Title: Farm Health Online – Animal Health and Welfare Knowledge Hub – Piglet Diarrhea
Headings: 
Pig Diseases
Piglet Diarrhea
Also known as: Scours. Including Post-weaning Diarrhea
What Causes Piglet Diarrhea?
Pre-Weaning in Piglets
Post-Weaning Diarrhea in Piglets
Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv)
Control and Prevention of Piglet Diarrhea
Maintenance of Disease Resistance
Maintenance of disease resistance can be enhanced in two ways:
Reducing Exposure of Piglets to Infection
Good Sow and Piglet Feeding Practice
Treating Piglet Diarrhea
Piglet Diarrhea and Welfare
Good Practice Based on Current Knowledge

Content: 2004 ). Piglet Diarrhea and Welfare
Early weaning should be avoided as it is likely to increase risk for post-weaning scours. Maternally derived passive immunity does not prevent infection, but does prevent expression of clinical disease while active immune defences are being formed in later weaned animals ( Fangman and Tubbs, 1997 ). If a unit has a serious E. coli problem, the situation should be improved with a combination of husbandry and hygiene changes and vaccination of sows/gilts. Good Practice Based on Current Knowledge
In order to control piglet diarrhea, the situation on the farm needs to be assessed in order to decide whether a disease reduction plan needs to be developed. Supervise suckling to ensure piglets get sufficient colostrum
Maintain good immune status and antibody production in sows by exposing maiden and weaned gilts early enough (minimum four weeks before farrowing) to prevailing pathogens in farrowing units (this will only be helpful in controlling E. coli infection and may be contraindicated if the herd suffers from clostridial enteritis)
Supervise farrowing and suckling to ensure adequate colostrum intake. A balance has to be struck here as in extensive systems, night time farrowing means that supervision is not always possible without causing unnecessary disturbance, which in turn can result in increased mortality if the sow is standing up and laying down
Decrease exposure to pathogens by disinfecting huts between litters, by keeping bedding in each hut fresh, clean and dry and by moving huts between litters and paddocks annually
Plan your rotations and paddock changes so that farrowing paddocks can be changed b