Diarrhea in new-born piglets generally appears during the first 24 hours of life. The dominating agent is E. coli. Piglets show signs of weight loss and depressed general condition. The dorsal protru- sions of the spine become prominent and if pressure is put on the abdomen lose stool/diarrhea oozes out of the anus. In unvaccinated herds the major part of the litter is affected and mortality can be high. It is recommended to obtain a bacteriological diagnosis with a test for sensitivity
Rapid onset of therapy is crucial. Piglets should be offered an electrolyte solution to avoid dehydration. A trimethoprim/sulfa preparation injected systemically is the drug of choice. When antimicrobial therapy does not have expected clinical effect choice of another antimicrobial should be based on bacteriological culture and sensitivity test. If there are indications that the diarrhea may be caused by clostridia benzyl penicillin procaine (BPP) is an adequate choice. When treat- ment rate exceeds 10 % of litters a herd health investigation should be made, not forgetting to check the health of the sows. If sows do not produce enough milk, including colostrum, it will negatively affect the piglets’ consumption of colostrum which in turn leads to poor health.
The piglets are protected against diarrhea by vaccinating the sow before farrowing and it is therefore important that the sow produces enough good quality colos- trum and that she presents her clean udder to the piglets so that they can get access to the teats.
The farrowing barn should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and kept empty sufficiently long between batches to allow the floors to dry to reduce bacteria. The piglets need a warm and dry environment, free of draughts and with a hiding place where they can rest and not loose energy unnecessarily.