Recognizing Signs/Symptons of Health Issues - Grow-Finish

Introduction

Early and accurate recognition of health issues in grow/finish animals will help improve timeliness of treatmentsand will help treatment outcomes be positive. Caretakers should be able to recognize disease symptoms (example: loss of appetite) and signs (example: pus discharge) and make an appropriate “next-steps” decision at that time.

Safety

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that should be used to help ensure safety throughout the Recognizing Signs/Symptoms of Health Issues - Grow-Finish includes exam gloves, protective eyewear, a dust mask, and safety toe boots.

Walk the pens every day so animals become comfortable with caretaker presence and do not act afraid or become aggressive. Move slowly and quietly, and be aware of your environment and position of the animals so you don’t get knocked down or injured.

Preparation

Supplies needed for the process include a pen, paper, and a thermometer.

Procedure

Observe animals daily to look for signs and symptoms of potential health issues:

  • Inability/reluctance to rise/walk
  • Splaying legs
  • Holding leg(s) up
  • Swollen joint(s)
  • Injured toes
  • Limping
  • Weakness
  • Pale-looking
  • Dehydrated
  • Backbone showing
  • Abnormal behavior
  • Gaunt – sucked-in sides
  • Bloody/watery/loose feces
  • Feces containing undigested food
  • Foul-smelling feces
  • Abnormal fecescolor (green, black or red)
  • Cough
  • Nasal discharge
  • Increased effort to breathe/
    labored breathing
  • Fever
  • Tear-stained eyes
  • Weakness
  • Rectal: abnormal protrusion of rectum
    and/or colon through rectum
  • Shoulder or leg sores
  • Scabs
  • Scratching
  • Rash
  • Discoloration
  • Abscess
  • Parasites
  • Tail/genital bites/wounds
  • Rough hair
  • Pale-looking
  • Black feces
  • Gaunt

Follow treatment protocol to properly treat the animal’s condition. Take the temperature of any animal that you suspect may be feverish. Watch your hand/arm position to help prevent a potential injury if the animal moves.

  • Place the thermometer in animal’s rectum until thermometer beeps (if using a digital thermometer), or for 2 minutes (if using mercury-type thermometer).
  • Temperature greater than 103F indicates a fever.

Follow-up

Contact your supervisor and follow the operation’s herd health plan and treatment protocol if any potential health issues are noticed. If injections are needed as a treatment, follow the steps outlined in the Pig Injections protocol.

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