Antibiotic Injection of Piglets-Treatment, Control or Prevention? - Dr. Pete Thomas, from the 2017 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference, September 16-19, 2017, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. More presentations at http://www.swinecast.com/2017-leman-swine-conference-material

1. Antibiotic Injection of Piglets:
Treatment, Control, Prevention
Pete Thomas

2. Overview
• Veterinary oversight and justification of use.
• Routine injection of piglets – Day 1 /
Processing.
• Routine injection of piglets at weaning.
• Mass injection of growing pigs post-weaning.

3. Veterinary Oversight
• ISF veterinary team designated to oversight of
specific farms, with back-up (cross-over).
• Each region has most pig flows represented,
so it is important everyone is engaged with
sow farm and W:F flow health trends.

4. ISF Veterinary oversight
• Visit to every sow farm – 60 days between
visits max.
• Visit to every group of wean-pigs within 6
weeks of placement.
– Analyze wean-pig shot (If doing one)
– Oversight for VFD
– Allow for communication and feedback
• Weekly meeting with production and
veterinary services.

5. Documentation and Communication

6. Antibiotic injection – Day 1 /
Processing
Reasons for antibiotic administration:
1. Infections of the navel cord.
a) Umbillical hernia (welfare, full-value, health)
b) Systemic infections
2. Infections of the castration or tail-docking
wound.
Principle: Demonstrate the need, the benefit,
and re-evaluate

7. Danish Study Vestergaard, IPVS
• Group 1 = No
treatment
• Iodine
– P=0.14
• Amoxicillin Injection
at birth.
– P=0.02
– Reduction in all 3
herds

8. J. Reiman – AASV 2012
• Looked at Control vs Excede in the first 16
hours
• 2,183 total pigs
• 33% vs 19% navel infections at weaning –
p<0.001
• 4% vs 2.4% umbilical hernias at 16 weeks –
p=0.03

9. ISF – Umbilical Hernia Data

10. Judicious Use Model for Using Excede to Control
Umbilical Infections and Hernias
Objectives
• Develop a useable and practical model
• Demonstrate that we see infection of navel in 10% of pigs prior to injection
of Excede
• Demonstrate that Ceftiofur is effective against bacteria we find in the navel
• Demonstrate the pigs are clinically benefitting by receiving Excede

11. Judicious Use Model for Using Excede to Control
Umbilical Infections and Hernias
Part 1: Bacterial Swab Procedure
• Acquire 10 deads no older than 24 hours
• Use alcohol swab to swab outside of umbilicus and surrounding skin
• Use clean scalpel to cut into umbilicus
• Swab inside of umbilicus & submit for bacterial culture

12. Judicious Use Model for Using Excede to Control
Umbilical Infections and Hernias
Part 2: On-farm comparison
• Enroll 40 litters at each of 3 farms (1 from
each gilt flow)
• 2 pigs/litter  1 treated and 1 control
• 80 pigs total at each farm (40
treated + 40 control)
• Around the age of 21 days old = score
umbilicus and look if any swollen joints

13. Judicious Use Model for Using Excede to Control
Umbilical Infections and Hernias
Results: Part 1
• Demonstrates that we see >10% of infection in the navel prior to injection
of Excede Day 1
Swab Results
S013 S005 S115
Tubes Positive 3/10 2/10 3/10

14. Judicious Use Model for Using Excede to Control
Umbilical Infections and Hernias
82%
100%
91%
45%
0%
45%
EXCEDE AMPICILLIN ENROFLOXACIN FLORFENICOL OXYTETRACYCLINE PENICILLIN
%SENSITIVE
ANTIBIOTIC
% ISOLATES SENSITIVE TO EACH ANTIBIOTIC
S013, S005, S115

15. Judicious Use Model for Using Excede to Control
Umbilical Infections and Hernias
Results: Part 2

16. Injection of Pigs at Weaning
• Used on challenged sow farms –Specific Diagnosis
– Typically targeting Haemophilus, Streptococcus,
Pastuerella, A. suis
– Typically going to be PRRSV positive
• Measurable benefits downstream
• Mechanism for discontinuing
• Expectation of better success than feed/water
antibiotics

17. Injection of pigs at weaning
• Combination of treatment and control
• Allows for treatment of affected pigs
• Allows for Control of infection during the early
post-weaning phase when pigs are mixed and
stressed.
• Typically we’ll choose a longer lasting
antibiotic.

18. Antibiotics at weaning
• PRRS negative co-mingled pigs (5 farms)

19. Antibiotic use at weaning – PRRS
positive flow

20. Antibiotic use evaluation
• All three choices demonstrated improved
mortality and good ROI.
• When mortality is elevated due to sow source
challenges, we utilize antibiotic injection.
• When challenge is minimized and pigs doing
well, we re-evaluate.
– Records, weekly meeting, farm visits

21. External Data – Low PRRS prevalence
• 2013 AASV – D. King
– 11.73 : 1 ROI – Based on pounds at market – Draxxin
cost
– 2.5% incidence of PRRS by PCR

22. Mass injection post-weaning
• Used when treating a group of sick pigs where
death-loss is high much better results expected
with injection vs. oral.
– Easily justified
– Veterinary oversight and decision making
• Rare – Average of 2 times per month.
– APP outbreak
– Severe hemolytic E. coli
– Severe lateral PRRS break with secondary bacteria
prevalent.

23. Questions