90% of pig farms cannot cure bloody stools and suffer repeated losses. The root cause is confusing two kinds of bloody dysentery and using medication indiscriminately. Red dysentery and bloody dysentery are completely opposite in age of onset, lesions, and treatment; treating them the wrong way only leads to greater losses. This article provides practical, on-farm solutions for every situation: use the treatment that matches the symptoms to prevent recurrence.
I. Distinguish by age to avoid 80% misdiagnosis
Red dysentery in piglets: Caused by Clostridium perfringens, it occurs most often in newborn piglets aged 1 to 3 days; piglets over 7 days old are generally not affected. The disease progresses extremely rapidly and is a severe emergency in the farrowing room. Piglets may suddenly develop bloody stools and become limp just hours after birth, and can die suddenly within hours, leaving almost no time to observe or delay treatment.
Swine dysentery: Caused by spirochetes. Suckling piglets are rarely affected; it occurs most commonly in nursery and finishing pigs aged 7–12 weeks and 2–4 months. Onset is gradual, with no sudden deaths in batches. Its most distinctive feature is that it is extremely prone to recur.
II. Key differences in symptoms and necropsy findings
Piglet red dysentery: The piglets pass loose, reddish-brown, watery, bloody feces with fine bubbles and a very strong foul odor. In the peracute form, they die suddenly without diarrhea, and the abdominal skin is cyanotic. Necropsy lesions are concentrated in the jejunum of the small intestine. The intestines show hemorrhage and necrosis, with bubbles in the intestinal wall; the intestinal tract is fragile and prone to rupture.
Swine dysentery: Initially, the pigs pass soft yellow stools. After 2 days, streaks of blood and mucus gradually appear; later, the stools become bright red and bloody, with a large amount of transparent, jelly-like material coating the outside. Necropsy shows thickening and hemorrhage only in the large intestine and cecum, with no lesions in the small intestine.
Three. Practical treatment and prevention plan
1. Emergency treatment and prevention of red diarrhea in piglets
Prevention in newborn piglets: Before piglets consume colostrum, administer anti-red-diarrhea serum by intramuscular injection to neutralize toxins in advance. Serum is effective for prevention; when used alone after the disease has developed, it is basically ineffective.
Emergency treatment after onset: The first choice is oral potassium penicillin + metronidazole, 2–3 times per day. Warm the medication solution to room temperature and administer small amounts frequently by drench. Use activated charcoal to adsorb toxins and protect the intestinal mucosa. Provide oral rehydration salts throughout the treatment period to prevent dehydration and acidosis. If piglets show lethargy, physical weakness and flaccidity, or weakness with refusal to eat, intramuscular injection of vitamin B complex may be used alongside treatment to quickly boost alertness, replenish energy, promote appetite recovery, and effectively reduce the risk of collapse and sudden death.
For 100-150-jin medium-to-large pigs: inject ceftriaxone + Bupleurum + Isatis root intramuscularly on one side, and inject sulfamonomethoxine sodium intramuscularly on the other side, 2 times daily. Sulfonamides are not used for emergency treatment of newborn piglets.
Whole-farm eradication and prevention: after an outbreak in the farrowing room, provide the entire litter with compound Banqing granules + amoxicillin + calcium carbaspirin in drinking water for group prevention. Vaccinate sows against clostridia 1 times, once each 30 days and 15 days before farrowing, relying on maternal antibodies to protect the piglets. In the farrowing room, prioritize potassium monopersulfate and flame disinfection to kill persistent clostridial spores.
2. Treatment and recurrence prevention for swine dysentery
Individual injections: For mild cases, inject acetylmethquinol intramuscularly once daily for 3 days. For severe cases, inject acetylmethquinol on one side and enrofloxacin on the other. If there is severe bloody stool, add Yunnan Baiyao Hemostatic; if the animal is not eating, add vitamin B complex; if it has a fever, add flunixin meglumine.
Group prevention and control
Prevent relapse: Many pig farms experience repeated outbreaks because treatment is stopped too early. After stools are formed, with no mucus or blood streaks, and feed intake is normal, continue administering tiamulin + dimetridazole + doxycycline mixed into the feed to consolidate the course of treatment. Avoid stress points such as group transfers, temperature drops, and feed changes.
Auxiliary intestinal repair: During the illness, reduce feed by 30%, reduce feed containing crude fiber, and lessen friction on the large intestine. Add oral rehydration salts + probiotics to the drinking water for the whole group to rapidly repair the intestinal mucosa and restore growth.
Closed-loop pig farm management: promptly isolate sick pigs, thoroughly disinfect pens and equipment, and do not share tools between pens. Cull sick pigs directly if they have recurrent illness over a long period, remain stunted, and fail to grow, to cut off the source of infection.
Four. Practical Pig-Raising Tips
Bloody stools within three days indicate red diarrhea; sudden death after illness calls for toxin prevention. Give newborn piglets oral penicillin and immunize in advance to protect the farrowing room. Mucus-like, jelly stools in the second month; confirm blood dysentery and complete the full course of treatment. Use medication precisely, not blindly, to reduce recurrence and losses.
Summary
For newborn piglets with bloody stools within 3 days of age, treat as emergency dysentery; for medium and large pigs around 2 months old with mucus and bloody stools, treat swine dysentery for a lasting cure. No blind medication trials or waiting for lab tests: treat according to age and symptoms to quickly reduce mortality, control recurrence, and reduce losses.