Description

Thin sow syndrome

Signalment

Diagnosis

Clinical Signs

Laboratory Tests

Radiography

Biopsy

Endoscopy

Pathology

Treatment

References

  • This is a sporadic condition that is most often seen when the cyclical pig industry is in an economic trough.
  • It is associated with, but not caused by, Oesophagostomum.
  • It is primarily a nutritional problem leading to the following sequence of events:
    • if quantity of feed offered is inadequate for batch-fed sows, hungry individuals are more vulnerable to infection and likely to eat bedding (and infective larvae)
    • acquire large worm burdens
    • intestinal damage and large numbers of eggs excreted
    • larger numbers of L3 in bedding
    • downward spiral: more and more intestinal damage
    • excessive loss of weight during lactation
    • the thin sow syndrome.