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Often farmers who raise pigs and piglets notice that strange dark, almost black scabs appear on the skin of animals, which tend to grow over time. What does such a black crust on the back of a piglet mean and how to treat it, you can learn in detail from the article.
Why pigs and piglets itch
If a breeder is faced with a situation where the piglets are constantly itching, then most likely he or she will quickly come to the conclusion that the illness is incipient and will try to treat the ailment at home. Efficiency in the treatment of any disease is never superfluous, but first it is worth determining what exactly will have to be fought. Intense itching in animals can have a variety of causes, but the most likely infection is a skin disease.
Skin diseases in piglets and pigs
Pigs are subject to a whole list of skin diseases. Some of them affect mainly young individuals, other diseases affect both piglets and adult animals equally. Among the most common diseases it is worth noting:
- scabies;
- dermatitis;
- furunculosis;
- ringworm;
- erysipelas;
- vesicular disease.
Most skin diseases have similar symptoms, which is why even experienced breeders often make mistakes with the diagnosis. It should be remembered that only a veterinarian can accurately recognize the disease after conducting appropriate studies.
Scabies in piglets and pigs
Scabies, also known as scab or sarcoptic mange, is a disease caused by a certain type of mite that lives under the skin of pigs and piglets, as pictured. These parasites can settle on any part of the animal’s body, but most often affect the areas around the eyes, nose or ears, where the skin is thinnest and most delicate.
There are several types of scabies:
- ear scabies, in which mites affect only the ears of piglets;
- total scabies, when parasites spread throughout the body of the animal.
Symptoms, diagnosis
The first signs of scabies in piglets can be recognized even before symptoms appear: the animals experience severe itching and intense itching, sometimes tearing the skin to blood, as in the photo. At the site of the most extensive lesions of scabies, the epidermis begins to peel off and overgrow with a scab.
К другим симптомам чесотки у поросят относятся:
- the appearance of dirty white crusts on the affected areas, as shown in the photo above;
- redness on the snout and near the ears;
- the presence on the skin of piglets of paired points, similar to insect bites;
- беспокойство и агрессивное поведение животных из-за зуда.
If scabies is not treated at this stage, the mites will spread throughout the body, affecting the sides, limbs, and back. The skin will become thicker and rougher, and the crusts will become dark brown, almost black. Severe cases of scabies provoke anemia and severe weakness in piglets.
В этот момент особенно важно как можно скорее провести диагностирование чесотки. Любое промедление лечения может привести к тому, что животное погибнет.
Diagnosis is made by a qualified veterinarian based on characteristic clinical symptoms and laboratory findings. Tests for scabies require skin scrapings from the ears of piglets, and samples must be taken from at least 10% of the population. If the pathogens of scabies could not be detected, the examination should be repeated after 3-4 weeks.
How to treat scabies in piglets and pigs
Scabies can be treated in various ways: both traditional and folk. Drug treatment of scabies involves the use of a variety of ointments, aerosols, and injections from ticks. The latter is considered the most effective.
Against scabies, drugs such as Doramectin and Ivermectin, which are injected under the skin of an animal at the rate of 0,3 ml per 1 kg of pig body weight, have proven themselves especially well.
No less effective in the treatment of scabies showed preparations for external use, such as:
- Phosmet;
- Amitraz;
- Creolin;
- Ectosinol.
On their basis, a solution is prepared, referring to the instructions, after which the scab is treated in piglets 2 times with an interval of 10 days.
Often, livestock breeders practice the treatment of scabies in pigs and piglets with folk remedies. The most popular of them is a composition based on sour cream with gunpowder:
- Sour cream and gunpowder are mixed in a ratio of 3:1.
- The resulting mixture is left to infuse for 3 hours.
- The affected areas are treated with the finished composition.
In addition to this method, the treatment of scabies in piglets is carried out with the help of other folk remedies, for example:
- ointment from wild rosemary and hellebore roots;
- a mixture of laundry soap, onion and garlic;
Proven useful in the treatment of scabies and oil-garlic tincture:
- 100 g of minced garlic are combined with 0,5 l of mustard oil and brought to a boil.
- Then the fire is removed and the composition is simmered for another 20 minutes.
- Далее смесь охлаждают, процеживают, чеснок выжимают.
- The skin of piglets is treated with the finished product.
Dermatitis
Unlike scabies, dermatitis is not contagious. It occurs when a pig or piglet accidentally injures the skin, and an infection enters the wound. It causes the inflammatory process. Dermatitis can affect pigs of any age.
The symptoms of this disease vary, depending on its cause, the severity of the injury, and the piglet’s immunity. As a rule, the affected area loses hair and turns red, and the wound is covered with a scab, under which tissue regeneration processes are activated. Touching the affected area gives the piglet discomfort.
If the animal’s body cannot cope with the infection, the wound becomes an ulcer, pus is released from it, and in advanced cases, necrosis may occur.
Mild forms of the disease are treated with ointments and antiseptic lotions that disinfect wounds and relieve inflammation. If necrosis has begun in a pig or piglet, the affected tissues are surgically removed.
Furunculosis
The appearance of solitary ulcers on the body of piglets can be triggered by various staphylococcal bacteria. When wounded or otherwise damaged, they enter the hair follicle and contribute to its inflammation, resulting in the formation of a furuncle. Furunculosis also occurs due to a lack of vitamins in the animal’s diet or due to poor hygiene.
Зачастую болезнь лечат протиранием пораженных участков кожи с помощью йода, зеленки или салицилового спирта. Для снятия воспаления в лечении используют примочки с ихтиоловой мазью или парафин.
If the boil is too large and causes severe pain, in addition to the usual treatment, the intervention of a veterinarian may be required. He will give the animal an injection of novocaine, clean the neoplasm from pus and disinfect the wound. Usually, the piglet is then given a course of antibiotics.
Ringworm
Another reason why piglets itch can be ringworm. This skin disease occurs when pigs and piglets are infected with a fungal infection through contaminated household items or through contact with other animals. As a rule, piglets up to 6 – 8 months are most susceptible to the disease. Their immunity at this age is still not strong enough, and therefore, they are much more sensitive to the effects of pathogens.
Piglets infected with ringworm show the following symptoms:
- oval or diamond-shaped spots appear on the surface of the body;
- the skin in the foci of irritation thickens and flakes;
- animals experience intense itching and scratch the affected areas until crusts form.
Pigs should be treated for this disease by isolating infected individuals from healthy ones. For preventive purposes, the latter should be vaccinated against lichen.
As a treatment, the skin of sick animals is recommended to be treated with antifungal ointments or solutions. Various suspensions that are intended for internal use are very effective in treating the disease. Among them it is worth mentioning:
- Griseofulvin;
- Ketoconazole;
- Itraconazole.
Erysipelas
Discoloration of the skin and the appearance of a crust on the back of piglets can be signs of erysipelas. Erysipelas is a dangerous infectious disease, equally for both pigs and humans. The first symptoms of the disease begin to appear after 7-8 days. Signs of an acute form of inflammation include:
- a sharp increase in the temperature of the animal up to 42 ° C;
- loss of appetite;
- numbness of the piglet’s limbs, due to which he refuses to move;
- disorders of the gastrointestinal tract;
- redness or blueness of the skin in the abdomen and neck.
This form of the disease is considered the most dangerous for animals, as it develops rapidly and, in the absence of timely treatment, can provoke the death of pigs.
No less dangerous for piglets is a chronic variety of the disease. It is accompanied by extensive tissue necrosis, and over time affects the joints and heart muscle. Chronic erysipelas develops if the treatment of the animal is ignored for a long time.
The subacute form of the disease proceeds much more slowly, and it can be treated quite successfully. She has pronounced symptoms. So, it is characterized by:
- itching;
- специфическая сыпь, образующая на коже багровые узоры, напоминающие пятна на шкуре леопарда.
При грамотном лечении подострой разновидности заболевания поросята возвращаются к привычному образу жизни спустя 10 — 14 дней.
Erysipelas in piglets should be treated as part of complex therapy, since the infection affects all systems of the pig’s body. For this apply:
- antibiotics and antipyretics;
- vitamin and mineral complexes;
- drugs that regulate cardiac activity;
- противогельминтные составы.
Since erysipelas is an infectious disease, for the duration of treatment, sick piglets must be separated from healthy ones, and at the end of the procedures, the pens should be treated with bactericidal agents.
Vesicular disease
If sores similar to scabs appear on the body of piglets, this can serve as a signal for the manifestation of vesicular disease. The cause of this disease is considered to be a virus of the genus Enterovirus, which enters the body of healthy animals upon contact with sick individuals or their waste products. The following symptoms of vesicular disease are noted:
- refusal of animals to eat;
- general deterioration in the condition of animals, lethargy;
- temperature increase;
- the appearance of scabs in piglets in the snout area, on the belly, on the hind and front legs.
The vesicular disease virus is very tenacious and remains in the body of the piglet and its meat for a long time. It is practically immune to disinfectants. You can get rid of it by treating the places where pigs are kept using high temperatures (more than 65 ° C) and various chemical solutions, for example:
- 2% formaldehyde;
- 2%-хлора;
- heated 2% sodium hydroxide.
To date, it remains unclear how to treat vesicular disease. Adult animals usually recover without additional treatment within 7 days if they are provided with rest and plenty of fluids. During this period, their body produces special antibodies that overcome the virus. Pigs die from this disease very rarely, in 10% of cases. However, this does not apply to piglets fed on mother’s milk: they are the most vulnerable group for infection.
Preventive measures
Scabies and other skin conditions can be difficult to treat, but most can be avoided with proper care of piglets:
- Regular hygiene procedures and cleanliness in the pens with piglets will help prevent the occurrence of diseases.
- A balanced diet with the addition of vitamins in the autumn-winter period will strengthen the defenses of animals, which will make them less susceptible to fungi and microbes.
- Piglets should always have access to clean and fresh water. Dehydrated and weakened individuals primarily become carriers of diseases.
- Regular veterinary examinations should not be neglected. A qualified doctor will be able to recognize the first signs of the disease and give the necessary recommendations on how to treat it.
- Timely vaccinations will help prevent many diseases that are fraught with serious complications, so they should not be postponed.
Conclusion
As can be seen from the article, a black crust on the back of a piglet may not always be a sign of scabies and is a fairly common symptom of other skin diseases. With a few exceptions, all these ailments can be treated without complications. At the same time, the earlier measures are taken regarding the disease, the higher the guarantee that the piglet will recover.
