Managing swine health has become increasingly complex as producers face multiple diseases at the same time rather than isolated health events. A recent report highlighted the concept of dynamic pig health, with Dr. J.D. Fiechtner of Boehringer Ingelheim explaining why a more holistic approach to herd management is becoming essential for today’s pork producers.
According to Fiechtner, swine operations are commonly dealing with multiple pathogens simultaneously, including Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) and various enteric diseases. These co-infections often occur without obvious clinical signs, making disease management more challenging than in the past.
As a result, veterinarians and producers are increasingly looking beyond individual diseases and evaluating the overall health of the herd.
Dynamic Pig Health Focuses on the Whole Herd
Fiechtner said today’s production environment requires producers to consider how multiple pathogens interact rather than treating each health challenge independently.
“Co-infections, multiple infections are more the norm, not the exception anymore,” Fiechtner said. “These interactions of co-infections or pathogens can affect everything from growth performance to immune responses to efficiency.”
Those interactions can influence animal performance in several ways, including weight gain, feed efficiency and the ability of pigs to respond to disease challenges.
Understanding how these factors work together allows producers to make more informed herd health decisions.
Dynamic Pig Health Supports Better Decision-Making
Fiechtner described the industry’s shift toward what he calls “dynamic pig health,” a management philosophy that considers the broader disease environment affecting a herd.
“It takes into account the full picture of the significance of these co-infections evolving in the disease landscape, basically kind of set up by how we manage and grow pigs,” he said.
Rather than focusing on one pathogen at a time, producers are encouraged to evaluate overall herd health, management practices and biosecurity strategies when making treatment and prevention decisions.
As disease pressures continue to evolve, veterinarians say a holistic approach can help improve animal health, production efficiency and long-term herd performance. Looking at the complete health picture may also allow producers to identify challenges earlier and develop more effective management strategies.
Hear more from Dr. J.D. Fiechtner about dynamic pig health and how producers can better manage co-infections by listening to the interview below.