The piglet's ears turned blue: what to do and causes, disease prevention

Regular examination of newborns, correct diagnosis and timely treatment are the main factors contributing to the cultivation of a he althy pig population. If the piglet's ears turn blue, you can decide what to do after conducting tests and making a diagnosis. It should be borne in mind that this symptom is characteristic of a number of diseases.

Why do pigs' ears turn blue and what should I do?

Several diseases of pigs can be distinguished, in which there is a bluish coloration of the skin of the auricles.

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS)

Blue spots appearing on the skin are one of the first signs of infection with the disease. And most often the syndrome affects sows. Enterovirus, which spreads in the tissues of the lungs, is the causative agent of the disease. The danger of the disease is also manifested in the fact that offspring suffer.

Piglets have nervousness, small trembling of the whole body, sometimes convulsions are present. Offspring are born full-term, with normal weight, but a poorly developed sucking reflex negatively affects the further development of babies. If laboratory tests confirm the diagnosis, animals are vaccinated.

Chlamydia

Pathogenic chlamydia bacteria infect the intestines and respiratory tract of animals. Newborn piglets are most often infected by sows. Symptoms of the disease: fever, high body temperature, convulsions, loose stools. If treatment is not started in a timely manner, piglets die after 2-4 days. Since chlamydia is expensive to treat, sick newborns are most often slaughtered.

Dysentery

For an infectious disease, the phenomena of intoxication and damage to the colon are characteristic. Manifestations of the disease:

blue ears;
frequent diarrhea;
dramatic weight loss;
lack of appetite;
high body temperature (up to 40-41 °C).

At the first signs of illness (stool disorder, loss of appetite), animals can still be cured by injections of antibiotics and antidysenteric serum.

Aueszky's disease

In addition to the bluish ears, the symptoms of the disease are manifested in an increase in body temperature, the presence of vomiting and convulsions, a decrease in appetite against the background of increased excitability and intense thirst. Most of all, the disease affects the central nervous system of pigs.The mortality rate is 30-35%. Sick individuals are most often slaughtered, since the treatment of animals is not cheap. Meat products can only be used for food after thorough heat treatment.

Salmonellosis

If animals are not properly cared for (cages are not cleaned, feed dishes are washed carelessly or rarely), the likelihood of piglets becoming infected with salmonellosis increases. It must be borne in mind that newborns suffer more from the disease than adults. In addition to blue ears, piglets have conjunctivitis, impaired respiratory function, and body temperature rises. Treatment comes down to taking antibiotics Levomycetin, Synthomycin.

Other reasons

Sometimes the cause of blue ears can be heart failure. Since the blood vessels of the ears are weakly filled with blood, the skin becomes bluish or whitish. The disease is not only congenital.

Heart failure can be triggered by eating food contaminated with pesticides, poisonous mushrooms, or certain metal toxins.

Signs of disease

Usually bluish skin of the auricles is not the only symptom of an infected animal. When examining a pet, pay attention to the following deviations in the behavior and he alth of pigs:

pet's appetite and body temperature;
changes in behavior (irritability or lethargy);
stool regularity and quality;
intense thirst;
convulsions.

In order not to be mistaken with the diagnosis, it is recommended, in addition to an external examination, to do laboratory tests.

Problem Prevention

There are animal care rules that make it easy to raise he althy animals:

careful cleaning and disinfection of premises;
Basis of the diet is balanced feed;
regular veterinary examination of piglets;
isolation of infected animals.

An excellent preventive measure is to vaccinate both adult pigs and newborn piglets.

It is not recommended to take lightly the blueness of the ears in piglets or the formation of bluish spots on the skin. When the first signs of illness appear in pets, they turn to the veterinarian. Only the correct diagnosis and direction of treatment will allow the animals to “put on their feet.”