Oxytocin injections in the postpartal period affect mammary tight junctions in sows

Reproductive health of the sow during puerperium

The modern hyperprolific sow is susceptible to metabolic disease and chronic inflammation. The most sensitive phase is parturition, when the sow experiences systemic inflammation and stress, and major changes in metabolism and endocrinology. Resolution of inflammation and stress needs to happen quickly to ensure good reproductive health during puerperium. If the sow fails to adapt to these changes, puerperal disease may occur. The economically most important puerperal disease complex is the postpartum dysgalactia syndrome (PPDS). Other puerperal diseases include infections of the urogenital tract. Diagnosis of PPDS and urogenital disease on-farm is challenging but several diagnostic methods, including clinical examination, behavioral observations, ultrasonography and biomarkers are available. Ultrasonography is an excellent tool for monitoring the health of the urogenital tract, the mammary gland, and uterine involution and guide further diagnostic interventions. Biomarkers such as Chromogranin A, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6 represent promising tools to monitor general health and the systemic state of inflammation and oxidative stress of the sow. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, dopamine antagonists, and oxytocin are promising to address the symptoms of PPDS. Reducing of stress, improving nutrition and intestinal health, and supporting animal welfare-friendly husbandry help in the prevention of PPDS.

Effect of drying and/or warming piglets at birth under warm farrowing room temperatures on piglet rectal temperature over the first 24 h after birth

Piglets experience a decline in body temperature immediately after birth, and both drying and warming piglets at birth reduce this. However, these interventions may be less effective at higher farrowing room temperatures. This study was carried out at a commercial facility to compare the effect of drying and/or warming piglets at birth on postnatal rectal temperature (RT) under relatively warm farrowing room temperatures (26.6 ± 2.09 °C). Forty-five sows/litters were used in a completely randomized design to compare three Intervention Treatments (applied at birth): Control (no treatment); Warming (piglets placed in a plastic box under a heat lamp for 30 min); and Drying+Warming (piglets dried with desiccant and warmed as above). Temperatures in the warming boxes over the study period averaged 37.7 ± 2.75 °C. At birth, piglets were weighed; RT temperature was measured at 0, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 120, and 1,440 min after birth. Blood samples were collected at 24 h after birth from a subsample of one piglet from each birth weight quartile within each litter to measure plasma immunocrit concentration. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS with litter as the experimental unit, and piglet as a subsample of litter. The model for analysis of piglet rectal temperature included fixed effects of Intervention Treatment, measurement time (repeated measure), the interaction, and the random effect of sow. Compared with the Control, piglet RT were higher (P ≤ 0.05) for the Warming treatment between 10 and 60 min, and higher (P ≤ 0.05) for the Drying+Warming treatment between 10 and 120 min after birth. Rectal temperatures were higher (P ≤ 0.05) for the Drying+Warming than the Warming treatment between 20 and 120 min. Responses to drying and/or warming were greater for low-birth-weight piglets (<1.0 kg) than heavier littermates, but were generally less than observed in previous experiments with similar treatments carried out under cooler temperatures. Piglet immunocrit values were lower (P ≤ 0.05) for the Drying+Warming treatment compared to the other Intervention Treatments, which were similar (P > 0.05). Immunocrit values tended (P = 0.10) to be lower for light (<1.0 kg) compared with heavier birth weight piglets. In conclusion, drying and warming piglets at birth was more effective for reducing piglet RT decline after birth than warming alone, though the effect was less than observed in previous studies carried out under cooler farrowing room temperatures.

Primiparous and Multiparous Sows Have Largely Similar Colostrum and Milk Composition Profiles Throughout Lactation

It is important to understand the biological factors influencing the poorer lifetime performance of gilt progeny in comparison to sow progeny and determine whether this may be partially due to differences in lactation performance between primiparous and multiparous sows. It was hypothesized that primiparous sows would have lower levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) in colostrum and milk compared to multiparous sows, and lower levels of other energetic components. Differences in colostrum and milk composition between ten primiparous and ten multiparous sows (parities 3 and 4) from a commercial herd were examined throughout lactation (day 0, 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, and 21). Overall, there were no (p ≥ 0.05) parity differences in total IgG, fat, protein, lactose, and net energy (NE) concentrations. Primiparous sows had higher lactose levels at day 2 (parity by timepoint interaction; p = 0.036) and lower NE at day 3 (p = 0.091), and multiparous sows had higher lactose levels at days 14 and 21. Results suggest that shortcomings of gilt progeny are unlikely due to insufficient nutrient levels in colostrum and milk, and more likely to reduced colostrum and milk intake and their capacity to digest and absorb each component.