Piglet Scour

Mark White BVSc LLB DPM MRCVS

Diarrhoea (scour) is one of the most common ailments good early suck) and can bathe the gut without being
affecting the young piglet before weaning. absorbed for many days beyond that. (Colostrum is also a
It can vary from mild to severe, brief or persistent, creamy to vital source of essential nutrition in the post-natal period.)
watery, trivial to fatal. Scour is a clinical sign representing Chilling
the result of a wide range of insults to the piglet gut - causes The body has an inbuilt protective mechanism whereby
are often complex with a mixture of infectious agents, when the body temperature drops, the blood supply is cut off
environmental insults, and nutritional and managemental or reduced to non-life essential organs - preserving blood
influences. supply to vital structures such as brain and heart. The gut
Sponsor Content will be part of this shutdown mechanism and its normal
The Piglets' Gut Function ability to push through food (peristalsis) and absorb nutrients
The gastrointestinal system comprises mouth, oesophagus will be compromised. This has the effect of essentially
(gullet), stomach and intestine. Each component has specific allowing undigested material to pass down into the large
functions but it is when the intestine is malfunctioning that intestine where bacteria that may normally live in balance in
scour occurs. Food, mostly mothers' milk in the young the gut will overgrow on a rich supply of food. Malfunction
piglet, is pre-digested in the stomach before arriving in the and scour are obvious results.
small intestine (SI) for chemical breakdown (digestion) and Hygiene
absorption. It then passes into the large intestine (LI) whose Following birth (and indeed in a few cases during passage
main function is reabsorption of water, before the waste through the birth canal) the piglet picks up microbial agents
material is voided as faeces. that colonise the gut. Many of these are harmless and form
Scour can result from any of the following malfunctions: part of the normal and essential gut flora that the pig requires
1. Failure of pre-digestion in the stomach as it matures.
2. Failure of digestion/absorption in the small intestine Environmental hygiene will determine the quantity of such
allowing undigested food material to pass into the large uptake (this includes both contamination of the udder as well
intestine where bacteria can thrive as the accommodation) and it is essential that whatever is
consumed is maintained in balance. This beneficial
3. Outpouring of excess fluid into the small intestine as a
colonisation depends upon the range of contaminants
result of toxins
(harmful versus harmless), the levels of protection provided
4. Failure to reabsorb fluid in the large intestine from colostrum, the quantities of microbes consumed and a
Table 1 provides a brief summary of the types of insult, normal functioning gut preventing overgrowth. Routine
which can lead to each of these malfunctions. administration of antibiotics at birth can cause considerable
It can thus be seen that scour results from a range of often and long lasting disturbance to the development of normal
interacting factors and it is always necessary to identify and gut microbial population (microbiome)
correct the various insults to achieve prevention and control. In commercial, particularly indoor systems, maximum
We will discuss some of the major infectious agents later but hygiene is essential, with "all in, all out" procedures,
it is necessary to expand on the more basic principles first. washing, disinfection and drying - preferably with detergents
as part of the washing process - standard practices. This is
not necessarily always the case in the smaller system where
Table 1. Causes of gut malfunction
long-term occupation of pens etc. allows a balanced flora to
develop in the environment, which provides the new-born
Piglet Protection piglet with the correct balance and challenge of beneficial
The piglet is born vulnerable to the individual challenges it microbes that compete with the pathogens. One of the worst
will meet. Immunity does not pass across the placenta to the actions that can be taken in such a set up is to attempt to
piglet unlike the situation in human babies. Nature's way of clean but not do it thoroughly - the result being
protecting it against infection is for the sow to provide contamination remains with a disturbed balance. There can
immunity through the colostrum (pre-milk, bitlings) which be no half measures:
contains protective antibodies which can be absorbed by the If cleaning, disinfecting and drying are done as policy it
-
piglet for the first twelve hours of life (hence the need for a must be done to the highest standards

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- If scour (and other piglet ailments) are not evident Coccidiosis).
and cleaning and disinfection are not normally done,
leave well alone
- However, once scour occurs in the system thorough
cleaning with degreasing, disinfection and drying are
needed. Disinfectants must be left sufficient contact
time to work but concentrated disinfectants can scald
pigs and should not be left on the floor surface
Gorging
Modern sows - even some of the more traditional breeds
- can produce far more milk than piglets need early in
life. Strong piglets can gorge on this supply leading to
overload. It is always more likely to happen to the
biggest front teat pigs. Fig 1: Dehydration rapidly kills scoured piglets
Also, as piglets grow, supply grows and again gorging E. coli is one of the few pathogenic agents affecting baby
can result, leading to what is often termed "milk scour" at pigs that will easily be detected on rectal swabs.
fourteen days plus. (This must be distinguished from
coccidiosis.)
Specific Infections
(NB - for Clostridial Scour see workshop 5, Part 1)
E. Coli
E.coli bacteria are normally found in the gut of pigs (and
most other mammals). The excretion rate of E coli from
the sow increases as she approaches farrowing and the
three major sources of infection for the young piglet are:
- The sow
- Other infected and particularly scouring piglets in the
same or other litters Fig 2: Typical pm picture of a piglet with neonatal E
- The environment coli enteritis. Note the full stomach and inflamed
Most strains of E coli are harmless. However, there are intestine
strains that are extremely harmful to the piglet - most of Treatment
which are classified as Haemolytic E coli (due to their Individual cases may be treated with an appropriate oral
growth characteristics in the laboratory). Each strain is antibiotic - determined by sensitivity testing, given at the
identified by number and in a few cases by name (e.g. earliest sign of diarrhoea. In an outbreak, strategic
Abbottstown). medication of all pigs at birth may be necessary. This
should not be a long-term approach.
The balance between the degree of exposure of the piglet
at birth and the immunity conferred upon the piglet by Equally important as part of the treatment programme is
the transfer of colostrum from mother will determine the provision of electrolytes to reduce the severe
whether or not disease is seen. dehydration that actually kills many piglets. These must
be kept clean and fresh, and in severely affected pigs be
The effect of these harmful strains of bacteria is to stick
actively administered orally e.g. by syringe.
to the wall of the intestine and to produce a toxin
(poison), which alters its function such that there is an Control and Prevention
outpouring of fluid into the gut, producing scour. The principles of control revolve around:
Clinical Signs 1. Reducing spread of infection
Neonatal E coli infection presents as a profuse watery 2. Reducing reservoir of infection
scour within three days of age, with severe and rapid 3. Increasing immunity in sows and piglets
dehydration. Death can occur rapidly - in some
- The disease will spread by any physical movement of
littermates before scour is actually evident. It will often,
scour between pens and buildings. Use of
though not always, occur in whole litters and appear to
disinfectant foot dips between pens and rooms is vital
spread from litter to litter within a house. Scour due to E.
- keeping the foot dip fresh, clean and at the correct
coli can occur later in the sucking period, often in
dilution rate. Control of flies, mice etc. is also vital.
conjunction with other agents (e.g. Rotavirus,

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Active cross-fostering of piglets is discouraged in the some pigs can be born scoured.
face of an outbreak. Hygiene and improving immunity in the sow (see below)
- The farrowing pen in which a previous litter has been are key to control and survival, and recovery of piglets
affected is a reservoir of infection if not thoroughly can only be achieved by maintaining hygiene using
cleaned. Cleaning should involve the use of easily available electrolytes (e.g. Lectade : Elanco) which
detergents to remove the protective grease film can overcome the reduced gut function.
(derived from high fat lactation and creep diets),
power washing and disinfecting - using a DEFRA
approved product at the appropriate dilution rate.
The longer the pens can be rested between batches
the better. Fumigation of rooms may be an additional
technique to employ. Removal of slurry from
channels under slats reduces the risk of flies bringing
infection back to the pen surface.
Cleanliness of the sow is also important. The sow
should, if grossly contaminated, be washed and dried
before entry to a clean pen and she should not spend an
excessively long time in the crate before farrowing - 3 to
5 days is preferable. Legally it cannot be more than 7
Fig 4: Finger like projections increase the surface
days. area of the gut aiding digestion and absorption.
In the outdoor environment, burning of old beds, moving These are damage and reduced by viral infections.
of farrowing arcs (where applicable) and avoidance of Coccidiosis
lying boards will all help control disease. Coccidiosis in the pig is caused by a parasite called
- Immunity in the sow can be raised by vaccination Isospora suis. There are a range of other coccidia
given prior to farrowing and works very well to (Eimeria sp), often found in the pig, but these are
protect piglets for the first three to four days of life. generally thought to be harmless although in rare cases
Sow vaccination will not protect piglets beyond this can cause disease in young adults.
age. The parasite has a direct lifecycle between pigs (i.e. there
is no intermediate host) with oocysts shed from an
infected individual into the environment, in which they
undergo a temperature dependant maturation process,
before infecting other animals orally. The organism then
colonises the small intestine, developing through a
number of stages and causing gut damage leading to
scour. This process takes several days and, as such,
Coccidiosis does not occur below five days of age, and
most typically is not seen until ten days old.
The disease is seen in all types of system but is always
associated with hygiene failure.
Clinical Signs
Scouring will be seen in all or part of the litter from
about 10 days of age. The scour will usually be yellow
and creamy and careful observations may reveal blood
Fig 3: Scour in the young piglet.
flecks. Death is rare in uncomplicated Coccidiosis
Viral Scour although, where E coli or Rotavirus become involved,
A range of viruses can affect young piglets producing
mortality can occur.
scour. These include PRRS virus, Rotavirus, TGE/PED
and many others. In all cases the viruses damage the
finger like projection that normally increase the surface
area of the gut (villi), reducing the digestive and
absorptive area. This allows undigested material to pass
through the gut, overloading it with both nutrients and
fluid. Viral scour can occur very early in life - indeed

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 mean that this is the cause. The only reliable method of
confirming the diagnosis is to sacrifice acutely affected,
untreated typical individual pig and examine the gut.
Grossly they may be thickened and inflamed but
histopathology is essential for confirmation.
On many farms, the response to treatment and control
measures is used to support the diagnosis.
Control
Hygiene plays a major part in the control of Coccidosis.
The oocysts that are shed in the faeces, which develop
into infective stages in the environment - provided the
temperature exceeds 16°C - are very resistant to
conventional disinfectants. Effective treatments are fire
Fig 5: Typical creamy coccidial scour (flame gun) and limewashing of the pen - in the latter
Loss of condition will be apparent in affected individuals case, the lime must be allowed to cure for 4 days before
and the overall consequence will be reduced weaning stock are placed in the treated pen.
weights - herd average weight at 25 day weaning can There are claims that some dry disinfectants have
drop by 1kg per pig during an outbreak - and gut damage anticoccidial effects and may be useful adjuncts to
at weaning that may trigger secondary post weaning treatment of the environment. Thorough washing of pens
enteritis. The reduced weaning weights will have is vital and problems, typically - though not exclusively -
implications on overall growth post-weaning. occur in continually occupied rooms and on certain type
of floors where thorough cleaning is difficult (solid,
cracked concrete, moulded plastic slats). The veterinary
surgeon may also prescribe specific anticoccidial
treatment to be given orally as a preventative measure
but the timing of such treatments must be carefully
considered and strictly adhered to.
In the outdoor herd, arcs must be moved between
consecutive farrowings and where problems occur,
boards should be avoided. The provision of wallows in
farrowing paddocks increases contamination of the udder
and should be discouraged (they will also encourage
litter desertion in hot weather).
Worms
Fig 6: Coccidiosis leading to reduced condition and A rare worm - Strongyloides ransomi - can infect piglets
lower weaning weights. in utero or via colostrum/milk and produce scour in
Response to treatment in an affected individual with piglets as young as two to three days. It is most likely to
antibiotics is generally very poor and, in many cases, the occur in sows kept outside on permanently occupied
scour will stop spontaneously at weaning - suggesting ground where the parasite can build up.
that the gut damage induces milk intolerance.
Where seen worming of sows pre-farrowing using a
In many affected herds, one or two pigs in the litter may preparatory wormer is highly effective.
show early and mild signs of scour at 7 days of age, with
the rest of the litter becoming affected 5-7 days later, as A word on "Feedback" or Controlled
the young pigs act as generators of the parasite. Exposure
Feeding back infected material and bedding from a scour
Diagnosis episode (or indeed faeces from sows post-farrowing) to
The clinical picture described will provide a strong
sows in late pregnancy (never before 75 days gestation)
indication of the role of coccidia although because it is
has, historically, been used as a method of increasing
possible to have combined infection with other agents a
immunity in sows to help protect piglets.
laboratory diagnosis is desirable.
(Feeding back placental tissue and dead piglets is banned
Despite the fact that carrier sows and affected piglets
absolutely by legislation.)
shed coccidial oocysts in their faeces, these are very
In some infectious diseases, feedback can be the only
difficult to detect and, even if found, do not necessarily

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way of stopping an outbreak (e.g. viral disease such as
Rotavirus) but in some cases can actually cause more
harm than good (e.g. Coccidiosis).
It should not be used routinely as a technique (indeed it is
questionably legal under feedingstuffs legislation,
designed to reduce Salmonella infection) and should only
be done under strict veterinary advice.
Conclusion
Scour is commonly seen in young piglets. Control
depends upon environmental and managemental
attention, diagnosis and appropriate vaccination or
medication.

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