Quite often, owners of private farms and farms are faced with the problem of worms in pigs. There are many types of parasitic worms; they can be transmitted from one animal to another and gradually affect the entire livestock. Human infection is possible, so the health of pigs must be carefully monitored. The danger of helminthic infestation concerns both young piglets and adults.
Routes of infection
In piglets, the options for infection and transmission of worms are the same as in pigs. Animal feces, dirty water or soil are ideal habitats for them. Typically, parasites enter the body of animals in the form of eggs. In this form they are not dangerous to the animal. As soon as the eggs are transferred to a favorable environment, worms quickly develop.
Parasites pose the greatest danger to small piglets and sows. The former do not have strong immunity and can suffer severe damage to the gastrointestinal tract or even die. Sows receive preventive treatment a month before farrowing to prevent piglets from becoming infected with worms through milk.
The appearance of helminths is explained by a number of reasons:
- untimely and poor-quality cleaning of areas where pigs are kept;
- overcrowding of animals in the pigsty;
- low quality food;
- rare disinfection of feeders;
- lack of prevention of worms.
Types and signs of worm infection
Helminths or worms parasitize and multiply inside the body of animals. A large number of their species are known, the distribution of which depends on the habitat of the parasites.
In order to detect infection of pigs, it is necessary to pay attention to a number of signs:
- animals lose interest in food or, conversely, cannot get enough food;
- sudden weight loss occurs;
- there is a constant cough, nausea;
- high body temperature;
- lethargic behavior or, conversely, excessive activity and restlessness of piglets;
- the presence of worms in the droppings.
Symptoms may vary depending on the type of worm. Even if one of the above signs is present, you should consult a veterinarian and get tested.
Nematodes
Roundworms. Their length is from 1 mm to 1 m.Female parasites enter the body of animals through contaminated soil or the feces of sick pigs. Capable of laying thousands of eggs. Small piglets are most susceptible to infection with worms. The main symptoms include sudden weight loss, bloody diarrhea, uncontrollable vomiting, and severe weakness. For treatment, special injections and food additives are used.
Ascariasis
The disease is caused by roundworms, large roundworms up to 35 cm long. More often they affect young animals aged from several weeks to six months. While walking around the pens, the piglets pick up food from the ground that is contaminated with roundworm eggs. Adult worms develop from them in the stomach. Infection with worms is accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, and weight loss in piglets. Infected animals often grind their teeth; in severe cases, seizures may occur.
Trichinosis
Infection is caused by parasitic worms, the length of which does not exceed 4 mm. Most often, Trichinella is found in the remains of dead animals - mice, rats. After pigs eat them, infection with worms occurs; Trichinella lives in the intestines and is spread by the bloodstream, affecting all organs and systems of the animal.
The main symptoms of trichinosis include high fever, muscle pain, diarrhea and vomiting.
Treatment of such animals is impossible. If the diagnosis is confirmed after a blood test, they are slaughtered and disposed of.
Metastrongylosis
Worm infestation in pigs occurs as a result of infection when pigs eat earthworms. They are the intermediate carrier of the parasites that cause metastrongylosis.
The disease is acute, accompanied by cough, anemia, weight loss, and can become chronic. The first symptoms are noticeable a month after infection.Worms, migrating throughout the body, poison it with waste products and can cause pneumonia. Oxygen starvation of organs can lead to exhaustion of the animal.
Finnosis (cysticercosis)
The disease is caused by cestode larvae, which reside and parasitize in muscle tissue. Often the source of eggs is a person who releases eggs and mature forms of cestodes into the environment. Worms have the appearance of tapeworms; their body consists of several segments, inside of which there are eggs. Muscle tissue, all organs, and the brain are affected. The course is chronic; the animal remains infected throughout its life. Pathology can be determined posthumously. To do this, cuts are made on the heart, chewing and other muscles. There is no treatment for pigs with Finnosis.
Acanthocephalans
Helminth is considered one of the largest. Males of acanthocephalans reach a length of 15 cm, females - 68 cm. Worms develop with the help of intermediate and final (definitive) hosts. The first include May beetles and dung beetles, the second include pigs.
The acanthocephalan developing in the intestine of a piglet can not only have a toxic effect on the body, but also perforate the intestinal walls. As a result, complications such as peritonitis may occur. Possible death of the animal.
The main clinical signs of infection with acanthocephalan worms include:
- loss of appetite;
- bloody diarrhea;
- rapidly progressing exhaustion;
- arched back;
- toned stomach;
- with peritonitis, body temperature is +41 ⁰С.
There is no cure for acanthocephalan infestation. Sick animals are slaughtered, while the rest are kept in stalls all year round.
Diagnostic methods
The presence of worms in pigs can be determined by external signs or using clinical tests. The diagnosis is made by the presence of helminth eggs in the pigs' feces.Veterinarians test for allergic skin reactions. Trichinosis and metastrongylosis are diagnosed in a laboratory where the composition of the animal’s blood and feces is studied.
The presence of acanthocephalan infestation is determined by clinical signs or based on examination of feces and pig corpses. Each owner needs to carefully monitor the behavior of animals, carry out preventive measures and contact a veterinary service if there are symptoms of worm infection.
How to remove parasites from pigs
To rid pigs of worms, consultation with a veterinarian is necessary. The dosage of medications should correspond to the weight and age of the animal. Piglets can be treated with special medications or using folk remedies and recipes.
Drug treatment
Before starting treatment for worms, it is necessary to take tests and find out what type of parasites the pigs are affected by. If several piglets in a litter are infected, anthelmintic drugs must be given to all animals. For treatment, medications are used in different forms - injections, tablets, powders. The most universal, effective and inexpensive drugs for worms include:
- "Alben";
- "Cestal";
- "Hygrovetin";
- "Febtal";
- sodium silicofluoride.
These drugs work well against worms such as tapeworms and roundworms. Veterinarians often recommend sodium fluoride, which in powder form can be mixed into cereal feed. It should be remembered that most of the drugs used have side effects - drowsiness, apathy. According to the instructions for use, the frequency of use of medications for deworming is at least 2 times.
If one animal is infected, it is more convenient to use injections.It is also better to give injections to young piglets. It is more difficult to give tablets, young animals may choke, and in this case the dosage is maintained more precisely.
Folk remedies and recipes
You can rid animals of worms at home using available known means. It is believed that by chopping cloves of garlic and adding it to the feed in a ratio of 1:1000, you can deworm piglets and get rid of parasites. Tansy powder in the amount of 1 teaspoon is given to a piglet weighing 30 kg along with the feed. If the animal weighs more, the dosage is increased. Another option for deworming is an alcohol tincture of celandine. Two drops of the product are diluted with water and given to each animal.
Prevention
In order to prevent worms, a number of measures are carried out:
- pens are cleaned daily;
- carry out disinfection 2 times a week;
- they whitewash the walls of the pigsty with lime;
- change bedding daily;
- buy piglets only from trusted sellers;
- Piglets are wormed for the first time at 1.5 months, then at 3 months and then every quarter.
To ensure timely detection of worm infestation, it is necessary to carefully monitor the livestock and not ignore individuals with behavioral abnormalities.
