PRRS has challenged producers and swine veterinarians for decades. During that time, outbreak management and strategies have evolved along with the virus.
African swine fever (ASF) has spread like a slow burn across the globe since the 2007 identification in the Republic of Georgia. It moved into the EU, then into China...
Efforts are underway in Canada to develop an ASF-Free Compartments strategy allowing farms to market hogs in the event of an African swine fever (ASF) outbreak.
US pig producers know that many different strains of PRRS exist, but the continual emergence of new sub-lineages continues to destabilize progress towards PRRS control,...
When a sow doesn’t reach her full potential, the cost to the farm and the income stream of the sow herd is often “grossly underestimated,” said John Deen, DVM,...
From the person doing the power washing to the owner of the farm business, everyone involved in a pork-production system plays a vital role in keeping the operation...
Regular biosecurity checks with a close look at filtration and ventilation systems will help prevent the spread of airborne pathogens like porcine reproductive and...
Most, if not all, pigs harbor some strains of Strep suis. Lately, challenges by the bacteria appear to be on the rise, but that could be interpreted as a positive.
African swine fever (ASF) has continued its steady, insidious spread in other parts of the world, but the fact that the US has remained free of the virus to-date has...
Biosecurity ranks high on the list of concerns for swine veterinarians who want hog units tightened up to reduce disease. But the cost of new improvements can be...
Eliminating porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) from pigs might not yet be possible, but monitoring tools could help refine a herd's PRRSV...
Pigs can contract influenza anytime during the year but more influenza circulates in the fall and winter months. That’s why producers should prepare ahead of the...
Disease challenges eat into time and profits, and are all too common on US pig farms. That is one reason some producers are switching to batch farrowing as a way to...
Colostrum is vital to piglet survival but managing intake may benefit from some fresh thinking, according to Kara Stewart, associate professor of animal science at...
Influenza-A virus of swine (IAV-S) is a thorn in the side of US pork producers, and it’s a difficult thorn to remove. If the virus were more pathogenic, veterinarians...
The system used to classify breeding herds according to their PRRSV status has long helped swine veterinarians around the world to track the pathogen’s progress.
It’s not unrealistic to say that if you checked the nasal cavities or tonsils of any group of pigs, you would find Strep suis. It is on virtually every hog farm.
Water doesn’t get the attention it deserves because it is abundant, easy to access and inexpensive, but that will change in the future, said John Patience, PhD,...
Taking care of sick animals is no fun for anybody. For that reason, and so many more, biosecurity is a high priority for Clayton Johnson, DVM, with Carthage Veterinary...
Some breed-to-wean farms that have been vaccinated for porcine circovirus (PCV) have experienced breakdowns in their control of the virus. Clayton Johnson, DVM,...
Jeff Feder, DVM, with Swine Vet Center, has spent 15 years fine-tuning filtration systems in client hog barns. Today, Feder has records to prove air filtration does...
US producers have seen the devastating impact of African swine fever (ASF) in other countries. The ultimate goal is to keep it out of this country, so industry groups...
Water is as important for the growth and health of pigs as feed. As such, it makes sense to test a hog unit’s water just as frequently as the feed, according to Jim...
Seasonal infertility continues to be a widespread problem for sow herds across the US. And if you don’t have a problem with seasonal infertility, it may mean you are...
The pork industry has had a tremendous number of innovations over the years, said Joe Connor, DVM. Connor, who serves as a consultant within Carthage Veterinary...
Pig producers in Brazil are improving efficiency, quality and welfare standards thanks to a novel alternative to physical castration, says a prominent swine...
In fall 2019, a client called Four Star Veterinary Service clinic in Mexico, IN, and reported the loss of a lot of sows. Daniel Gascho, DVM, had several ideas of what...
The “Five Freedoms” have been the foundation for establishing sound animal welfare practices since they were developed in 1965. Now, more than 50 years later,...
In the end, raising hogs is about producing pork, and continuous success depends on building customers’ trust, listening to expectations and meeting their needs.
Biosecurity protocols are critical to keeping the US hog herd healthy, and one of the regular tasks is to disinfect a wide range of supplies entering the farm, but how...
A romanticized view of the veterinary profession, gleaned from sources like the famous Brit, James Herriot’s novel “All Creatures Great and Small,” doesn’t...
Pain management for pigs has always been a challenge, partly because it’s difficult to measure levels of pain and partly because there are no FDA-approved drugs...
Grow-finish farms are the last segment of hog production to enact strict biosecurity protocols. That needs to change, reports Mike Eisenmenger, DVM, Swine Vet Center,...
The first case of Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (Strep. zoo) was identified in the US pig population last fall, and it’s not an organism to be taken
Bacterial pathogens like Streptococcus suis and Haemophilus parasuis continue to cause major issues for growing and adult pigs. Dr. Brad Leuwerke offers some good...
Sow mortality has been on the rise in the US pork industry, reaching upwards of 15% in many sow-production systems, said Ashley Johnson, DVM, technical services...
For the past 18 months Scott Dee, DVM, director of research at Pipestone Veterinary Services, has been investigating whether feed mitigants can protect against the...
Whether the issue is an emerging disease such as porcine epidemic diarrhea or the threat of African swine fever, being prepared is key to minimizing the potential...
Veterinarians deal with stress under the best circumstances. But in this time of difficult decisions for pork producers and those who service them due to COVID-19,...
Nine years of data from the Morrison Swine Health Monitoring Project show farms with air-filtering systems have fewer outbreaks of PRRS than farms without filters.
Infectious arthritis caused by Mycoplasma hyorhinis is gaining ground in hog units where it infects neonatal pigs and develops into severe lameness in market hogs.
Clinical problems in swine due to antimicrobial-resistant infections are rare. In fact, patterns of resistance in swine have been stable for a long time.
The practice of farrowing sows in groups and not continuously is making a reappearance as small- to medium-sized sow farms seek ways to stay competitive.
Data indicate minimal resistant infections in swine, but that will not deter efforts to maximize preventive care and minimize the need for antibiotics.
Managing Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyo) is nothing new for US pig veterinarians and producers, but there are a number of new tools available to deal with the...
The wild run of porcine epidemic diarrhea striking the pork industry in 2013 has slowed substantially, but chronic versions continue to plague some farms.
An effective biosecurity strategy is not a stagnant process. It is continuously influenced by changes in pig-flows, disease pressures, virus evolution, emerging health...
PRRSV is constantly evolving, resulting in an extremely diverse virus with multiple lineages, but building a better understanding of that genetic diversity is the next...
Classical education emphasizes the need for industries to adopt new technologies to keep up with external demands and constantly changing economic environments.
US producers have robust export markets and a lower cost of production than many other countries, but Joe Connor, DVM, says cost of production could be even lower.
Pre-wean mortality continues to be a challenge to producers across the industry as genetic improvements allow sows to be more prolific and achieve higher total born.
Sow mortality rates in the US have increased dramatically in recent years and now average about 15%. Pig Health Today talked with six experts about the alarming trend...
The Food and Drug Administration’s revised rules for antibiotic use in hogs, including the VFD, has led to a reduction in and more strategic use of antibiotics in...
Litter sizes on US hog farms have steadily increased, but that’s a good-news/bad-news development as those large litters often come at a price, which is more...
Identifying the source of wean-to-finish mortality can be a challenge, since factors affecting that stage of production may have originated earlier — on the sow farm,...
Sow mortality rates in the US have increased dramatically in recent years and now average about 15%. Pig Health Today talked with six experts about the alarming trend...