We all have a part to play in ensuring the judicious use of water medications. These treatments are effective tools to protect the health and wellbeing of the pigs in our care. “Judicious” is a term that gets throw around a lot and may mean different things to different people. It is important to understand that “Judicious” medication use does not necessarily mean “Less” medication. It means the “Right” drugs are used for the right reasons. Your Suidae veterinarian is here to help make sure we run the “right” medications.
1. Communicate.
If there is an issue, we need to know about it. Water medications are not the solution to every problem, but we cannot make appropriate recommendations if we aren’t kept up to date with how the pigs are doing.
2. Use the right mixing rate.
Even the same medication may come in different packages with different volumes or concentrations. Make sure you know what rate to mix the medication at and don’t hesitate to ask your veterinarian if you have any questions.
3. Run it for the right duration.
If we run out or cut the pulse short, we may not effectively treat the animals and encourage antibiotic resistance. Additionally, running a medication for too long can cause negative effects for the pig, alter withdrawal times, and again.
4. Only mix 12-24 hours of medication at a time.
After mixing a medication, the bioavailability (what is available for the animal to absorb) starts to drop. Mixing multiple days at once can lead to increased settling and less effective treatments.
5. Watch the stock solution.
Every time a medicator is running, we need to monitor and ensure it is working correctly. Evaluating how much stock solution is used and how that compares to water usage allows us to ensure the pigs are receiving the right amount of medication.
6. Avoid waste.
Leaky water nipples can lead to hundreds or thousands of gallons of water being wasted and if the water is medicated, then the medication is wasted too. Ensure leaky nipples are fixed to avoid extra pit pumping costs and wasting medications.
