Baycox is a ready-to-use oral suspension containing the active ingredient toltrazuril, which is already licensed in different presentations for use against the disease in poultry and dairy calves. Baycox 50mg/ml is given as a single oral dose to piglets.

Isospora suis is the main coccidial pathogen in piglets and the most common cause of pre-weaning scours. Clinical coccidiosis manifests as watery, yellow/cream coloured scour between 10 and 21 days of age. Piglets may also appear depressed, anorexic and develop rough coats.

Typically, mortality is low – around 5 per cent, but morbidity is high – around 70 per cent. Coccidial infection also predisposes piglets to secondary enteric infections such as E.coli or rotavirus, which can increase pre-weaning mortality rates by up to 30 per cent. The legacy of coccidiosis is retarded growth before and after weaning and uneven bodyweights within litters.

According to Bayer Animal Health, the company behind the product, performance improvements through administering a single dose of Baycox metaphylactically have been demonstrated on farms with a history of coccidiosis. In one study, Baycox-treated piglets had gained approximately 20 per cent more weight than the control group at 25 days of age.

The company says that Baycox kills all intracellular developmental stages of I.suis without impairing the piglet’s ability to develop immunity.

Further Reading

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Find out more information on Coccidiosis by clicking here.