THE EFFECT OF DIETARY DOXYCYCLINE ON PORCINE PROLIFERATIVE ENTEROPATHY (PPE) CAUSED GROSS AND HISTOLOGICAL CHANGES IN A LARGE COMMERCIAL GROWING-FINISHING UNIT
S.K. Wanyoike and G. Bilkei

Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of doxycycline feed medication at the beginning of the growing-finishing phase on porcine proliferative enteropathy (PPE)-caused mortality, faecal consistency at necropsy and gross and histological changes in a large commercial growing-finishing unit. The study consisted of two treatment groups in 14 replicates (group 1: n=7121 pigs, in-feed medicated with 200 ppm. doxycycline during 4 weeks post- entry; group 2: n=7899 pigs, non-medicated).

Pigs medicated with doxycycline had less (P<0.05) mortality, lower (P< 0.01) mean faecal consistency scores, fewer (P<0.05) PPE-associated gross and histological lesions, less PCR-positive ileal tissue (P<0.05) compared with non-medicated pigs.

Implications: This study provides evidence that doxycycline administered to Lawsonia intracellularis-infected growing-finishing pigs is effective in reducing PPE caused pathological changes.

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