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The European Union's (EU) ban on several major antibiotic in-feed growth promoters could cause an explosion in ileitis.
Like the U.S., we've tested many farms for the primary organism involved, and where the U.S. has found 90% of farms to be affected, our figures are 96%. Nearly every one of our farms have it lurking there, waiting to pounce.
The test doesn't tell you whether the presence of the primary causal organism is likely to be damaging - the pigs could be living with it reasonably comfortably. What worries our practicing veterinarians is to what extent the routine presence of growth promotants could be keeping the cork in the ileitis bottle.
Ileitis - The Warning Signs
We mounted a campaign to warn pig producers what to look for and what to do about it. Some of the warning signs are:
* Reduced feed intake. Be particularly vigilant to spot reduction in appetite not associated with heat or over-stocking.
* Uneven growth. It's a common problem, but is it getting worse? * More cases of diarrhea. Looseness more often than scouring, in association with some of the other warning signs, is a pointer in itself.
*...