In pig farming, there are many types of bacterial diseases, and they can develop quickly. Many farmers often select medicines blindly or combine them improperly. This may fail to treat the disease and can also lead to drug resistance and residues, increasing farming costs. Pig farms stock a fair number of antibacterial veterinary medicines, but each has its own scope of use. Identifying the right treatment for the condition is essential for the medicine to work effectively.
Today, we have compiled a list of the 14 most commonly used veterinary medicines for pig farms, clearly indicating the main conditions each medicine targets, its suitable uses, and approaches to combining medicines. The list covers common pig-farm problems such as respiratory diseases, intestinal diarrhea, joint septicemia, postpartum inflammation, and blood protozoa. This content is suitable for pig farmers and technicians on the front line to save for reference. Friendly reminder: This article is for general educational reference only. For actual medication use, strictly follow the veterinary medicine label, control the dosage, course of treatment, and withdrawal period, and use medicines properly to avoid the risk of drug resistance.
1. Veterinary penicillin
Commonly used for various conditions caused by Gram-positive bacteria. It can treat arthritis and septicemia caused by Streptococcus suis, and arthritis and skin lesions caused by erysipelas. It also has good therapeutic effects against mastitis and metritis in sows caused by Staphylococcus, as well as exudative dermatitis in piglets.
2. Ampicillin
Commonly used for post-partum infection control in sows, it can treat septicemia caused by Streptococcus. It is highly effective against enteritis and diarrhea caused by Escherichia coli and Salmonella. In clinical practice, when used in combination with kanamycin, it can help improve infections caused by Pasteurella and infectious pleuropneumonia. It is also suitable for bacterial inflammation of the urinary system in pigs.
3. Veterinary amoxicillin
Its antibacterial spectrum is similar to that of ampicillin, with the advantage of being suitable for oral administration. It is effective against systemic bacterial infections, respiratory and digestive tract inflammation, and skin and soft tissue infections in pigs, as well as mastitis and endometritis in sows. It mainly targets common pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Proteus, Salmonella, Haemophilus parasuis, and Pasteurella.
4. Veterinary streptomycin
It is the drug of choice for tuberculosis in pigs. It is effective in treating respiratory infections such as swine pasteurellosis, piglet paratyphoid caused by Salmonella, white and yellow scours caused by Escherichia coli, inflammation of the sow’s mammary glands, and bacterial infections of the urinary system.
5. Veterinary kanamycin
Belongs to the aminoglycoside class of drugs and is used for sepsis and respiratory and urinary tract infections caused by susceptible bacteria. It covers a range of pathogens, including Escherichia coli, Pasteurella, Haemophilus parasuis, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
6. Gentamicin
Its antibacterial spectrum is similar to that of kanamycin, but its bactericidal efficacy is stronger. Clinically, it is more commonly used to treat various types of intestinal inflammation in pigs. It can also treat peritonitis and swine enterotoxemia, and is also effective against systemic bacteremia.
7. Lincomycin hydrochloride
Highly effective against anaerobic bacteria and can treat conditions associated with Clostridium perfringens; effective against some drug-resistant Staphylococcus infections that do not respond to penicillin treatment; also addresses swine mycoplasmosis and swine spirochetal dysentery. It is also commonly used to help relieve postpartum inflammation in sows and postpartum feed refusal in sows.
8. Oxytetracycline Injection
A long-acting tetracycline preparation with a wide range of uses. It can prevent and control eperythrozoonosis, mycoplasmosis, and toxoplasmosis, and is effective against swine dysentery, bacterial enteritis, and various mixed bacterial infections. It is also used to reduce postpartum inflammation in sows and is a classic medicine for the three-injection health program for piglets.
9. Doxycycline (Vibramycin)
Also belonging to the tetracycline class, it is 5‑10 times more effective than oxytetracycline. It is often used in combination with florfenicol to treat respiratory diseases and is effective against eperythrozoonosis, swine spirochetal dysentery, and bacterial gastrointestinal infections.
10. Florfenicol
A core medication for respiratory diseases in pig farms, it is particularly effective against contagious pleuropneumonia, swine pasteurellosis, and porcine respiratory disease complex. It can also be used for various infections caused by paratyphoid in piglets and Escherichia coli. Use with caution in pregnant sows.
11. Tiamulin
The treatment of choice for swine mycoplasmal pneumonia and swine dysentery caused by Brachyspira; it can also treat porcine proliferative enteritis. It is also effective against some infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria, such as Staphylococcus and Streptococcus.
12. Tilmicosin Premix
Its efficacy is superior to that of tylosin, and the drug readily accumulates in lung tissue, making it highly effective against respiratory diseases in pigs. It can combat penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, pneumococci, and streptococci; it is also used for pleuropneumonia, swine fever, mycoplasmal asthma, and Glaesserella parasuis infections. In addition, it can be used as an adjunct for the prevention and control of PRRS, proliferative enteritis, and swine dysentery.
13. Enrofloxacin Injection
Broad-spectrum quinolone for animals, with high drug concentrations in visceral tissues. It can treat bacterial respiratory diseases, urinary tract infections, joint and soft-tissue inflammation, and intestinal disorders. It is suitable for a range of conditions, including Haemophilus parasuis infection, streptococcal arthritis and septicemia, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infection, Escherichia coli diarrhea, and mycoplasmal asthma.
14. Acetylmethaquine (Dysentery-clean)
For intestinal infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria, it has a strong bactericidal effect against swine dysentery caused by spirochetes. When treating bacterial diarrhea, combining it with gentamicin can further improve clinical results.