Animal farmers often encounter scabies in pigs. Many people think that this is a minor disease that does not even need to be treated. However, it is imperative to treat scabies, as it causes a lot of discomfort to piglets.
The causative agent of scabies
Before treating a disease, it is necessary to become more familiar with its causative agent. In young animals, scabies appears due to an intradermal mite. This parasite looks like most ordinary ticks, but its body length does not even reach one millimeter.Its body has an oval shape, it is slightly flattened. Parasites have a gnawing mouthpart, thanks to which they gnaw through the skin surface and penetrate inside it.
First, the parasites enter the surface layer of the skin epidermis. Then they create special passages in it that allow them to move. While moving, females begin to lay eggs under the skin. Over the course of her entire life, each female leaves behind about sixty eggs. Over time, small larvae emerge from them. After a week and a half, they grow into adults that are capable of fertilization.
Adult mites emerge from the skin and fertilize the female. Then they make new passages under the skin and re-lay eggs in it. This is repeated until the piglet dies.
Causes of infection
People who want to raise pigs should become familiar with the causes of mange. The main source of infection for small and adult pigs is considered to be piglets infected with ticks. In some already grown boars, the disease is asymptomatic and therefore it is difficult to determine whether they are sick or not. Such animals pose a serious threat to the entire population. Therefore, if piglets itch too often, you need to isolate them from the rest of the herd and monitor them.
The spread of the disease occurs after contact of sick animals with healthy ones. Often sows infect small suckling pigs that feed on their mother's milk. Sometimes chidney mites enter the pigsty through people's clothing or through equipment used inside the barn. Scabies can also be carried by rodents, which often penetrate pigsties and dig holes in them.If there are a lot of mice and rats in the room, the probability of contracting scabies is 95-100%. Therefore, it is recommended to regularly disinfect the shed and get rid of rodents.
Symptoms of the disease in pigs
In order to promptly diagnose scabies in piglets, it is necessary to become familiar with the main symptoms of the disease. At first, the disease does not manifest itself in any way, and the animal looks completely healthy. However, over time, redness appears on the surface of the skin in the form of red dots. These are the places where mites have begun to penetrate the skin. Many farmers do not pay attention to such red marks. In summer they are mistaken for insect bites. However, the red spots that appear during scabies are different, for example, from mosquito bites. Traces of itching are located in pairs on the skin, and not individually.
Gradually, red spots spread throughout the piglets' body. Most often they appear near the snout, behind the ears and near the eyes. If you do not treat scabies, scabs appear on the reddened areas. Sarcoptic mange then appears all over the body and becomes very itchy. Because of this, some pigs develop neurological disorders and become more aggressive. Sometimes sick animals attack people.
If you do not pay attention to the symptoms described above and do not carry out treatment, sick piglets may die.
Diagnostic methods
The disease can be diagnosed by the symptoms that appear in sick piglets. However, special laboratory tests will have to be performed to confirm the diagnosis. To confirm the diagnosis, skin scrapings taken from the affected areas with scabs are sent to the laboratory. You can also take scrapings from the ears, as they can help make a more accurate diagnosis.
If the first time it was not possible to confirm the presence of parasites, you will have to conduct the examination again. This is done no earlier than three weeks later. In this case, skin scrapings are also sent for analysis. If scabies is suspected, a differential diagnosis must be made. This will help rule out other diseases with similar symptoms.
These include the following:
- dermatitis;
- lichen;
- lice;
- demodicosis
How to treat scabies in pigs
Before you start treating the disease, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic methods of eliminating scabies.
Pharmacy products
To cure the disease, you can use special pharmaceutical products. Among the most effective drugs are the following:
- "Doramectin". Many veterinarians use Doramectin to treat scabies in piglets. This is an injectable drug that is administered subcutaneously. The recommended dosage should not exceed 0.3 milligrams for every 35 kilograms of weight. Injections must be given every two weeks. During treatment with Doramectin, it is contraindicated to give piglets other pharmaceuticals.
- "Ivermectin." This is a universal feed additive that is suitable for young pigs and adult piglets. It is added to mixed feed no more than once a week. The dosage is 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of pig body weight.
- "Acaricide." This product is used for spraying animals. Before carrying out the procedure, it is necessary to remove all equipment, bedding, leftover food, water and feeders from the pigsty. This is done so that in the future the pigs do not accidentally get poisoned. Spraying is carried out every seven days for a month.
- "Tactician". This drug is also used for spraying.However, it is not used to treat animals, but the floors and walls of a pigsty. This will help kill any mites that may be living inside the shed. Before use, Tactic is diluted with water. To do this, dissolve 10 milliliters of the drug in ten liters of liquid.
Traditional methods of treatment
Sometimes people do not have the opportunity to use pharmaceutical drugs. In this case, you can use no less effective folk remedies:
- Gunpowder with sour cream. During the preparation of the medicinal product, the ingredients are mixed in a ratio of three to one. Then the mixture is infused for three hours, after which it is used to treat the affected skin with scabs.
- Garlic tincture. To prepare the tincture, you need to mix 100 grams of chopped garlic with 450 milliliters of mustard oil. The mixture is boiled and boiled for half an hour. When it cools down, it is used to treat damaged skin.
- Hellebore. The roots of the plant are crushed and mixed with melted lard. The liquid is then left to cool before being applied to areas of the skin with blemishes. Do not rub the product into the skin too much, as this will cause it to itch even more.
- Laundry soap. It is pre-grated and added to boiling water. Then the crushed garlic and onions are poured into the solution. Stir everything, let it sit for half an hour and use it to rub the skin.
Prevention of scabies
The following preventive measures are identified to help avoid scabies:
- do not breed piglets in unsuitable premises;
- regularly check animals for parasites;
- add more foods that contain calcium to your diet;
- regularly inspect animals;
- periodically wash the pigs in warm water;
- monitor the air humidity inside the barn;
- treat premises with preparations to kill parasites.
Conclusion
Scabies is a common disease that often appears in pigs. Before curing animals, you need to understand the characteristics of this disease, as well as familiarize yourself with the basic remedies against scabies.
