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Most producers are familiar with the signs of ileitis: diarrhea which is sometimes bloody, weight variation, gaunt pigs and mortality.

Pennsylvania producer Jim Ranck saw those classic signs in late fi nishers, despite feeding antibiotics aimed at ileitis control.

At the recommendation of his veterinarian, the Christiana, Penn., farrow-to-fi nish operator started vaccinating for ileitis two years ago, using the commercially available oral vaccine, Enterisol® Ileitis, given via the drinking water. Death loss dropped, tail-enders are now few and rarely is a fi nishing pig injected with antibiotics.

Pigs from Ranck’s 300-sow operation receive Enterisol Ileitis vaccine at about seven weeks of age.

While timing of the vaccine can vary from farm to farm, it should be administered at least three to four weeks prior to the beginning of exposure to infection. For many producers, the nursery seems to be a common time to administer the oral vaccine.

For Kansas swine practitioner Steve Henry, careful consideration is given to the timing of the vaccination. “We have to time the vaccine to meet the most goals,” he says. Their goal is to give vaccine about two weeks before pigs exit the nursery.

“Pigs need to be off antibiotics to use the vaccine and because nursery pigs are most responsive in terms of effi ciency and gain to having antibiotic in the diet, we want to continue the antibiotic growth benefi t from weaning as long as possible before removing the in-feed antibiotic to vaccinate.

“It’s all a matter of following the dollar,” says the Abilene, Kan., veterinarian. “We want to maximize benefit and growth and still have adequate time for functional immunity when pigs are challenged during early fi nishing.”

In many of Henry’s programs, pigs receive a non-medicated phase 3 diet beginning at about 25 to 30 lb. bodyweight. After they’ve been on it at least three days, the ileitis vaccine is administered through the drinking water.

The antimicrobial-free period needs to be at least seven days to avoid inactivating the oral vaccine. All medicated feed must be removed at least three days before and three days aft er administration. A longer post-vaccination nonmedicated period is recommended if possible.

Once pigs are vaccinated, some producers provide antibiotic-free feed to slaughter weight. “We work with producers who have not used routine antibiotic in the finisher feed for years,” Henry points out.

Jim Ranck also no longer feeds antibiotics to finishers. “I may have to feed CTC now and then if a group gets the sniffles, but that is totally unrelated to ileitis,” he says.

Death loss at his Noble Oak Farms is 1.5 percent to 2 percent in finishers, about half what it used to be.

Another word of advice from Dr. Henry: avoid running out of feed. “That won’t help any intestinal problem. Th at’s a big deal and it happens way too often. Empty feeders present tremendous intestinal insult to pigs.”

In addition to preventing ileitis, the Kansas veterinarian sees additional benefi ts to vaccination compared to antibiotic medication for ileitis management. “I see a difference in what it costs and I see it as a positive step in moving away from chronic dependency on in-feed antibiotic for finishing pigs.”

M2P2 uses the frozen vaccine on a regular basis now. Training sessions were held for employees involved in administering the product, a step Quam feels is critical. One person is also responsible for all vaccination protocols.

“We wanted to make sure all the bases were covered as far as vaccine handling and ensuring non-medicated feed was in the system at the time of administration,” he says. Antibiotics must be removed at least three days before and three days after vaccination. Removal of medicated feed for a week or longer aft er vaccination, however, is recommended.

According to Quam, antibiotics are withheld seven days before and seven days after vaccine administration at M2P2 to make sure the window is large enough.

Their efforts have paid off. Clinical ileitis has been eliminated in the flow since starting the vaccine protocol, says the Iowa veterinarian.]

Quam adds that before the vaccine, they had problems with unthrifty, lower-value pigs (fall-outs) associated with chronic ileitis. “We used a number of products to control the clinical ileitis and, occasionally, the treatments were effective. But more often than not, the treatment was inadequate. Vaccine has been very effective in this situation.”

Has M2P2 changed its health program as a result of the Japanese maximum residue limits? “Yes,” the Iowa vet notes. “All of our wean-to-finish sites are abiding with the new MRLs that Japan has put forward (see story page 2). It puts more emphasis on creating a healthier pig early on, so we don’t have to treat late.”