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Non-ambulatory pigs in two Brazilian growing-finishing farms: a clinic, etiological and pathological perspective on 76 cases.
Piva, Manoela Marchezan; Schwertz, Claiton I; Henker, Luan Cleber; Bianchi, Ronaldo Michel; Kemper, Regina Tose; de Almeida, Bruno Albuquerque; Nagae, Ricardo Yuiti; Michaelsen, Taís Regina; Pavarini, Saulo Petinatti.
Affiliation
  • Piva MM; Departament of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul - UFRGS, 9090 Av. Bento Gonçalves, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil. manoela.marchezan@gmail.com.
  • Schwertz CI; Departament of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul - UFRGS, 9090 Av. Bento Gonçalves, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil.
  • Henker LC; Departament of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul - UFRGS, 9090 Av. Bento Gonçalves, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil.
  • Bianchi RM; Departament of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul - UFRGS, 9090 Av. Bento Gonçalves, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil.
  • Kemper RT; Departament of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul - UFRGS, 9090 Av. Bento Gonçalves, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil.
  • de Almeida BA; Departament of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul - UFRGS, 9090 Av. Bento Gonçalves, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil.
  • Nagae RY; Animal Health Laboratory, Seara Alimentos LTDA, 155 Av. Paludo, Industrial, Seara, Santa Catarina, 89770-000, Brazil.
  • Michaelsen TR; Animal Health Laboratory, Seara Alimentos LTDA, 155 Av. Paludo, Industrial, Seara, Santa Catarina, 89770-000, Brazil.
  • Pavarini SP; Departament of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul - UFRGS, 9090 Av. Bento Gonçalves, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul, 91540-000, Brazil.
Porcine Health Manag ; 8(1): 36, 2022 Aug 10.
Article in En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35948945
BACKGROUND: Non-ambulatory pigs, colloquially known as downers or downed pigs, are animals presented with limited to no mobility, usually as a result of pre-existing neurologic or musculoskeletal conditions. Impaired ambulation is a major cause of euthanasia in pigs, leading to economic losses and animal welfare concerns. Additionally, reaching the underlying diagnosis of impaired ambulation in pigs is commonly a challenging task for swine practitioners. The aim of this necropsy-based study was to report the clinical, etiological, and pathological findings of 76 non-ambulatory grower-finisher pigs, and to correlate tail-biting lesions with the causes of death/reason for euthanasia in non-ambulatory pigs. Necropsies of downed pigs were performed during on-site visits to two pig farms in southern Brazil. RESULTS: The diagnosis of the conditions was based on the clinical, macroscopic, histopathological, bacteriological, immunohistochemical, and molecular findings. The diseases diagnosed in non-ambulatory pigs in this study were suppurative arthritis (29/76), suppurative spondylitis (10/76), PVC-2 associated diseases (8/76), bone fracture (7/76), non-suppurative meningoencephalomyelitis (4/76), suppurative meningoencephalitis (6/76), fibrocartilaginous thromboembolism (3/76), epiphysiolysis (3/76), ascending bacterial myelitis (3/76), and other conditions (3/76). The frequency of suppurative arthritis, suppurative spondylitis, and ascending bacterial myelitis/meningitis was higher in pigs with tail biting lesions than controls (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Non-ambulatory pigs were observed during the entire rearing period, however, the occurrence of non-ambulatory pigs increased in animals aged ≥ 150 days. Infectious diseases were the most common cause of downed pigs, mainly associated with chronic bacterial infections. Tail biting lesions were an important predisposing factor to suppurative arthritis, suppurative spondylitis, and ascending bacterial myelitis/meningitis.
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Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Type of study: Etiology_studies Country/Region as subject: America do sul / Brasil Language: En Journal: Porcine Health Manag Year: 2022 Document type: Article Affiliation country: Brazil Country of publication: United kingdom

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Type of study: Etiology_studies Country/Region as subject: America do sul / Brasil Language: En Journal: Porcine Health Manag Year: 2022 Document type: Article Affiliation country: Brazil Country of publication: United kingdom