Investigation of novel approaches to improving nursery pig health

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Date

2018-09-04

Authors

Seip, Victoria

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Publisher

University of Guelph

Abstract

This thesis investigates two approaches for potentially improving the health of weaned pigs. In one approach, two trials were conducted to examine the relationship of antibody response to Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and growth with iron status. Based on hemoglobin levels at weaning, no difference was found among anemic, iron deficient, and normal pigs (P>0.05). In addition, an experimental-challenge study was used to determine if additional iron supplementation could impact a pig’s response to infection of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). Iron supplementation preventing anemia and iron deficiency was not associated with reduced clinical signs (P>0.05). Additionally, a plant-based variant of the FaeG protein, rFaeGntd/dsc was evaluated as a treatment of ETEC infection using a similar experimental-challenge model. Pigs fed the highest level of FaeG experienced less severe diarrhea than controls (P<0.05), however, there was no difference among the treatment groups based on ETEC fecal shedding or histological evidence of colonization (P>0.05).

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Keywords

E. coli, Hemoglobin, Growth Rate, Antibody Response, Iron, Susceptible

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