PARTNER FEATURE ▶▶▶


IDA – an emerging problem in pigs


Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA) is a condition that is becoming a growing problem for young piglets, as the increase of litter sizes comes with low birth weights. What causes it exactly, and which strategies exist to overcome it?


BY DR DANIEL SPERLING, LAURIANNE MEPPIEL AND HAMADI KAREMBE, CEVA ANIMAL HEALTH I


t is well established that insufficient iron intake in suck- ling pigs results in iron deficiency or development of Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA). The pig is born with limited iron stores, and sow milk is a poor source of iron that pro- vides piglets with only 1mg of iron a day. This amount of iron is not sufficient to support the rapid growth and expansion of blood volume during the first days of life. Therefore, piglets require exogenous iron supplementation within the first week after birth. The situation is even more complicated nowadays due to the very high productivity of pigs’ current genetics, with increased litter sizes, low birth weight and very fast postnatal growth. For example, in Denmark, the total number of piglets born per litter has increased from around 12 in 1992 to 20 piglets or more today. The poor responsiveness of neonatal piglets to oral iron ther- apy is now well documented, and the inability of the imma- ture duodenum to absorb iron may be the main reason. As a consequence, the most commonly used practice in field con- ditions is the intramuscular injection of 200mg of iron within the first three days of life. Different dextran- or gleptoferron-based injectable products are available on the market. Gleptoferron is a macromolecular


Table 1 – Anaemia according to country. Parameter


Austria Belgium (N=90) (N=300)


Anaemia No


Yes %


(n) %


(n) 14


93.3% (84)


6.7% (6)


66.0% (198)


34.0% (102)


(N=300)


90.1% (290) 9.9% (32)


90.0% (270)


10.0% (30)


▶ PIG PROGRESS | Volume 37, No. 2, 2021


81.9% (295)


18.1% (65)


complex of beta-ferric oxyhydroxide and dextran glucohep- tonic acid. The growth potential of current genetic lines has improved in recent decades, while iron dosage remains the same. Therefore, it is important to verify whether the routine iron supplementation protocols and products used today are still adequate to prevent iron deficiency and anaemia in modern pigs. The product must be rapidly and significantly absorbed from the intramuscular injection site. If it is not, the iron is not available for haemoglobin synthesis and replenishment of iron stores (liver), and non-absorbed iron becomes fixed by the tissues with deposition in the connective tissue stroma and associated macrophages and possible unacceptable staining of the muscle. It is now well accepted that 90% of the injected iron should be absorbed within 72 hours post- dose to be effective. Differences in absorption levels between gleptoferron and iron dextran were reported for parenteral iron preparation. The aim of this article is to provide information on the prevalence of IDA in weaning piglets in some important pig- pro du cing countries in the EU and to address the selected risk factors.


Prevalence of IDA in selected EU countries A survey was conducted in ten EU countries (Denmark, Po- land, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Italy and Portugal). In total 3,048 piglets were included in the assessment of haemoglobin (Hb) levels at weaning at randomly selected farms that were willing to participate in the survey. Hb levels were measured using the portable analyser. HemoCue Hb 201+ is a pen-side, handheld


Country


Czech Republic Denmark France (N=322)


Germany (N=360) (N=209)


88.0% (184)


12.0% (25)


The Netherlands Italy (N=291)


93.1% (271) 6.9% (20)


Poland Portugal Total (N=396) (N=492) (N=288) (N=3,048)


87.6% (347)


12.4% (49)


85.4% (240)


14.6% (72)


87.2 (251)


12.8% (37)


85.6% (2,610) 14.4% (438)


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