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PEPTIC ULCER DISEASE IN FATTENING PIGS
*Akchunov M.I., 2Nagumanova L.R., 3Nurgaliev F.M.
1Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education Kazan State Academy of
Veterinary Medicine named after N.E. Bauman 3rd year student of the FVM 2Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education Kazan State Academy of
Veterinary Medicine named after N.E. Bauman 1rd year student of the FVM 3Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education Kazan State Academy of Veterinary Medicine named after N.E. Bauman Candidate of Veterinary Sciences, docent
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11484072
Abstract. This paper presents the results of a clinical examination of pigs with signs of peptic ulcer disease and a study ofpathoanatomic changes in the gastric mucosa of sick animals. The object and material of the study were the stomachs of pigs with clinical signs of disease subjected to slaughter. Pathomorphological changes of varying degrees and localization were found. Additional studies on the gastric mucosa revealed helicobacteria, and a high degree of urease activity of the biomaterial was also established.
Keywords: pigs, post-slaughter examination, diagnosis, pathoanatomic changes, Helicobacter.
Introduction. In recent years, the number of pigs in Russia has increased significantly. According to the website of the Federal State Statistics Service in 2010 it amounted to 17251.4 thousand heads, and in 2023 the livestock increased 1.64 times and amounted to 28267.9 thousand heads [6].
With the increase in the number of pigs, the importance of veterinary specialists in ensuring the health of livestock increases. Agricultural enterprises of a closed type are subjected to a continuous exchange of internal microflora with the environment. In pig farming, conditions are being formed for changing the background of "pathogenic agents", which, together with changes in diet and care, lead to the occurrence of diseases in animals [1].
An important component of diagnosis and, in some cases, a decisive factor is a pathoanatomical autopsy. Autopsy makes it possible to identify pathoanatomical changes characteristic of specific diseases and obtain objective data for the diagnosis and differentiation of diseases. Autopsy of dead pigs in pig farming and subsequent inspection of carcasses and internal organs in a slaughterhouse is a rational measure to reduce pig losses [1,4,10]
It should be noted that disorders of the gastrointestinal tract are often found among fattening pigs [8,12]. However, the diagnosis of gastritis and peptic ulcer disease in pigs during their lifetime is difficult. The appearance of this pathology is most often associated with feeding methods, stress and homeostasis disorders in animals [1,5,12]. Scientists have suggested a possible role of Helicobacter bacteria in the formation of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer disease in pigs [5,9,11].
Studying the causes of gastritis and ulcers in pigs is an urgent task, since these diseases affect animal health and lead to serious economic losses in pig farming.
In recent years, peptic ulcer of the stomach of pigs has become widespread in large pig breeding complexes and on industrial-type farms, leading to the death or forced slaughter of piglets from the rearing shop and piglets of the first fattening period. The disease is accompanied by
hyperkeratosis of the stomach, erosions and ulcers of the esophagus-the cardiac department, ulcerative erosive gastritis of its fundal part.
Purpose of research was to study the clinical picture and pathoanatomic changes in pig gastric ulcer.
Research materials and methods. The work was carried out in the conditions of a large pig breeding complex in the Republic of Mari El. All livestock were subjected to visual inspection. Clinical examination of sick animals was carried out according to generally accepted methods. The selected piglets from the age of 70-106 days in the rearing workshop, suspected of having gastric ulcer, were subsequently subjected to laboratory and instrumental diagnostics.
A Gregersen benzidine test was used to determine the latent blood in gastric contents and feces in order to diagnose gastric ulcer [12].
Next, we studied the pathoanatomical changes in the gastric mucosa in pig peptic ulcer disease. The object and material of the study were slaughtered sick pigs aged 70-105 days and a live weight of about 25 kg.
The gastric mucosa of pigs was subjected to microscopic and biochemical research methods to detect bacteria of the genus Helicobacter of pigs.
Biopsies were crushed on a slide for microscopic examination to detect microorganisms on the gastric mucosa. Smears were made-prints of the cardiac, fundal and pyloric sections of the gastric mucosa. The studied samples were Gram-stained, and the mobility of microorganisms was studied using the crushed drop method.
The results of microscopic studies were confirmed by setting a Clo-test. The results of the Clo-test were recorded after 1 hour, 3 hours and 24 hours, estimating the rate of change in the color of the solution.
The results of the research. According to the results of a clinical examination of the pig population, 25 heads were identified with signs of peptic ulcer disease, which manifested themselves with nonspecific symptoms: depression, pallor of the mucous membranes and skin, especially in the area of the auricles, piglet, around the anus and perineum in sick animals. In some piglets and pigs, pallor is clearly visible over the entire surface of the body ("porcelain skin", "white ears"). During clinical examination, normal and rarely subfebrile body temperature was noted. The appetite of the sick animals was reduced or absent. In most cases, anorexia, vomiting, especially in the morning hours before feeding, and squealing after taking the first portions were noted in sick animals. Vomit from sick animals had a sour smell, yellow-green or light brown color. The movements of sick animals are cautious, they retired, stood hunched over, head down, most of the time they lay with their hind limbs tucked under their stomach. During palpation, soreness was noted in the epigastric region. Tactile and pain sensitivity is increased (hypersthesia). During defecation, there were sometimes bloody bowel movements from dark brown to black.
In the chronic course of the disease (over 2-3 weeks), severely pronounced anemia developed in sick piglets, with careful examination it was possible to detect an admixture of pure blood in the stool, but more often blood that was exposed to gastric and intestinal juice, as a result, the stool has a brown-red color.
The results of the clinical examination of sick animals are shown in Table 1.
Table 1 - Indicators of clinical status in pigs
№ Indicators Groups of animals
Diseased, n=10 Healthy, n=10
1 Temperature, °C 40,1±2,1 38,9±5,3
607
2 Pulse, beats per minute 115,0±3,6**** 67,0±1,2
3 Breathing, movements per minute 51,0±4,5*** 19,0±2,4
Note *-] P<0,05; **-P<0,01; ***-P<0,001
As can be seen from Table 1, the body temperature in sick animals is elevated (40.1± 2.1 0C), the pulse is rapid (115.0±3.6 beats per minute), breathing is rapid (51.0±4.5 beats per minute).
An important sign of the disease is the nature of the feces of a dark color, dense, in places covered with strands of mucus of a dirty yellow color.
A benzidine sample was used to detect hidden blood in the faeces. The test stool was smeared with a thin layer on a slide and several drops of reagent were applied to it. In the presence of blood, a bright blue or green staining appeared. As a result of the conducted coprological studies, Gergessen's sample of 25 samples revealed 14 with hidden blood and 11 with a negative result.
After slaughter of pigs with clinical signs of peptic ulcer disease, the stomachs were opened, the contents were removed and the condition of the mucous membrane was assessed. A total of 10 stomachs obtained from sick animals were examined.
As a result of the conducted pathoanatomical studies, exhaustion, anemia of the skin and mucous membranes, anemia of internal organs were revealed. Upon opening the stomach, ulcerative lesions were found along the large curvature. In some cases, the stomach was empty, filled with clotted blood. Ulcerative lesions of a rounded shape, measuring 1 x 2 cm, with smooth, slightly raised, sometimes thickened edges and necrotic cells inside were revealed on the stomach wall. The unaffected part of the gastric mucosa was folded yellowish-pink in color.
In other cases, the stomach was filled with contents in which traces of blood were visible. Changes characteristic of catarrhal inflammation were detected in the small intestine. There was swelling of lymph nodes near the stomach and liver with spot hemorrhages.
Visual examination of the gastric mucosa of pigs revealed the presence or absence of affected areas in the fundal, antral and pyloric regions of the stomach. As a result of the examination, ulcerative lesions were found. Sometimes the ulcers merged with each other. Individual ulcers were rounded in shape, and when merged they took irregular shapes. The edges of the ulcer rose steeply above its bottom or in a roller-like manner. The bottom of the ulcer was grayish or reddish-brown in color with islands of preserved epithelium.
Microscopizing smear prints made with the gastric mucosa of pigs, curved, spiral-shaped gram-negative, non - spore - forming rods with a diameter of 0.2 to 0.8 microns and a length of 2 to 5 microns were found against the background of colored mucus (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Fundal coolant department. Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, convoluted, spiral-shaped bacteria are visible
Figure 1 shows a large number of gram-negative, non-spore-forming, convoluted, spiral-shaped bacteria, which, according to their habitat, tinctorial and morphological properties, were classified as helicobacteria. The results of microscopy of various sections of the gastric mucosa are presented in Table 1.
Table 1 - Results of urease test and microscopy of smear prints
Research material Clo-test Microscopy
30 minutes 1 hour 3 24
The gelatinous part of the stomach - - - 1 1
The cardiac part of the stomach - - 2 6 2
The fundal part of the stomach 4 7 8 10 8
The pyloric part of the stomach 4 6 6 10 4
As can be seen from Table 1, according to the results of microscopy, the fundal department was the most seeded part of the stomach, so in the group of sick animals 8 samples were positive. It should be noted that there were pathoanatomic changes in these stomachs (severe hyperkeratosis with coverage of more than 50% of the surface and hyperkeratosis and several small erosions (less than 5, with an area of 2.5 cm2)).
Next, the urease activity of the test samples was detected using Clo-test. The degree of contamination of the gastric mucosa with Helicobacter in the test was assessed by the rate of color change of the indicator within 24 hours (Table 1). The results of the studies indicate a high degree of urease activity of stomach samples obtained from pigs with gastrointestinal diseases. During this time, the samples reacted positively: 1 from the gelatinous, 6 from the cardiac, 10 from the fundal and 10 from the pyloric sections of the stomach.
Conclusion. As a result of the conducted clinical examination of the pig population, we identified animals with signs of peptic ulcer disease. The clinical signs of gastric ulcer in them were diverse and largely determined by the nature of the course, the location of the ulcer, as well as the presence or absence of complications. As a result of the conducted coprological studies of the Gregersen test (for latent blood), positive results were obtained in 56% of cases. During the pathological examination, a visual examination of the gastric mucosa of pigs was performed. According to the results of the examination, ulcerative lesions were found. Helicobacteria were found in the prepared swab prints from pigs, and a high degree of urease activity of the studied samples was also established.
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