Giving piglets dried porcine plasma is not advised, warns swine veterinarian
Canadian hog producers should not feed spray dried porcine plasma products to piglets despite pressure from feed suppliers to do so.
Dr. Frank Marshall of Marshall Swine Health Services said he thinks PED can be transmitted in feed, and those who say otherwise have their heads in the sand.
“Despite the immense pressure from the spray dried plasma people for us to promote the usage of it … at this point in time … we’re still standing by our original recommendations to look at avoiding usage,” Marshall said during a Dec. 12 conference call organized by Alberta Pork. “We’re sticking to our guns on that.”
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Dried porcine plasma imported from the United States is considered to be the vector that initially brought deadly porcine epidemic diarrhea to Canada this year.
Marshall said there has been a move to substitute dried bovine plasma products, which may be an option for producers who see a need for it.
However, other changes in the industry might reduce the need to provide such products, which are sometimes given to piglets in first-stage creep feed or starter diets after weaning.
Marshall said eliminating antibiotics used for growth promotion, which will occur as a result of Canada’s policy to reduce antibiotic resistant bacteria, will likely lead to pigs being weaned at 28 days instead of the usual 21 days.
Older piglets do not necessarily require the additional protein provided in blood plasma products.
“With the advent of weaning older aged pigs, that’s not only going to impact on how we start these pigs but it’s going to affect positively the reproductive side of our sow population,” Marshall said.
The most recent case of PED in Canada was confirmed Dec. 8 in Ontario, which has had 66 barns infected.
Dr. Egan Brockhoff of Prairie Swine Health Services said it is related to another confirmation Dec. 2 traced to a contaminated livestock trailer.
Livestock transport trailers are considered to be at high risk of carrying PED because of the tenacity of the virus and the time and attention required to thoroughly clean, dry and disinfect trailers.
Brockhoff said a system of truck wash audits is being developed.
“Really, the goal is just to provide the truck washes with opportunities to make improvements where we find small gaps and really protect our pork industry,” said Brockhoff.
The pork industry also has a regional control and elimination program, in which 100 Ontario sites are enrolled. Of those, 39 were among the initial farms infected.
Brockhoff said 28 of those 39 have since tested negative for PED.
