ᐉ How to give an injection to a piglet behind the ear, video, syringe for pigs

Iron for piglets

Newborn piglets have very little iron in their bodies, and if its amount is not replenished in a timely manner, the animal’s risk of anemia and developmental delays increases significantly. But since there is practically no such element in the mother’s colostrum, the breeder often has to carry out piercing with iron-containing preparations on his own. In this case, it is important to know what products are used and how to administer the injection correctly.

Piglet on the run

What vaccinations should be given to newborn piglets?

Vaccination of young pigs is carried out from the first days of their life. Moreover, the best option in this situation would be to consult a veterinarian about what vaccinations are best for the animal.

To avoid iron deficiency in the body, the first injection of iron-containing drugs is given as soon as the baby is 3 days old. For this, Ferroglucan is usually used. Young animals are pierced with it for three days, and the dosage is 2 ml. The drug is injected behind the piglet's ear, and the best time for such an injection is in the morning.

Ferranimal is often used instead of this product. The composition of the drug is no different from Ferroglucan, so the dosages and recommendations for use are the same.

An effective way to prevent anemia in young animals is the administration of the drug Dextran iron. It is used from the 4th day of the baby’s life. It is administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously, with a dosage of 100 to 200 mg per individual (depending on weight and health status).

In addition to the stated remedies, the following are often used to restore the iron needs of pigs:

Suiferrovit. The medicine is administered subcutaneously. One dose is no more than 5 ml.
Ferrous sulfate heptahydrate. This drug is diluted to a thin paste and administered to the baby intramuscularly 3 times with a pause of 5 days.
Ursoferran. It also acts as a preventative. It is administered intramuscularly in a dose of 1.5 ml.
Sedimin. The volume of one injection should not exceed 1 ml. When administering it, it is forbidden to mix the drug with other medications or administer it to the baby if some kind of drug (especially antibiotics) has already been administered.

A mixture of iron and copper sulfates, which are administered orally to animals, also gives a good result. To do this, 15 g of iron and approximately 1.5 g of copper are diluted in a container with 1 liter of clean boiled water. The resulting product is given to children one teaspoon per day. The procedure is carried out until the 21st day of the piglet’s life.

What vaccinations should piglets receive from the first days of life?

Pigs are susceptible to many diseases, so they need to be vaccinated, even if they do not come into contact with other animals. Piglets are vaccinated according to a certain schedule, violation of which is fraught with negative consequences. Let's consider which vaccinations for piglets are mandatory and when young animals need to be vaccinated.

Vaccinations for piglets

Pig vaccination plan

It is worth noting that in the first months of a piglet’s life, the foundation for the health and productivity of an adult is laid. That is why, in addition to iron, other preventive agents are also introduced into the body. Such vaccination is carried out in accordance with a special plan, which includes the following drugs:

Vitamin and mineral complexes. Tetravit or trivit is administered into the body as an injection with a dosage of 1 drop per individual. Tricalcium phosphate is added to food in an amount depending on the weight and age of the baby. Aminovital is added to water.
Vaccination against salmonellosis and pasteurellosis. The procedure is carried out at the end of the first month of the piglet’s life. For this purpose, specialized vaccines are used, which are administered 2 ml twice with an interval of 5-7 days.
Swine fever vaccine. Implemented at the age of 1.5 months. Before administration, the product is diluted with saline solution.
Vaccine against swine erysipelas. A special preparation in liquid form is used at 2-2.5 months from the birth of the baby. The product is administered in a volume of 0.3 ml. After 2 weeks, a second injection is carried out at a dosage of 0.5 ml. If the dry vaccine VR-2 is used, then repeated administration is carried out 30 days after the first injection.

From the middle of the piglet's second month of life, it is necessary to administer antiparasitic drugs. These include the following:

Ivermek. It is used once, based on the proportion of 1 mg of the drug for every 33 kg of animal weight. The injection is administered intramuscularly.
Levamisole. The anthelmintic is also administered intramuscularly. The injection is carried out once at a dosage of 1 mg per 10 kg of animal weight.
Tetramizole. The drug is available in the form of granules. The animal is fed after preliminary mixing with food. The dosage is 0.75 g per 10 kg of weight.

Rules for vaccination of piglets

The first thing a farmer should know at the initial stage of pig breeding is what breed his livestock belongs to. Every year more and more new species of these domestic animals appear; the goal of breeders is to develop breeds that are resistant to the most dangerous and common “pig” diseases. That is why many of the modern types of piglets have innate immunity to certain diseases and, accordingly, do not need vaccination against them.

Comment! At the moment, the breeds considered most resistant to various diseases are: Hungarian Mangalitsa, Karmaly, Hampshire and Vietnamese Pot-bellied pigs.

The calendar that veterinarians follow when vaccinating pigs from large industrial farms is called “extended.” At home, piglets are not given all vaccinations - only those vaccines are chosen that will protect the livestock from diseases common in a particular region and during a certain period of time. A new farmer who does not understand swine diseases may want to consult with a local veterinarian or talk to more experienced neighbors.

At the time of vaccination, the piglet must be absolutely healthy. Any vaccine is a slight stress for the body, so the animal’s immunity cannot be suppressed by poor nutrition, weakness or chronic illness.

So, before vaccinating piglets, you must do the following:

Learn about the characteristics of a specific breed of pigs and find out what diseases they have innate immunity to.
Consult your veterinarian and create your own vaccination schedule based on this.
Observe the piglets and sow to identify weak, hungry or sick individuals.
Purchase quality vaccines from a good veterinary pharmacy.

Advice! If a farmer does not know how to give injections or simply does not want to follow the vaccination calendar, he can enter into an agreement with a public or private veterinary clinic.

How to give an injection to a pig?

When administering iron injection to piglets, it is extremely important to adhere to the correct process technology. Its violation can promise too much stress for the animal, which will further affect growth and development, the risk of infection, and the possibility of injuring the baby if handled carelessly.

For any vaccination procedure you will need:

Syringe. Both a regular disposable one and an automatic one, which is used in livestock enterprises, are suitable.
Medical alcohol in the form of a spray or liquid.
The drug itself in the dosage and form indicated above.
A convenient place with a stand that will greatly simplify the procedure.

An iron injection is given at the same time as the baby's tail is cut. Between procedures, materials and the drug must be kept in a sealed, sterile container.

The procedure for administering the drug is carried out in accordance with the following algorithm:

For vaccination, a separate pen or room is prepared, in which preliminary cleaning is carried out and the bedding is replaced with new one.
All piglets requiring an injection are herded into a prepared room.
The syringe is carefully removed from the package and used to draw the solution from the container.
A piglet is selected from the general herd for the procedure. The injection is given to him in the area indicated in the instructions for the drug. Most often, the injection is carried out in the muscles of the back leg.
When injecting the leg, the needle insertion site should be thoroughly wiped with alcohol.
After this, the leg is raised and pulled slightly to the side. The procedure is performed with one hand. The limb should be held this way throughout the entire process, but it is important not to lift it too much, otherwise the pig could be seriously injured.
With the thumb of the holding hand, the skin is pulled slightly to the side, exposing the muscle. A needle is inserted into this area, preferably at an angle of 45 degrees, and the required dose of the drug is injected.
After the injection, the skin is returned to its place and slightly pressed with a finger to better distribute the product.

The syringe must be disinfected with medical alcohol after every 2-3 animals. After the injection, it is advisable to mark the animal with a marking spray or any other method. This will avoid confusion during the implementation of the procedure.

Often, for giving injections to babies, they use the drug behind the ear, and it can be extremely difficult to give an injection to a newborn baby due to his mobility. In this case, you may need the help of a second person to hold the piglet. You can also scratch your baby behind the ear and on the belly to calm him down. In the future, this will create a habit and facilitate all subsequent procedures, which the animal will perceive more calmly.

Basic rules for vaccinations

Giving injections to piglets is not as difficult as it might seem to a novice pig breeder. However, this business requires some skills and strict adherence to the rules.

Before vaccination you need:

read the instructions for the drug. Find out where the injection should be given (subcutaneously or intramuscularly), how much vaccine should be administered;
calculate individual doses of the product (if the instructions say that the dosage in ml depends on the body weight of each piglet), prepare a solution if you are using dry, powdered whey;
prepare everything necessary for administering the drug (syringes, needles, cotton pads, alcohol for disinfection), as well as personal hygiene products (you will need medical gloves and an apron);
invite an assistant. Small pigs and teenage piglets are very mobile, so it’s easier to “pierce” them together;
Examine all babies for signs of illness. If you have diarrhea, runny nose, cough, wheezing, fever, lethargy, poor appetite and other problems, vaccination will have to be postponed.

If everything is in order, you can begin the procedure. Piglets are given injections subcutaneously or intramuscularly. In the first case, choose those areas of the body where the skin is thinnest (behind the ear or on the inner thigh). The skin in this area is wiped with alcohol, the fold is pulled back with one hand, and the needle is inserted with the other at an angle of 45 degrees to the surface, trying not to touch the underlying muscle layer. When administered intramuscularly, the injection is made in areas of strong muscle development. In pigs they are located on the neck or thighs. In this case, the needle is injected perpendicular to the surface of the body.

When calculating the amount of vaccine that you will inject into the piglet, keep in mind that the instructions for such products usually indicate the doses recommended for piglets of the most common large breeds. Young pigs with low body weight (for example, Vietnamese potbellies) are injected with a proportionally reduced amount of milliliters of solution.

When carrying out preventive procedures yourself, consider the following nuances:

Do not store or use drugs that have expired , as well as vaccines that are in damaged packaging or opened several days ago. Solutions prepared from powdered products should be administered immediately;
To immunize animals, it is necessary to use individual syringes and needles . In this case, the dimensions (length and diameter) of the needle must correspond to the type of injection (subcutaneous or intramuscular) and the age of the piglet. It is better to purchase instruments at a veterinary pharmacy;
if the scheme provides for vaccination in two or three stages , you need to buy such a quantity of the drug that it is enough for the entire cycle, since it is unsafe to use another vaccine in the next stages;
It is necessary to carefully read the instructions for vaccines and strictly follow the recommendations contained therein. To avoid possible complications, it is very important to know what restrictions in terms of giving other medications must be observed before and after immunization;
The introduction of any vaccine is fraught with the manifestation of individual reactions in piglets. monitor the well-being of the young animals for several days , and show animals that show signs of illness to a veterinarian.

Breeding any farm animals is associated with the likelihood of a wide variety of diseases (including deadly ones) occurring in animals. Preventive vaccination is the most reliable way to minimize such risks.

Why are piglets injected with iron?

In the first weeks of life, the piglet actively develops and gains weight. Accordingly, his blood volume increases. But such a process is impossible without the synthesis of hemoglobin, in which iron plays a huge role. Of the total reserve of this element in the pig’s body, about 50% is concentrated in hemoglobin molecules. As a result of iron deficiency, the synthesis of blood cells is reduced and anemia develops, in which organs and cells are not sufficiently saturated with oxygen. This leads to decreased appetite, sleep disturbances, and developmental delays.

It should also be noted that iron is an important component of many enzymes in the pig body. Many of them take part in metabolism, digestion and a number of other biochemical processes.

Iron is an important component of immune cells, which are the basis of the body's resistance. In addition, this element is responsible for transmitting impulses along nerve cells, and also normalizes the functioning of the thyroid gland.

How to give injections to pets correctly

There is such a device, the Kalashnikov Syringe Pistol, for self-injections at home for the whole family, and it turned out that this device is ideal for injections with pigs and other domestic animals. You don’t need a veterinarian, you don’t need experience. And it turns out that the device is universal for both families and households

This question often arises among novice pig farmers. After all, injections and vaccinations begin for piglets from an early age. For example, iron supplements are administered from three to four days. And at about a week of age, vitamins begin to be administered subcutaneously or intramuscularly. When injections are prescribed, you need to purchase disposable syringes from a veterinary pharmacy. This will save the owner from the tedious procedure of boiling the instrument. I would like to emphasize that syringes purchased at a regular medical pharmacy are quite suitable for small piglets.

Is vaccination really necessary?

Caring for piglets involves vaccination. In industrial rearing, piglets are vaccinated from birth, but when it comes to keeping artiodactyls at home, many ignore this recommendation from experts. It is worth understanding that there are dangerous diseases that are transmitted by airborne droplets (erysipelas, for example). Even if the sick pigs are on the other side of the village, the epidemic can reach your home. This is the reason why it is worth vaccinating piglets against dangerous diseases that cannot be cured.