June 29, 2006

Pfizer advises one-dose treatment on individual pigs 

Individual animal care, rather than whole herd treatment is a more effective way to fight animal disease, according to Pfizer.

Treating individual sick pigs allows for therapeutic doses to be delivered and ensures  compliance with dosage requirements, said Dr Steve Sornsen, director of swine veterinary services for Pfizer Animal Health.

A full course of treatment means that each sick animal receives the entire duration of treatment, which helps maintain therapeutic drug levels to combat pathogens.

A full course of treatment also returns animals to productivity faster, Sornsen said.

More producers are paying attention to sicknesses on the individual level instead of the herd level, Sornsen said, adding that the approach also benefits the pig as treatments can be better timed to when it is really needed.

For individual animal care, producers would need to take the time and effort every day to observe the health of every pig, Sornsen said.

Pfizer has come up with training videos to help farmers with identifying sicknesses in pigs.

The company has also offered two alternatives to deliver a full course treatment in a single dose: Excede for Swine Sterile Suspension, for pigs affected by key respiratory pathogens and Draxxin Injectable Solution against complex swine respiratory disease in all stages of finishing.