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Prevalence of an inflammation and necrosis syndrome in suckling piglets

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 January 2019

G. Reiner ,
M. Lechner ,
A. Eisenack ,
K. Kallenbach ,
K. Rau ,
S. Müller  and
J. Fink-Gremmels
G. Reiner*
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Giessen, Frankfurter Strasse 112, 35392 Giessen, Germany
M. Lechner
Affiliation:
UEG Hohenlohe-Franken, Kraussenklinge 1, 97996 Adolzhausen-Niederstetten, Germany
A. Eisenack
Affiliation:
Veterinary Practitioner, Antoniusstr 38, 53909 Zülpich, Germany
K. Kallenbach
Affiliation:
Thuringian State Institute of Agriculture, Naumburger Str. 98, 07743 Jena, Germany
K. Rau
Affiliation:
Thuringian State Institute of Agriculture, Naumburger Str. 98, 07743 Jena, Germany
S. Müller
Affiliation:
Thuringian State Institute of Agriculture, Naumburger Str. 98, 07743 Jena, Germany
J. Fink-Gremmels
Affiliation:
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, IRAS, Yalelaan 104, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands
*
†E-mail: gerald.reiner@vetmed.uni-giessen.de
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Abstract

The current study describes the results obtained from clinical examination of over 4700 suckling piglets from 19 individual herds in Germany. In this cohort the prevalence of inflammation and necrosis in the tails, ears, claw coronary bands, heels and teats was determined using a pre-defined scoring system. Results show that already in the 1st days of life, piglets were affected by inflammation and necrosis of the heels (80%), claw coronary bands (50%) and tail base (20%). The praevalences of these alterations in piglets were influenced by genetics (P <0.001) and age, decreasing gradually in the 2nd week of life (P <0.001). Moreover, a correlation between tail length after tail docking and the prevalence of tail necrosis (P⩽0.04) was found. Tail and ear biting as a behavioural trait was not detected during this study. The early onset, appearance and multiple locations of clinical signs of inflammation and the positive correlation with the genetic background of the piglets may suggest an impairment of the innate immune system by infectious and non-infectious agents. This is in contrast to previously described behavioural abnormalities seen in fattening pigs. Considering the obvious reduction of animal welfare due to the described lesions, there is a need to create awareness among pig farmers and to understand the multifactorial causality involved in this inflammation and necrosis syndrome in piglets.

Keywords

pigstail necrosisgeneticsanimal welfare
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 13 , Issue 9 , September 2019 , pp. 2007 - 2017
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2019 

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