A proposal of a fecal scoring system based on physicochemical analyses of suckling pig feces
Abstract Background Digestive disorders are one of the main health problems in suckling piglets. The correct visual identification of feces in suckling piglets is an important tool for the diagnosis of enteric diseases. The aim of the present observational study was to analyze different physicochemi...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Porcine Health Management |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40813-024-00417-2 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850099358217797632 |
|---|---|
| author | Ana Maria Pons Blanca González Joan Pujols Jordi Serratosa Joaquim Segalés Ernesto A. Gómez Jorge Martínez |
| author_facet | Ana Maria Pons Blanca González Joan Pujols Jordi Serratosa Joaquim Segalés Ernesto A. Gómez Jorge Martínez |
| author_sort | Ana Maria Pons |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Digestive disorders are one of the main health problems in suckling piglets. The correct visual identification of feces in suckling piglets is an important tool for the diagnosis of enteric diseases. The aim of the present observational study was to analyze different physicochemical parameters of the feces of suckling piglets aged 0 to 21 days: visual appearance (color and consistency), fecal dry matter (FDM) content and pH. A total of 482 fecal samples were collected and visually classified into six categories: meconium, colostrum stage feces and 4 further scores according to the degree of consistency: 0 = form; 1 = pasty; 2 = liquid; and 3 = watery feces. The percentage of FDM was estimated by two drying methods, oven and microwave, doing duplicates in each one to evaluate methods, and both were compared. Results The most frequent colors of each feces category were dark green or dark brown for meconium; orange for colostrum; formed feces were mostly ocher and for the rest of the feces, the colors varied predominantly cream and ocher. Regarding FDM, liquid and watery categories had no statistically significant differences between them; meconium and colostrum feces FDM were not statistically different from pasty feces. The correlation coefficient between the FDM values of the duplicate analyses of the samples by both methods (oven and microwave) was very high (> 0.988). Importantly, no differences were found while comparing the results between both methods (p = 0.078), and the correlation coefficient between all samples analyzed with both methods was very high (> 0.98). Meconium was the only one that differed significantly from the rest in terms of pH. Conclusion The physicochemical study of the feces of suckling piglets including color, FDM and pH allowed the establishment of an objective fecal score to characterize the stools in this age group. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1cebfa42e350482a979b898116365dad |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2055-5660 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Porcine Health Management |
| spelling | doaj-art-1cebfa42e350482a979b898116365dad2025-08-20T02:40:30ZengBMCPorcine Health Management2055-56602025-01-0111111110.1186/s40813-024-00417-2A proposal of a fecal scoring system based on physicochemical analyses of suckling pig fecesAna Maria Pons0Blanca González1Joan Pujols2Jordi Serratosa3Joaquim Segalés4Ernesto A. Gómez5Jorge Martínez6Mevet SAU – Vall Companys GroupCEGECO –Vall Companys GroupIRTA, Animal Health, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal de la Facultat de Medicina, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Animal, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones AgrariasDepartament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)Abstract Background Digestive disorders are one of the main health problems in suckling piglets. The correct visual identification of feces in suckling piglets is an important tool for the diagnosis of enteric diseases. The aim of the present observational study was to analyze different physicochemical parameters of the feces of suckling piglets aged 0 to 21 days: visual appearance (color and consistency), fecal dry matter (FDM) content and pH. A total of 482 fecal samples were collected and visually classified into six categories: meconium, colostrum stage feces and 4 further scores according to the degree of consistency: 0 = form; 1 = pasty; 2 = liquid; and 3 = watery feces. The percentage of FDM was estimated by two drying methods, oven and microwave, doing duplicates in each one to evaluate methods, and both were compared. Results The most frequent colors of each feces category were dark green or dark brown for meconium; orange for colostrum; formed feces were mostly ocher and for the rest of the feces, the colors varied predominantly cream and ocher. Regarding FDM, liquid and watery categories had no statistically significant differences between them; meconium and colostrum feces FDM were not statistically different from pasty feces. The correlation coefficient between the FDM values of the duplicate analyses of the samples by both methods (oven and microwave) was very high (> 0.988). Importantly, no differences were found while comparing the results between both methods (p = 0.078), and the correlation coefficient between all samples analyzed with both methods was very high (> 0.98). Meconium was the only one that differed significantly from the rest in terms of pH. Conclusion The physicochemical study of the feces of suckling piglets including color, FDM and pH allowed the establishment of an objective fecal score to characterize the stools in this age group.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40813-024-00417-2PigScoreDry-matterpHNeonatalLactating |
| spellingShingle | Ana Maria Pons Blanca González Joan Pujols Jordi Serratosa Joaquim Segalés Ernesto A. Gómez Jorge Martínez A proposal of a fecal scoring system based on physicochemical analyses of suckling pig feces Porcine Health Management Pig Score Dry-matter pH Neonatal Lactating |
| title | A proposal of a fecal scoring system based on physicochemical analyses of suckling pig feces |
| title_full | A proposal of a fecal scoring system based on physicochemical analyses of suckling pig feces |
| title_fullStr | A proposal of a fecal scoring system based on physicochemical analyses of suckling pig feces |
| title_full_unstemmed | A proposal of a fecal scoring system based on physicochemical analyses of suckling pig feces |
| title_short | A proposal of a fecal scoring system based on physicochemical analyses of suckling pig feces |
| title_sort | proposal of a fecal scoring system based on physicochemical analyses of suckling pig feces |
| topic | Pig Score Dry-matter pH Neonatal Lactating |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40813-024-00417-2 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT anamariapons aproposalofafecalscoringsystembasedonphysicochemicalanalysesofsucklingpigfeces AT blancagonzalez aproposalofafecalscoringsystembasedonphysicochemicalanalysesofsucklingpigfeces AT joanpujols aproposalofafecalscoringsystembasedonphysicochemicalanalysesofsucklingpigfeces AT jordiserratosa aproposalofafecalscoringsystembasedonphysicochemicalanalysesofsucklingpigfeces AT joaquimsegales aproposalofafecalscoringsystembasedonphysicochemicalanalysesofsucklingpigfeces AT ernestoagomez aproposalofafecalscoringsystembasedonphysicochemicalanalysesofsucklingpigfeces AT jorgemartinez aproposalofafecalscoringsystembasedonphysicochemicalanalysesofsucklingpigfeces AT anamariapons proposalofafecalscoringsystembasedonphysicochemicalanalysesofsucklingpigfeces AT blancagonzalez proposalofafecalscoringsystembasedonphysicochemicalanalysesofsucklingpigfeces AT joanpujols proposalofafecalscoringsystembasedonphysicochemicalanalysesofsucklingpigfeces AT jordiserratosa proposalofafecalscoringsystembasedonphysicochemicalanalysesofsucklingpigfeces AT joaquimsegales proposalofafecalscoringsystembasedonphysicochemicalanalysesofsucklingpigfeces AT ernestoagomez proposalofafecalscoringsystembasedonphysicochemicalanalysesofsucklingpigfeces AT jorgemartinez proposalofafecalscoringsystembasedonphysicochemicalanalysesofsucklingpigfeces |