[Action of the vaccination of sows against E. coli infections with a subsequent postpartum booster]

In an eastern european pig productions unit with high prevalence of suckling piglets diarrhoea during late lactation the following trial was conducted: The sows were assigned to an experimental and to a control group and were treated as follows: Group one (15 sows) were vaccinated with a single 2 ml dose of Porcovac Plus (Höchst Roussel Vet.) during their late pregnancy (gilts were vaccinated twice). Booster vaccination was performed between day 2-7 p.p. Group two (15 sows) were vaccinated during their late pregnancy the same was as the sows in the group one, but received no p.p. Booster. The following parameter were evaluated. A: Preweaning diarrhoea B: Preweaning mortality C: Three weeks weaning litter weights D: Postweaning mortality E: Average weight gain during the first 3 weeks postweaning The results revealed a marked difference between the groups (group 1: 16.1% vs. group 2: 23.3%) regarding preweaning diarrhoea (parameter A). A similar difference was to be seen regarding parameter B (preweaning mortality) between the groups (group 1: 7.5% vs. group 2: 10.7%). In spite of this there was a non significant difference as regards weaning litter weights (parameter C) between group 1: 59.2 +/- 2.4 kg and group 2: 57 +/- 2.2 kg. Postweaning parameters showed better results in the booster vaccinated group regarding both evaluated parameter as well. Regarding piglet mortality (parameter D) there was a marked difference between the group 1 (0.67%) and group 2 (2.1%) to be seen. Regarding average daily gain (parameter E) between group 1 (470 +/- 11 gr) and group 2 (380 +/- 9 gr) there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) to be discovered. It is the opinion of the authors that p.p. Booster vaccination of the sows is an economically important tool in large and small pig production units.

[Experiences with segregated early weaning (SEW) in of swine]

The ongoing trend towards SEW has arrived the eastern European countries as well. In order to examine the effect of 17 days weaning on production in a large pig production unit there were the following evaluations, carried out in the following steps: Step one: Two groups of sows were randomly formed before weaning: Group one (90 sows) were weaned at day 21 of lactation. Group two (109 sows) were weaned at day 17 of lactation. The following parameters were evaluated: A: Weaning to estrus interval in days B: Liveborn litter size at the following parturition Step 2: The number of weaned piglets that were the subject to the next evaluation were not the complete number of the weaned ones from the sows of group one and two, as due to technical reasons some of the animals could not be included in the second step of the evaluation. Group one: 901 piglets conventionally weaned at day 21 of lactation. Group two: 798 piglets SEW weaned at day 17 of lactation. The following parameters were evaluated during 6 weeks after weaning: C: Average daily weight (ADG) gain, measured weekly in gram in each group D: Mortality in percent in each group In step 1 the following results were evaluated: the sows in group one showed a significant shorter (p < 0.05) weaning to estrus interval when compared to the sows in group two (5.65 +/- 2.30 vs. 6.38 +/- 2.31), but there was no significant difference regarding liveborn litter size between the groups (10.87 +/- 2.01 vs. 10.74 +/- 2.22). Regarding step 2 the group two (SEW) showed, when compared to the group one (21 day weaning) during the first three weeks after weaning lesser weekly measured daily gains (185 +/- 13; 184 +/- 41; 361 +/- 23 vs. 201 +/- 11; 202 +/- 21; 365 +/- 32). Following the third week after weaning there existed a significant (p < 0.05) better weekly measured average daily gain in the SEW weaned group (group 2) when compared to group one (401 +/- 34; 412 +/- 30; 439 +/- 41 vs. 433 +/- 29; 465 +/- 31; 543 +/- 29). Regarding mortality both of the groups revealed a very low percent of losses (group one 0.89% vs. group two 0.75%), which differences were not significant. Step 3: retrospective evaluation of culling of the sows. Group one (412 sows) were SEW weaned in three consecutive weaning at day 14-17 of lactation. Group two (597 sows) were weaned in three consecutive weaning at day 21-28 of lactation. The reasons for culling included no observed postweaning estrus, repeat breeders, abort, small litter size, locomotor problems, periparturient diseases (PDC/MMA), small weaning litter weight, old age, urogenital diseases, overweight. The calculated average "Culling Rate" showed no significant differences between the groups (46.4% in group one vs. 47.1% in the group two).

[Consequence of frequent moving among stalls on the economics of swine fattening]

In an industrial pig productions unit the weaned piglets of 20 sows were assigned to two Groups. The Groups were treated as follows: Group one (99 piglets of 10 sows): the pigs were kept in the same pen of the unit from birth until slaughter and received no prophylactic medication. If illness occurred, only the individual pig was treated. Group two (102 piglets of 10 sows): according to standard operating procedures on this farm, the pigs assigned to Group two were moved during the growing-fattening period three times, having received after moving into Flat-Deck and into the growing-fattening house for one week prophylactic antibiotic treatment. If illness occurred, only the individual pig was treated. The following Parameter were evaluated: A: Mortality B: Food Conversion C: Medicine expenses D: Stress related diseases E: Infectious diseases F: Age at slaughter at 100 kg live weight G: Revenue differences between the Groups The Group one showed regarding all investigated Parameters, when compared to the Group two, markedly better results and 15.58 Deutsche Mark cheeper production cost per pig. These result shows, that moving pigs among houses markedly influences the economics in fattening units.

[Vulvar discharge before parturition and a risk factor for postpartum diseases of the sow and for early postnatal piglet losses]

Periparturient biotechniques with prednisolon are widely used in Europe for the prevention of perinatal losses in intensive pig production. However, the routinely applied 100 mg prednisolon on the 113th day of pregnancy to the sow are not without controversy. In four intensive pig production units altogether 2143 sows treated thus were subjected to the evaluation of the following parameters: A: the presence or absence of vulvar discharge at the 110th day of pregnancy B: postparturient disease of the sow C: early postnatal piglet losses The results showed that the sows having prepartal vulvar discharge developed after prednisolon application significantly (p < 0.001) higher incidence of postparturient disease (20.5% versus 9.3%) when compared to the sows having no prepartal vulvar discharge. The early postnatal losses were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in sows having prepartal vulvar discharge and consecutive postparturient disease when compared to the healthy sows. It is the opinion of the authors that prepartal biotechnique with prednisolon (in order to reduce perinatal losses) in sows showing the signs of prepartal vulvar discharge is contraindicated.

[Contribution to therapy of the "prostate syndrome" in aged dogs]

The treatment of the "prostate syndrome" is a great challenge for the practicing veterinarian. In the present paper the therapeutic approach of this syndrome will be evaluated. 58 older dogs showing this syndrome were castrated and received thereafter oral antibiotic therapy. For further additional treatment the dogs were assigned to two groups. The groups were treated as follows: Group one: 41 dogs were treated with retard Gestagen and Flumethason infiltrated into the prostate gland tissue. Group two: 17 dogs were treated with a single subcutaneously applied Gestagen injection. The success of the therapy was judged by decrease the size of the prostate gland to normal size. The first evaluation took place after 2 weeks and the second one after a year following castration and treatment. At the time of the first judgement 95.1% of the dogs in the group one and 70.6% in the group two showed normal prostate gland size. At the time of the second examination, a year after the treatment still 82.8% of the dogs in the group one and only 52.8% in the group two showed normal prostate gland size. These results suggest that the infiltration of the enlarged prostate gland with retard acting Gestagen and Flumethason results in long lasting diminishing of size of the diseased gland.

[Practical experiences in the therapy of postweaning edema disease in piglets]

In a field trial 23 weeks old weaned piglets were orally inoculated with E. coli O139 K12 H1. The piglets received the same food and were kept under the same management regime. They were selected randomly into four groups and treated after the first clinical signs of CNS involvement of edema disease as follows during three days: Group 1: received a single daily i.m. application of 4 mg/kg body weight Melperone. Group 2: received a single daily i.m. application of 2 mg/kg body weight Amperozide. Group 3: was treated orally (intranasally) with 2 mg/kg body weight Amphetamin in a single daily application. Group 4: untreated control. The following parameters were evaluated before the begin of the therapy (day 0-4). A: Occurrence of diarrhea in a group B: Food consumption per piglet per day C: Death of piglets per group After the begin of the therapy (day 5-32) D: Death of piglets per group E: Average daily feed intake per piglet The results showed that the Melperone and Amphetamin treatment was superior regarding all examined parameters when compared to Amperozide treatment and to the control group.

[Management of E. coli dependent factorial diseases in weaning piglets]

The most important postweaning factorial diseases are at least partly caused by E. coli. The term postweaning coli complex can be subcategorized into the following manifestations: postweaning diarrhoea, edema disease, postweaning wasting and hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. In the presented study the effect of prophylactic zootechnique alone and zoo- and biotechnique in combination was evaluated during the first weeks postweaning. The results showed that combined zoo- and biotechnique is superior to simple zootechnique regarding food conversion (1.41 kg versus 1.73 kg), average daily weight gain (390 g versus 325 g) and postweaning piglet mortality (3.1% versus 4.9%). It is the opinion of the authors that combined postweaning zoo- and biotechnique should be performed in such pig production units where ETEC and/or SLTEC are present.

[The effect of timing of labor induction on the occurrence of congenital myofibrillar hypoplasia--short clinical report]

In an intensive pig production unit with routinely performed prostaglandin partus induction four groups of sows were formed shortly before parturition. The animals received 3 mg alfaprostol as a single intramuscular injection each. The sows of group 1 on the 112th, those of group 2 on the 113th and the animals of group 3 on the 114th day of pregnancy. Group 4 sows were not treated and formed the control group. We evaluated the number of live born piglets and the number of piglets born with congenital myofibrillar hypoplasia. The results showed no significant difference regarding live born piglets. As regards congenital myofibrillar hypoplasia the sows with early partus induction (group 1) showed significant higher incidence when compared to the other groups. It is likely that in cases of partus induction before the 113th day of pregnancy the fetus is still insufficiently protected by natural maturation, adaptation and tolerance ability against such congenital condition as CMH. Therefore it is the opinion of the authors that partus induction before the 113th day of pregnancy should not be performed.