When it comes to herd health, swine disease doesn’t discriminate. You might struggle with swine respiratory disease (SRD) and ileitis (PPE) in specific pens or throughout the herd at multiple production phases. The first step is always to work with your licensed veterinarian to properly diagnose the illnesses. From there, you and your veterinarian can develop and implement a response.
The most common routes of administration for antibiotics are water-soluble, feed and injection. Each route has pros and cons. How do you choose the right one for your challenge? Here are a few questions to ask:
- What forms is the medication available in? Not every medication is available in all forms.
- How many animals are you treating? If it’s just a few, an injectable might be the best option. If you need to treat a whole barn or a group of animals, then water-soluble medication becomes a very efficient method.
- How stressed are the animals? It would not be beneficial to add more stress by handling pigs to administer medications.
A closer look at water-soluble medications
When developing a strategy, keep in mind that water-soluble medications are economical, effective tools to treat pigs quickly when delivered using clean water and correct mixing protocols. You can mass-medicate an entire herd or a single pen quickly and easily using a medication such as Aivlosin® Water-Soluble Granules (62.5% w/w Tylvalosin as Tylvalosin Tartrate). The medication might appear costly up front, but the ease of use and the potential cost savings from reduced labor can help you recoup costs quickly.
Low stress
Administering antimicrobial medication through water lines is a low-stress method for you and your animals compared to alternatives. Unlike feed medication, water-soluble medication can be prepared right in the barn. There’s no need to wait for a feed delivery or manage feed that is already in feed bins. Water-soluble medication is convenient for staff because it requires no handling of pigs. Less handling is also beneficial to pigs that might already be stressed from a disease challenge.
Low cost
Administering medication through water can help lower the overall cost associated with treatment because water administration requires less time and labor than other treatment methods. It also allows you to mass-medicate a group of pigs or the entire barn using the existing water system.
Effective, judicious treatment
When used according to label instructions, Aivlosin WSG offers the benefit of a short treatment cycle of just five days and has no withdrawal period before processing for maximum flexibility at finishing.
Pigs will typically continue to drink water when they are sick, even if their feed intake drops from loss of appetite. They are even more likely to keep drinking when water is clean and tastes good, which is why water quality is critically important for accurate, effective delivery of medications. Use fresh, clean water for mixing medications and follow instructions exactly.
Important Safety Information: Available under prescription only. AIVLOSIN is indicated for control of porcine proliferative enteropathy (PPE) associated with Lawsonia intracellularis infection in groups of swine intended for slaughter and female swine intended for breeding in buildings experiencing an outbreak of PPE. Control of swine respiratory disease (SRD) associated with Bordetella bronchiseptica, Haemophilus parasuis, Pasteurella multocida, Streptococcus suis, and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in groups of swine intended for slaughter and female swine intended for breeding in buildings experiencing an outbreak of SRD. For use only in drinking water of pigs. Not for use in male swine intended for breeding. People with known hypersensitivity to tylvalosin tartrate should avoid contact with this product. When used in accordance with label directions, no withdrawal period is required before slaughter for human consumption.
