Vitamin Supplementation Offers Option for Protecting Piglets from Diarrhea

Oct 14, 2024

Research conducted by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and CDPQ indicates the use of vitamin supplementation offers an alternative to address diarrhea in piglets. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, in collaboration with CDPQ and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine is exploring the potential of providing supplemental dietary vitamins to the sow during gestation along with a commercial vaccine to stimulate maternal antibody production in hopes of passing increased immunity to neonatal and postweaning diarrhea.

Hannah Burlet, a graduate student with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, says the pressure to find alternative methods to protect piglets from diarrhea is mounting.

Quote-Hannah Burlet-Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada-Western College of Veterinary Medicine:

Both neonatal diarrhea and post weaning diarrhea are umbrella terms that we use to refer to diarrheal diseases impacting newly born and newly weaned piglets respectively.Both are caused by a range of different bacteria and viruses which are mostly opportunistic pathogens.

The incidence of this disease can vary from farm to farm and year to year.Vitamins are natural products that do not cause any harm to animals when used within certain limits and, therefore, provide a healthier alternative to improve animal health, in contrast to the use of antibiotics or high levels of zinc oxide, which may potentially cause environmental and public health issues with the rise in development of antibiotic resistance.

Using vitamins does not generate such a problem.Additionally, the approach was designed to be easily applicable without a large financial investment.The cost of making the switch to the higher vitamin diet would not be prohibitive and should provide a healthy return on investment.

Burlet says sow and piglet performance data is now being analysed and she plans to present findings during the upcoming Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium in November.

Source : Farmscape.ca

Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.