Heart problems and mini pigs
Heart Problems
Pigs hearts are similar to human hearts in its day to day function as well as its reaction to situations, therefore, a lot of research has been done on pigs with regards to their hearts and how they function. These are issues I have been able to find that conclusively affect mini pigs. I do not want to focus so much on the research aspect as I do the conditions that mini pigs can have when there is heart disease.
Some warning signs:
1. (Non arthritic pig) Sitting down or lying down during a meal as though standing and eating was too much effort
2. Stopping to sit down frequently as he walks from one point to another
3. Gasping /breathing with effort like he is short of breath
4. A gagging sort of cough as though he was choking but is not spitting up anything or foaming saliva
5. If you can use a stethoscope, irregular or rapid heartbeat
6. Reluctance to get up
With suspected heart problems, any stress is dangerous. Use great care in forcing him to move or trying to take him anywhere. Let him take his time and go at his own pace. If he seems stressed, stop. The vet can often prescribe something to relieve the symptoms enough to get him in for an evaluation. Or make a house call. With a heart condition your pig’s activity will be greatly reduced. Some changes in his environment may be necessary. Steps may put too much strain on his heart. He will begin being very careful and may not want to walk on a wood or tile floor anymore. Companionship may be limited to just a couple of his closest buddies if you have several pigs. A quiet place to sleep away the days and a good diet and lots of sunshine to bask in will be his favorite things. Drugs like Lasix are commonly used to reduce fluid buildup from poorly functioning hearts, however, Lasix can also cause kidney problems as it forces the kidneys to work much harder than they normally do. Regular blood work is necessary to ensure there isn't too much strain put on the kidneys and the electrolytes are well balanced. Often times, this medication can be given on an "as needed" basis based on your pigs circumstance or need. You can discuss this further with your vet should this be something your vet recommends.
Source: http://www.9sites.org/pigcare/heart
Pigs hearts are similar to human hearts in its day to day function as well as its reaction to situations, therefore, a lot of research has been done on pigs with regards to their hearts and how they function. These are issues I have been able to find that conclusively affect mini pigs. I do not want to focus so much on the research aspect as I do the conditions that mini pigs can have when there is heart disease.
Some warning signs:
1. (Non arthritic pig) Sitting down or lying down during a meal as though standing and eating was too much effort
2. Stopping to sit down frequently as he walks from one point to another
3. Gasping /breathing with effort like he is short of breath
4. A gagging sort of cough as though he was choking but is not spitting up anything or foaming saliva
5. If you can use a stethoscope, irregular or rapid heartbeat
6. Reluctance to get up
With suspected heart problems, any stress is dangerous. Use great care in forcing him to move or trying to take him anywhere. Let him take his time and go at his own pace. If he seems stressed, stop. The vet can often prescribe something to relieve the symptoms enough to get him in for an evaluation. Or make a house call. With a heart condition your pig’s activity will be greatly reduced. Some changes in his environment may be necessary. Steps may put too much strain on his heart. He will begin being very careful and may not want to walk on a wood or tile floor anymore. Companionship may be limited to just a couple of his closest buddies if you have several pigs. A quiet place to sleep away the days and a good diet and lots of sunshine to bask in will be his favorite things. Drugs like Lasix are commonly used to reduce fluid buildup from poorly functioning hearts, however, Lasix can also cause kidney problems as it forces the kidneys to work much harder than they normally do. Regular blood work is necessary to ensure there isn't too much strain put on the kidneys and the electrolytes are well balanced. Often times, this medication can be given on an "as needed" basis based on your pigs circumstance or need. You can discuss this further with your vet should this be something your vet recommends.
Source: http://www.9sites.org/pigcare/heart
Obesity and heart disease
In human medicine, these two go hand in hand. Obesity is a known contributor of heart disease. Since pigs hearts are so similar to that of humans, parts of a pigs heart are often used in valve replacement surgeries for people needing heart valve replacements. In certain groups of patients, like those who anticoagulation is contraindicated for, tissue valves are used instead of mechanical heart valves since they're at a higher risk of bleeding. Tissue valves do not pose the same threat of clots as mechanical heart valves do. You can click here to read more about how Texas A&M University use pigs to research different disorders of the heart.
This is a research study done using mini pigs regarding heart failure and how the heart responds to different amounts of stress on the heart. You can click here to read more about that. Overweight pigs are at a much higher risk of developing heart problems.
Arteriosclerosis is a build up of plaque in the vessels of the heart. This can lead to blocked arteries and essentially a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. This occurs when the blood flow from any these 3 main arteries that supply the heart with oxygenated blood aren't able to due to a clogged artery. Once that part of the heart is affected, unless your pig had a heart catherization and re-perfusion within 60 minutes, that part of the hart will no longer function as it once did. Some hearts go through this process slowly and the heart is a remarkable organ, so the vessels notice there isn't as much blood flow and grow collaterals, which are smaller vessels to try and keep the function high by supplying the heart with oxygenated blood via these vessels that grow when there isn't enough blood being sent to the heart. Once the main artery completely obstructs the normal blood flow due to plaque build up, the collaterals function much like the main artery did and there may not be a significant change in condition or even symptoms. Some human patients aren't even aware they've had a heart attack in many cases because the shortness of breath and generalized weakness that are commonly felt when this is going on can also be progressive and doesn't have to happen at once.
Being obese causes strain to be put on the heart because it takes a more forceful contraction to push the blood through more adipose tissue (Fat) and the heart starts pumping inefficiently and ineffectively because the part that pumps the blood to the rest of the body has to work harder than the side that pumps the blood into the lungs to be oxygenated leaving an unbalanced organ. Some people who have congestive heart failure (often referred to as CHF) end up getting an internal cardiac defibrillator because they are at a higher risk of developing deadly arrhythmia's and in getting this device, the cardiologist can "program" the device to send electrical impulses forcing the heart to beat in a way that is more efficient. (resynchronizing the heart-biventricular ICD is what it is called)
When the blood isn't being pumped through the body efficiently, there are times that occurs because of the rhythm of the heart, or arrhythmia. Most often this is a condition called atrial fibrillation. A-fib, as it is often referred to, is when the top right chamber of the heart isn't pumping the blood or squeezing it to the right ventricle, but instead is just quivering or shaking. This, in turn, increases the risk of your pig developing life threatening blood clots. These clots form because the blood is sitting in the top chamber of the heart and clots form. As these clots form and the break off, they can go to the lung causing a PE (pulmonary embolus), that can lead to sudden death, MI (myocardial infarction), which is a heart attack, or DVT (deep vein thrombosis), which is blood clots that can lead to ischemia in whatever extremity that clot goes to. Suffice it to say, this is not something you would wish on your worst enemy.
The take away? Obesity is known to cause heart conditions, so an obese pig is at a higher risk for developing heart failure, hypertension, stroke, cardiac arrhythmia's and many more problems. Needless to say, you do not want your pig to have any heart conditions. That could end in tragedy, there aren't many university vet teaching centers/hospitals equipped to handle cardiac procedures in pigs.
In human medicine, these two go hand in hand. Obesity is a known contributor of heart disease. Since pigs hearts are so similar to that of humans, parts of a pigs heart are often used in valve replacement surgeries for people needing heart valve replacements. In certain groups of patients, like those who anticoagulation is contraindicated for, tissue valves are used instead of mechanical heart valves since they're at a higher risk of bleeding. Tissue valves do not pose the same threat of clots as mechanical heart valves do. You can click here to read more about how Texas A&M University use pigs to research different disorders of the heart.
This is a research study done using mini pigs regarding heart failure and how the heart responds to different amounts of stress on the heart. You can click here to read more about that. Overweight pigs are at a much higher risk of developing heart problems.
Arteriosclerosis is a build up of plaque in the vessels of the heart. This can lead to blocked arteries and essentially a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. This occurs when the blood flow from any these 3 main arteries that supply the heart with oxygenated blood aren't able to due to a clogged artery. Once that part of the heart is affected, unless your pig had a heart catherization and re-perfusion within 60 minutes, that part of the hart will no longer function as it once did. Some hearts go through this process slowly and the heart is a remarkable organ, so the vessels notice there isn't as much blood flow and grow collaterals, which are smaller vessels to try and keep the function high by supplying the heart with oxygenated blood via these vessels that grow when there isn't enough blood being sent to the heart. Once the main artery completely obstructs the normal blood flow due to plaque build up, the collaterals function much like the main artery did and there may not be a significant change in condition or even symptoms. Some human patients aren't even aware they've had a heart attack in many cases because the shortness of breath and generalized weakness that are commonly felt when this is going on can also be progressive and doesn't have to happen at once.
Being obese causes strain to be put on the heart because it takes a more forceful contraction to push the blood through more adipose tissue (Fat) and the heart starts pumping inefficiently and ineffectively because the part that pumps the blood to the rest of the body has to work harder than the side that pumps the blood into the lungs to be oxygenated leaving an unbalanced organ. Some people who have congestive heart failure (often referred to as CHF) end up getting an internal cardiac defibrillator because they are at a higher risk of developing deadly arrhythmia's and in getting this device, the cardiologist can "program" the device to send electrical impulses forcing the heart to beat in a way that is more efficient. (resynchronizing the heart-biventricular ICD is what it is called)
When the blood isn't being pumped through the body efficiently, there are times that occurs because of the rhythm of the heart, or arrhythmia. Most often this is a condition called atrial fibrillation. A-fib, as it is often referred to, is when the top right chamber of the heart isn't pumping the blood or squeezing it to the right ventricle, but instead is just quivering or shaking. This, in turn, increases the risk of your pig developing life threatening blood clots. These clots form because the blood is sitting in the top chamber of the heart and clots form. As these clots form and the break off, they can go to the lung causing a PE (pulmonary embolus), that can lead to sudden death, MI (myocardial infarction), which is a heart attack, or DVT (deep vein thrombosis), which is blood clots that can lead to ischemia in whatever extremity that clot goes to. Suffice it to say, this is not something you would wish on your worst enemy.
The take away? Obesity is known to cause heart conditions, so an obese pig is at a higher risk for developing heart failure, hypertension, stroke, cardiac arrhythmia's and many more problems. Needless to say, you do not want your pig to have any heart conditions. That could end in tragedy, there aren't many university vet teaching centers/hospitals equipped to handle cardiac procedures in pigs.
Mulberry Heart Disease
Also known as a nutritional myopathy in pigs, is a heart disorder that causes damage to the heart muscle as a result of the lack of selenium and vitamin E.
The function of vitamin E in the pig are:
Selenium is an essential nutrient in its own right and part of an enzyme called glutathione peroxidase which also acts as a antioxidant and thus has a complementary role to vitamin E. The less selenium in the diet the greater is the requirement for vitamin E.
The recommended requirements to give a maximum boost to the immune system range from 75-220iu/kg. According to age of the pig and diet; this is in the first stage creep 220, the second stage 150, the grower 100, the finisher 60 and sow 50 iu/kg. These levels are probably higher than those necessary for maximum growth, which may be 50% less.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids PUFA's cause considerable oxidation at tissue levels and when added to diets 3iu of vitamin E should be added for each g of PUFA.
Vitamin E and selenium related diseases
Clinical signs of MHD
These vary according to the system affected. HD, MD and MHD are usually associated with sudden deaths in rapid growing pigs without any prior clinical signs, usually the best pigs in the pen are affected and they range from 15-30kg in weight. Diets being fed often contain high levels of fats and yet in many cases vitamin E levels appear within normal ranges. Post-mortem symptoms are characteristic and include:
Diagnosis:
Histological examinations of the liver, heart or skeletal muscle will confirm diagnosis and this is the most accurate method. Serum samples should be taken from pigs at risk and tested for levels of vitamin E. Normal levels are variable from pig to pig however they should be more than 1.8mg/liter. The availability of selenium can be assessed by measuring the levels of glutathione peroxidase in the serum. If levels are less than 0.025µg/ml or 0.1mg/kg in liver a deficiency should be suspected and rations checked.
If MD is the major change stiffness and muscle trembling may be seen. If back muscle necrosis is involved sudden acute lameness occurs, particularly in gilts, especially outdoors, when they are moved into paddocks for the first time. This sudden exercise precipitates disease in association with the porcine stress syndrome (PSS). Stress related problems include gastric ulcers and where lesions occur in more than 20% of pigs at slaughter, the addition of 50iu/kg of vitamin E should be assessed.
The role of vitamin E and selenium in reproductive performance is more difficult to quantify. Improvements have been noted in herds with persistent cases of agalactia and udder of edema by raising the levels in the lactating diet to 100iu/kg.
Source: http://www.thepigsite.com/pighealth/mulberry-heart-disease-
Also known as a nutritional myopathy in pigs, is a heart disorder that causes damage to the heart muscle as a result of the lack of selenium and vitamin E.
The function of vitamin E in the pig are:
- To increase the efficiency of the immune system. Adequate levels must be available at critical times particularly as maternal antibody is dropping and infectious agents are challenging pigs. This highlights the importance of both diet quality and levels of energy lysine and vitamin E at these times.
- It acts as a tissue antioxidant. Heart muscle is particularly sensitive to oxidizing agents, the reason why mulberry heart disease is so common.
- It helps to maintain the integral structure of muscles in the digestive and reproductive systems.
- It is involved in the synthesis of certain amino acids and vitamin C.
- It has a close relationship with selenium metabolism.
Selenium is an essential nutrient in its own right and part of an enzyme called glutathione peroxidase which also acts as a antioxidant and thus has a complementary role to vitamin E. The less selenium in the diet the greater is the requirement for vitamin E.
The recommended requirements to give a maximum boost to the immune system range from 75-220iu/kg. According to age of the pig and diet; this is in the first stage creep 220, the second stage 150, the grower 100, the finisher 60 and sow 50 iu/kg. These levels are probably higher than those necessary for maximum growth, which may be 50% less.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids PUFA's cause considerable oxidation at tissue levels and when added to diets 3iu of vitamin E should be added for each g of PUFA.
Vitamin E and selenium related diseases
- Gastric ulcers - These are often stress oriented and the incidence increases where vitamin E levels are low.
- Hepatosis dietetica (HD) - A condition where there is necrosis or death of liver cells.
- Muscular or nutritional dystrophy (MD) (also called a myopathy) - This results from a degeneration of muscle fibers whether they be skeletal smooth or cardiac. Edema or fluid is often produced around the tissues and muscles (PSE) as a result.
- Mulberry heart disease (MHD) (also called a myopathy)- A specific disease of heart muscle and a common cause of sudden death.
- Reproduction disorders - Vitamin E is involved in sperm production and ovarian function. The actual role of vitamin E on the farm is difficult to clarify.
Clinical signs of MHD
These vary according to the system affected. HD, MD and MHD are usually associated with sudden deaths in rapid growing pigs without any prior clinical signs, usually the best pigs in the pen are affected and they range from 15-30kg in weight. Diets being fed often contain high levels of fats and yet in many cases vitamin E levels appear within normal ranges. Post-mortem symptoms are characteristic and include:
- Large amounts of fluid around the heart and lungs.
- Hemorrhagic and pale areas in heart muscle.
- Fluid in the abdomen with pieces of fibrin.
- Pale muscle areas (necrosis) particularly in the lumber muscles and hind muscles of the leg which contain excesses amounts of fluid.
- If the liver is involved it is enlarged and mottled with areas of hemorrhage interspersed with pale areas.
Diagnosis:
Histological examinations of the liver, heart or skeletal muscle will confirm diagnosis and this is the most accurate method. Serum samples should be taken from pigs at risk and tested for levels of vitamin E. Normal levels are variable from pig to pig however they should be more than 1.8mg/liter. The availability of selenium can be assessed by measuring the levels of glutathione peroxidase in the serum. If levels are less than 0.025µg/ml or 0.1mg/kg in liver a deficiency should be suspected and rations checked.
If MD is the major change stiffness and muscle trembling may be seen. If back muscle necrosis is involved sudden acute lameness occurs, particularly in gilts, especially outdoors, when they are moved into paddocks for the first time. This sudden exercise precipitates disease in association with the porcine stress syndrome (PSS). Stress related problems include gastric ulcers and where lesions occur in more than 20% of pigs at slaughter, the addition of 50iu/kg of vitamin E should be assessed.
The role of vitamin E and selenium in reproductive performance is more difficult to quantify. Improvements have been noted in herds with persistent cases of agalactia and udder of edema by raising the levels in the lactating diet to 100iu/kg.
Source: http://www.thepigsite.com/pighealth/mulberry-heart-disease-
"Hole in the heart"/Septal wall defect/Atrial septal defect/Patent foramen ovale (PFO)/Ventral septal defect
These are conditions you may hear about with regard to a pig and its heart. When a pig is in its mothers womb, they do not have the need for separate chambers because they are connected via placenta to the mother and using her oxygen and nutrients to grow inside her belly. The small area, patent foramen ovale, in the heart, is open while in the womb, but once a pig is born, when the first breath is taken, this small area should close leaving 4 chambers of the heart to act independently. The right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium and left ventricle. These 4 chambers work together to circulate blood to the lungs to be oxygenated and back through the heart to supply the rest of the body. When this small area of the heart doesn't close as it is supposed to and causes the oxygenated and unoxygenated blood to mix. This is called a patent foramen ovale or PFO and is obviously a problem because there isn't enough oxygenated blood to provide the body with what it needs to survive. A PFO increases the risk of a stroke tenfold and is the most common kind of ASD (atrial septal defect).
Blood can flow between the two upper heart chambers through the ASD. (atrial septal defect)
When blood flows between the two heart chambers. This is called a shunt. Pressure in the lungs may build up. Over time, there will be less oxygen in the blood that goes to the body. A small isolated patent foramen ovale is of no hemodynamic significance; but if other defects present (like pulmonary stenosis or atresia), blood is shunted through the foramen ovale into the left ventricle, producing cyanosis, a dark bluish coloration of the skin and mucous membranes resulting from deficient oxygenation of the blood. Pigs will this defect can survive, but they usually do not. This defect is corrected in humans by using a patch to seal the chamber in the heart so the mixing of the blood doesn't occur. In human medicine, they have developed a procedure to close that defect without surgery by using catheters to place the patch used to seal it. I do not know if this is available to pigs though.
Small atrial septal defects often cause very few problems, and may be discovered much later in life. Many problems can occur if the opening is large, or if there is more than one opening. If not detected young, the effects from this heart defect can occur later in life and cause the typical symptoms, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing when walking, so you may notice a decrease in your pigs activity, but do not see a cause. Many of these things are unknown unless there are specialized procedures done such as a TEE (Transesophageal echocardiogram) or a cardiac catherization. I do not know of any veterinarians with the capabilities to do that at their office, so these kinds of specialized diagnostic tests would need to be done at a university vet hospital, if available.
Those with this defect, or a larger or more complicated ASD are at an increased risk for developing other problems including:
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a condition that is likely inherited from a pigs parents according to a USDA study done in 1996. (You can click here to read that) Heart lesions may cause a heart to not function properly. The heart then has to work harder to maintain normal function. The heart is a muscle. If it has to work harder to function, the heart becomes enlarged. The enlargement of defective hearts results in greater heart weights and that is ultimately leads to sudden death in pigs. Compared to most other mammals, a pig’s heart is small in relation to its body size.As a result, hearts with compromised function have little reserve capacity to respond to challenges. Therefore if the heart is abnormal, any event that increases a pig’s heart rate (e.g. hot temperatures, fighting, being loaded on a truck) may result in heart failure and/or death. The lesions found on a pigs heart were similar to the genetic condition of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in humans.
How does this affect mini pigs? Inbred pigs are at a higher risk of developing these types of defects. Small pigs are normally a result of inbreeding to keep a specific trait or smaller stature, these are the types of complications they can have later in life that claims many pigs lives far too early.
These are conditions you may hear about with regard to a pig and its heart. When a pig is in its mothers womb, they do not have the need for separate chambers because they are connected via placenta to the mother and using her oxygen and nutrients to grow inside her belly. The small area, patent foramen ovale, in the heart, is open while in the womb, but once a pig is born, when the first breath is taken, this small area should close leaving 4 chambers of the heart to act independently. The right atrium, right ventricle, left atrium and left ventricle. These 4 chambers work together to circulate blood to the lungs to be oxygenated and back through the heart to supply the rest of the body. When this small area of the heart doesn't close as it is supposed to and causes the oxygenated and unoxygenated blood to mix. This is called a patent foramen ovale or PFO and is obviously a problem because there isn't enough oxygenated blood to provide the body with what it needs to survive. A PFO increases the risk of a stroke tenfold and is the most common kind of ASD (atrial septal defect).
Blood can flow between the two upper heart chambers through the ASD. (atrial septal defect)
When blood flows between the two heart chambers. This is called a shunt. Pressure in the lungs may build up. Over time, there will be less oxygen in the blood that goes to the body. A small isolated patent foramen ovale is of no hemodynamic significance; but if other defects present (like pulmonary stenosis or atresia), blood is shunted through the foramen ovale into the left ventricle, producing cyanosis, a dark bluish coloration of the skin and mucous membranes resulting from deficient oxygenation of the blood. Pigs will this defect can survive, but they usually do not. This defect is corrected in humans by using a patch to seal the chamber in the heart so the mixing of the blood doesn't occur. In human medicine, they have developed a procedure to close that defect without surgery by using catheters to place the patch used to seal it. I do not know if this is available to pigs though.
Small atrial septal defects often cause very few problems, and may be discovered much later in life. Many problems can occur if the opening is large, or if there is more than one opening. If not detected young, the effects from this heart defect can occur later in life and cause the typical symptoms, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing when walking, so you may notice a decrease in your pigs activity, but do not see a cause. Many of these things are unknown unless there are specialized procedures done such as a TEE (Transesophageal echocardiogram) or a cardiac catherization. I do not know of any veterinarians with the capabilities to do that at their office, so these kinds of specialized diagnostic tests would need to be done at a university vet hospital, if available.
Those with this defect, or a larger or more complicated ASD are at an increased risk for developing other problems including:
- Arrhythmias, particularly atrial fibrillation
- Heart failure
- Heart infections (endocarditis)
- High blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs (pulmonary hypertension )
- Stroke
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a condition that is likely inherited from a pigs parents according to a USDA study done in 1996. (You can click here to read that) Heart lesions may cause a heart to not function properly. The heart then has to work harder to maintain normal function. The heart is a muscle. If it has to work harder to function, the heart becomes enlarged. The enlargement of defective hearts results in greater heart weights and that is ultimately leads to sudden death in pigs. Compared to most other mammals, a pig’s heart is small in relation to its body size.As a result, hearts with compromised function have little reserve capacity to respond to challenges. Therefore if the heart is abnormal, any event that increases a pig’s heart rate (e.g. hot temperatures, fighting, being loaded on a truck) may result in heart failure and/or death. The lesions found on a pigs heart were similar to the genetic condition of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in humans.
How does this affect mini pigs? Inbred pigs are at a higher risk of developing these types of defects. Small pigs are normally a result of inbreeding to keep a specific trait or smaller stature, these are the types of complications they can have later in life that claims many pigs lives far too early.
Gossypol Intoxication
Gossypol poisoning, usually chronic, cumulative, and sometimes insidious, follows consumption of cottonseed or cottonseed products that contain excess free gossypol. It is of most concern in domestic livestock, especially preruminants or immature ruminants and pigs; mature ruminants are more resistant to gossypol's toxic effects. However, gossypol toxicosis can affect pigs fed excess gossypol for long periods. It has also been reported in livestock and dogs fed cottonseed meal in diets or housed on cottonseed bedding. Toxic effects usually occur only after longterm exposure to gossypol, often weeks to months.
Clinical Information:
Signs may relate to effects on the cardiac, hepatic, renal, reproductive, or other systems. Prolonged exposure can cause acute heart failure resulting from cardiac necrosis. Also, a form of cardiac conduction failure similar to hyperkalemic heart failure can result in sudden death. Pulmonary effects, labored breathing, and chronic dyspnea (shortness of breath) are most likely secondary to cardiotoxicity from congestive heart failure.
Signs of exposure:
Signs of prolonged excess gossypol exposure in many animals are reduced growth rate, weight loss, weakness, anorexia, and increased susceptibility to stress. In monogastric animals, acute exposure may result in sudden circulatory failure, whereas subacute exposure may result in pulmonary edema secondary to congestive heart failure; anemia may be another common sequela. Violent dyspnea (“thumping”) is the outstanding clinical sign in pigs.
Diagnosis:
Diagnosis is based on the following: 1) a history of dietary exposure to cottonseed meal or cottonseed products over a relatively long period; 2) signs, especially sudden death or chronic dyspnea, affecting multiple animals within a group; 3) lesions consistent with the reported syndrome and associated cardiomyopathy and hepatopathy, with increased amounts of fluids in various body cavities; 4) no response to antibiotic therapy; and 5) the presence of significant concentrations of free gossypol in the diet. Analyses of dietary components for free gossypol must be correlated with history, clinical signs, and postmortem findings. However, as with many feed-induced toxicoses, the responsible feed may be already completely consumed and not available for analysis.
Gossypol poisoning, usually chronic, cumulative, and sometimes insidious, follows consumption of cottonseed or cottonseed products that contain excess free gossypol. It is of most concern in domestic livestock, especially preruminants or immature ruminants and pigs; mature ruminants are more resistant to gossypol's toxic effects. However, gossypol toxicosis can affect pigs fed excess gossypol for long periods. It has also been reported in livestock and dogs fed cottonseed meal in diets or housed on cottonseed bedding. Toxic effects usually occur only after longterm exposure to gossypol, often weeks to months.
Clinical Information:
Signs may relate to effects on the cardiac, hepatic, renal, reproductive, or other systems. Prolonged exposure can cause acute heart failure resulting from cardiac necrosis. Also, a form of cardiac conduction failure similar to hyperkalemic heart failure can result in sudden death. Pulmonary effects, labored breathing, and chronic dyspnea (shortness of breath) are most likely secondary to cardiotoxicity from congestive heart failure.
Signs of exposure:
Signs of prolonged excess gossypol exposure in many animals are reduced growth rate, weight loss, weakness, anorexia, and increased susceptibility to stress. In monogastric animals, acute exposure may result in sudden circulatory failure, whereas subacute exposure may result in pulmonary edema secondary to congestive heart failure; anemia may be another common sequela. Violent dyspnea (“thumping”) is the outstanding clinical sign in pigs.
Diagnosis:
Diagnosis is based on the following: 1) a history of dietary exposure to cottonseed meal or cottonseed products over a relatively long period; 2) signs, especially sudden death or chronic dyspnea, affecting multiple animals within a group; 3) lesions consistent with the reported syndrome and associated cardiomyopathy and hepatopathy, with increased amounts of fluids in various body cavities; 4) no response to antibiotic therapy; and 5) the presence of significant concentrations of free gossypol in the diet. Analyses of dietary components for free gossypol must be correlated with history, clinical signs, and postmortem findings. However, as with many feed-induced toxicoses, the responsible feed may be already completely consumed and not available for analysis.
Erysipelas
There is a high risk in unvaccinated pigs of contracting this potentially life threatening disease. When erysipelas is diagnosed, it can not only affect the skin and joints causing painful and debilitating arthritis, but it can also lead to endocarditis and cause growths on the heart valves making the heart completely inefficient. Click here to learn more about Erysipelas.
There is a high risk in unvaccinated pigs of contracting this potentially life threatening disease. When erysipelas is diagnosed, it can not only affect the skin and joints causing painful and debilitating arthritis, but it can also lead to endocarditis and cause growths on the heart valves making the heart completely inefficient. Click here to learn more about Erysipelas.
S. Suis
Streptococcus suis infection is an emerging disease in swine operations. Diagnostic laboratories recently have reported Strep suis as the fifth most common disease and the leading cause of meningitis, an inflammation of the brain tissue. In a recent survey of 200 swine practitioners, Strep suis was listed second as a disease that will cause increasing problems in the next 5 years.
Strep suis is a bacterium that lives in the tonsils of some pigs and is capable of causing disease in the brain (meningitis) and other organs (septicemia). While Strep suis is most often associated with meningitis, other manifestations in pigs caused by Strep suis include pneumonia, a "fading piglet syndrome,'' polyserositis, arthritis, valvular endocarditis, myocarditis, pericarditis, and abortion.
Transmission:
While the most common method of spreading Strep suis between herds is through introduction of carrier pigs, flies and dead carcasses may also transport the bacteria. Strep suis will live in flies for at least 5 days. Flies regurgitating as they feed may spread Strep suis throughout a hog unit or between units. Flies will travel up to 2 miles on their own, and may hitch a ride on or in vehicles much farther. Carcasses of dead pigs are also a good source of the infection. Proper disposal of infected carcasses by burning, burial, or removal from the premises is advised. Since at least one strain of Strep suis (Strep suis type 2) also causes meningitis in humans, it is comforting to note that the Strep suis bacterium is easily killed by commonly used soaps and disinfectants.
Diagnosis
Definitive diagnosis is made when the Strep suis bacterium is isolated and typed from diseased organs. Clinical signs and postmortem findings are helpful but not specific. One of the best ways to obtain a definitive diagnosis is to culture the brain tissue from affected or dead pigs. An antibacterial susceptibil- ity test performed on organisms isolated from an affected, untreated pig will identify the most effective treatment for use in the herd.
Treatment and Control
Prior to learning the antibacterial susceptibility of the strep organism, affected piglets may be treated individually with injections of penicillin or ampicillin, and given supportive nursing care. Early treatment prevents death and may result in complete recovery.
Source: http://www.animalgenome.org/edu
Streptococcus suis infection is an emerging disease in swine operations. Diagnostic laboratories recently have reported Strep suis as the fifth most common disease and the leading cause of meningitis, an inflammation of the brain tissue. In a recent survey of 200 swine practitioners, Strep suis was listed second as a disease that will cause increasing problems in the next 5 years.
Strep suis is a bacterium that lives in the tonsils of some pigs and is capable of causing disease in the brain (meningitis) and other organs (septicemia). While Strep suis is most often associated with meningitis, other manifestations in pigs caused by Strep suis include pneumonia, a "fading piglet syndrome,'' polyserositis, arthritis, valvular endocarditis, myocarditis, pericarditis, and abortion.
Transmission:
While the most common method of spreading Strep suis between herds is through introduction of carrier pigs, flies and dead carcasses may also transport the bacteria. Strep suis will live in flies for at least 5 days. Flies regurgitating as they feed may spread Strep suis throughout a hog unit or between units. Flies will travel up to 2 miles on their own, and may hitch a ride on or in vehicles much farther. Carcasses of dead pigs are also a good source of the infection. Proper disposal of infected carcasses by burning, burial, or removal from the premises is advised. Since at least one strain of Strep suis (Strep suis type 2) also causes meningitis in humans, it is comforting to note that the Strep suis bacterium is easily killed by commonly used soaps and disinfectants.
Diagnosis
Definitive diagnosis is made when the Strep suis bacterium is isolated and typed from diseased organs. Clinical signs and postmortem findings are helpful but not specific. One of the best ways to obtain a definitive diagnosis is to culture the brain tissue from affected or dead pigs. An antibacterial susceptibil- ity test performed on organisms isolated from an affected, untreated pig will identify the most effective treatment for use in the herd.
Treatment and Control
Prior to learning the antibacterial susceptibility of the strep organism, affected piglets may be treated individually with injections of penicillin or ampicillin, and given supportive nursing care. Early treatment prevents death and may result in complete recovery.
Source: http://www.animalgenome.org/edu
Pyogenes
There are a lot of diseases that are considered pyogenes. Click here to read more about that.
There are a lot of diseases that are considered pyogenes. Click here to read more about that.
Information collected and written by Brittany Sawyer 2016
If you are interested in additional reading about pigs and heart research, you can click on any of the following links to read more studies below.
http://icvts.oxfordjournals.org (A study done on percutaneous endoscopic transapical aortic valve implantation)
https://pubs.nal.usda.gov/sites/pubs.nal.usda.gov/files/swine.pdf (Biomedical research in swine)
http://vet.sagepub.com/content/19/6/676.full.pdf (Congenital diseases of the heart in pigs)
If you are interested in additional reading about pigs and heart research, you can click on any of the following links to read more studies below.
http://icvts.oxfordjournals.org (A study done on percutaneous endoscopic transapical aortic valve implantation)
https://pubs.nal.usda.gov/sites/pubs.nal.usda.gov/files/swine.pdf (Biomedical research in swine)
http://vet.sagepub.com/content/19/6/676.full.pdf (Congenital diseases of the heart in pigs)