16 September 2025

3 minute read

By: Zoetis

Key takeaways

• Many factors affect sow mortality, making it hard to identify causes on farm.
• Early disease intervention may be important to reducing sow mortality.
• Caregivers can watch for signs of illness to solve problems early.

Sow mortality trending higher

Sow mortality has been a topic of concern in the swine industry for some time, with data showing a steady increase in mortality since 2014 until a record high 15.8% in 2023. Of these losses, almost 40% of sow deaths are due to an unknown cause.

On sow farms, there are many factors affecting sow mortality, explained Annika Senn, a first-year Kansas State University veterinary student who was a Zoetis Swine Veterinary Internship Program (SVIP) participant in 2024. However, it can be hard to identify causes of these mortalities on farm, which is why such a large proportion is listed as “unknown,” she added.

Potential early interventions

Sow treatment protocols can vary greatly from farm to farm, and while veterinarians encourage appropriate use of anti-inflammatory or antibiotic products when needed, treatment decisions may occasionally be based on other factors.

As part of her SVIP experience, Senn led a study to compare potential early interventions at the time of farrowing on subsequent sow clinical outcomes and mortality. Her study was presented at the 2025 American Association of Swine Veterinarians Annual Meeting. Contact a Zoetis veterinarian about the study results.

Globally, sows are the class of swine that is the least treated with antibiotics, meaning there is an opportunity to treat more sows to get ahead of mortality when an infectious cause is implicated.

Antimicrobials such as cephalosporins have been key to successful management of respiratory disease in swine; but as they are medically important antimicrobials in human medicine, the Food & Drug Administration has set limits on their use. Swine producers and veterinarians have done a great job adhering to the rules regarding cephalosporin use in food animals. There may be situations, though, when questions come up about compliance regarding extra-label use.

The extra-label use of cephalosporinsOpens in a new window in swine may be permitted, such as when there is an illness due to a pathogen that’s not on the label and for which there’s no approved therapy, as long as that use is according to the product label for dosage, frequency, duration and route of administration. Zoetis also has prepared a fact sheet on cephalosporin extra label use, available below.

The swine industry is exploring a range of solutions — including the use of antimicrobials or dietary feed additives — to help promote the overall health of the sow during the immediate period before and after farrowing, Senn said.

Sow health best practices

Early disease intervention is also important to reducing sow mortality. Training teams to look for early signs of illness can have an impact.

Zoetis developed the Individual Sow Care program to help caregivers learn how to catch signs of illness early. Through the program, caregivers are shown the importance of everyday observations at the barn, group and individual levels.

The Individual Sow Care program helps caregivers build skills to:

• Observe and evaluate each sow — interpreting behaviors, monitoring feed and water access, and taking a sow’s temperature.
• Inspect and rate sow health — evaluating and scoring sow health factors, such as environment, feces, perineal area, body condition, feet and legs, and underline.
• Ensure sows and piglets are thriving — understanding how to assess each lactating sow’s milk supply and how to monitor health and behavior of piglets.
• Communicate effectively — knowing how and when to contact the herd veterinarian and what information to provide.