E. Baranyiova et A. Holub, THE EFFECTS OF DIARRHEA ON FOOD-INTAKE IN PIGLETS WEANED ON THE DAY OF BIRTH, Veterinarni medicina, 38(11), 1993, pp. 659-665
Large White x Landrace piglets (23 animals) weaned on the first day af
ter birth were reared individually in a thermoneutral environment on a
liquid diet having a macronutrient content similar to that of sow's m
ilk. They were offered the diet from sucking bottles nine times a day
at 2-h intervals. According to the appearance of the faeces the animal
s were divided into two groups: diarrhoeic piglets and clinically heal
thy animals. Their consumption of the diet, energy (GE) and macronutri
ents was assessed from the 3rd to the 10th day after birth; a total of
514 and 441 measurements were made in diarrhoeic piglets and healthy
controls, respectively. With advancing age the intake of the diet by a
nimals of the two groups changed in the same way as we described in pr
evious studies. In diarrhoeic piglets, however, both the actual and th
e relative food intake, expressed in relation to live body mass and me
tabolic mass, was lower on days 3, 5 and 6 than in the healthy control
s. In the period of the ealier described transient decrease in food co
nsumption this difference disappeared and was observed again in piglet
s 9 (actual diet intake) and 10 (both actual and relative diet intake)
days of age. Impairment of their enteral functions manifested by decr
eased ingestion of the liquid diet, GE, N substances and lipids was al
so observed after ontogenic shift of regulatory mechanisms of food int
ake control to a higher integrative level.