  Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus PRRS is the disease..... PRRSV is the virus Several Other Names SAMS SMD SIRS Blue Ear Lelystad Most economically important disease of swine ... [More]

Posted by Dr. Steve Dudley on June 29 2009 08:32

  October 25th I was called to a nursery to exam pigs that were doing poorly. Owner complained of some Strep type pigs and some increased death loss. (Of course this was on a saturday morning when no lab work is available) The owner was busy in the fields harvesting corn and was not available to go through the nursery. The producer had received 800 piglets weighing 15 pounds starting in September 15th through October 1st. Approximately 8 dead pigs were laying outside the nurser... [More]

Posted by Dr. Steve Dudley on June 26 2009 14:26

This is a common question in my line of work…and the answer is that it depends People make decisions differently and what one farm is willing to tolerate in prouction loss would cause other's to lose sleep at night. The ultimate answer to this question is dictated by what we would do with the information that we get from the diagnostics Case Study 500 sow unit has been experiencing an increase in abortions and a moderate cough is going through the sow herd. There are a moderate... [More]

Posted by Dr. Steve Dudley on June 26 2009 11:47

Calf huts Excellent facility to minimize contact between calves. Important to clean and disinfect huts between calves. Some types of huts do not ventilate well in the summer. Important to keep bedding clean and dry. Difficult to feed and manage calves in winter months. Cold barn Naturally ventilated with curtains and ridges. Barns over 40 ft long need a ridge. Recommend individual pens. Recommend solid, plastic paneling between calves. Fill barn within 2 weeks. All-in-all-out t... [More]

Posted by Dr. Steve Dudley on June 25 2009 16:25

Calf Hutches: 1.Calves: Spray or dust, head to tail Dust each with Zipcide or Cylence 1–2 oz as needed Prozap Insectrin 1% Xtra- spray ½ oz per 100 lbs as needed 2.Hutch: Apply to all interior surfaces Prozap Insectrin X Mix 3.2 ounces in 1 gallon water, apply using a pump sprayer to cover the interior of the Hutch- reapply every two weeks Demand CS Mix 0.08 oz per 1 gallon water, apply using a pump sprayer to cover the interior of the Hutch- reapply every two weeks 3... [More]

Posted by Dr. Steve Dudley on June 19 2009 08:11

Summary of Intervention Strategies for the Prevention of Mechanical Transmission of PRRSV during Cold Weather. Background: The "snowball" study demonstrated the ease at which PRRSV could be mechanically transmitted by a number of different fomites during periods of cold weather. High-risk fomites and sites were determined to be truckwash floors, boots, vehicle interior (floormats), anteroom floors within swine facilities, and shipping containers. Objective: The purpose of this study was to tes... [More]

Posted by Dr. Steve Dudley on June 18 2009 16:36

  Sow Herd Stabilization describes the immune status of the sow herd. Sows and gilts that have active or recent infection will be more likely to shed a virus or bacteria to their offspring. The goal of stabilization is to minimize the exposure of herd mates and piglets to the disease challenge from the sow herd. The topic of stabilization has received increased interest because of the increased size of sow farms and because of new disease complexes that have been challenging for producers ... [More]