Stooling in Weaner Pigs. What Is True, What Is Risky, and What Actually Works

[Henlus]

I want to clarify some common advice going around about stooling (diarrhea) in weaner pigs, especially the use of Sulphanor, tetracycline, Flagyl, and LA injections.
This is important because wrong treatment can worsen losses.

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1. Is stooling in weaners normal?
Yes.
Stooling in weaners is very common, especially after:

• Weaning stress
  
• Feed change
  
• Poor hygiene or wet pens
  
• Cold or fluctuating temperatures
  
• Heavy or poorly balanced rations
  

It is not always caused by infection.

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2. Are Sulphanor, tetracycline, or Flagyl the drug of choice?
No.
They are not first-line treatments unless the cause is confirmed.
Blind use of antibiotics can:

• Destroy beneficial gut bacteria
  
• Worsen diarrhea
  
• Increase drug resistance
  
• Waste money
  

Flagyl especially is often misused in pigs.

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3. What about LA injection (Oxytetracycline LA)?
Oxytetracycline LA can help only if the diarrhea is bacterial.
However, the advice “give 1 ml every 72 hours” is risky because:

• Dosage must be based on body weight
  
• Fixed dosing can lead to underdosing or overdosing
  
• It does not address dehydration or feed-related causes
  

LA injection is not a cure-all.

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4. What is missing in most advice
Most people skip the most important steps:

• Electrolytes to prevent dehydration
  
• Temporary feed withdrawal
  
• Feed quality and formulation check
  
• Hygiene and warmth in the pen
  
• Probiotics after antibiotics
  

Without these, drugs alone may fail.

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5. Feed-related issue (very important)
Heavy PKC-based diets can cause diarrhea in weaners.
Weaners have sensitive guts.
Too much PKC, sudden feed changes, or poor mixing can trigger stooling even without infection.

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6. Safer general approach to weaner diarrhea

• Withdraw feed for 12–24 hours
  
• Provide clean water plus electrolytes
  
• Keep pens dry, warm, and stress-free
  
• Review feed composition and mixing
  
• Use antibiotics only if there is fever, blood in stool, or weakness
  
• Always dose drugs according to body weight
  
• Introduce probiotics after treatment
  

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Conclusion
The advice to just inject LA and wait is partly true but incomplete and risky if followed blindly.
Successful control of weaner diarrhea requires:

• Correct diagnosis
  
• Feed management
  
• Electrolytes
  
• Hygiene
  
• Careful drug use
  

Drugs alone are not the solution.

[Henlus]

You can know if weaner pigs have fever in two ways: accurate method and field signs.

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1. Accurate way (best method)
Use a digital thermometer (rectal).
Normal temperature for pigs:
38.7°C – 39.8°C
How to check:

• Lubricate the thermometer (oil or petroleum jelly)
  
• Insert gently into the anus about 2–3 cm
  
• Hold for 30–60 seconds
  

Interpretation:

• Below 40°C → Normal
  
• 40.0 – 40.5°C → Mild fever
  
• Above 40.5°C → Fever (likely infection)
  

If several weaners are above 40°C, infection is likely.

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2. Signs of fever (when no thermometer is available)
These signs together suggest fever:

• Hot ears, snout, or belly when touched
  
• Dullness or weakness
  
• Reduced appetite or refusing feed
  
• Huddling together even when weather is warm
  
• Shivering or rapid breathing
  
• Sunken eyes (often with dehydration)
  

Note: One sign alone is not enough. Look for multiple signs.

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3. Fever vs feed-related diarrhea
This is very important.

• Diarrhea + fever
  Likely bacterial or viral infection
  Antibiotics may be needed
  
• Diarrhea without fever
  More likely feed change, stress, PKC overload, or gut imbalance
  Focus on electrolytes, feed adjustment, and probiotics
  

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4. What to do if fever is confirmed

• Start treatment early
  
• Dose drugs based on body weight
  
• Provide electrolytes alongside treatment
  
• Keep pigs warm and dry
  

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Summary
The thermometer is the most reliable method.
Touch and behavior help, but they are not 100 percent accurate.
Always confirm fever before jumping to antibiotics.

[Farm-ninja]

I like how housing conditions were mentioned. Wet floors, cold nights, and poor ventilation can trigger stooling even with good feed. Drugs alone cannot fix bad housing. If you see many pig farms ehh? Their floors are covered with shit and water.

[ZeroWaste]

The explanation of why Flagyl and tetracycline are often misused is very important. These drugs are not magic solutions. Using them blindly damages gut bacteria and sometimes worsens diarrhea instead of stopping it.

[Trimex]

This explanation is very accurate and practical. Many farmers assume any stooling must be infection, but the separation between diarrhea with fever and diarrhea without fever is very important. Once you start checking temperature first, drug cost dropped and survival improved.

[John@]

Using a thermometer should be standard practice in pig farming. Touching ears and belly alone can be misleading, especially in hot weather. This alone can prevent wasting antibiotics on non-infectious cases. But unfortunately, most pig farmers I know don't have thermometer which is very cheap.

[Ekene]

The clarification that stooling in weaners can be normal under stress is very helpful. Weaning alone is a big shock to piglets, and if feed and housing are not well managed, diarrhea will show up even in healthy pigs.

[Donk]

Electrolytes are life-saving during diarrhea. Many pigs do not die from the disease itself but from dehydration. Farmers who skip electrolytes are setting their pigs up for losses even when antibiotics are used.

[Suarus]

Advising fixed drug doses like “1 ml every 72 hours” is dangerous. Pigs vary in size, and overdosing or underdosing can either kill the pig or fail to treat the problem. Weight-based dosing should always be emphasized.

[Hilux]

The suggestion to withdraw feed temporarily is something many farmers resist, but it works. Giving the gut time to rest while providing water and electrolytes often brings improvement within 24 hours.

[Hunter]

Fever checking across multiple pigs is a good practice. One pig with fever does not mean the whole pen needs antibiotics. Treating only confirmed cases saves money and reduces antibiotic resistance.

[EcoFarm]

The temperature range provided is very useful, especially for beginners. Many farmers do not even know what normal pig temperature is, so everything feels like fever to them.

The difference between mild temperature rise and true fever is well explained. Not every slight increase requires antibiotics, especially during hot weather or stress periods.

The signs listed for fever without a thermometer are realistic. Huddling, dullness, and appetite loss together are stronger indicators than just touching the ears.

[FarmLady]

Probiotics after antibiotics are often ignored, yet they help pigs recover faster and return to feed. This should be part of every treatment plan, not an afterthought.

[The Farmer]

This post explains why some treatments “fail” even when good drugs are used. If dehydration, feed, and environment are not corrected, no antibiotic will perform miracles.

Antibiotic resistance is becoming a serious issue in pig farming. Posts like this help farmers understand when drugs are truly necessary and when management is the real solution.

I also like that this advice does not reject drugs completely but puts them in the right place. When fever and infection are present, treatment is justified, but it must be correct.

[GreenVet]

Many losses in weaners happen in the first week after weaning. This discussion highlights exactly what to focus on during that critical period: warmth, feed quality, and hydration.

[YoungAgropreneur]

Farmers should save this discussion. It answers questions that come up repeatedly about weaner diarrhea and saves people from costly trial-and-error treatments.