Types and doses of injectable medications given to periparturient sows

Objective-To determine types and doses of injectable medications given to p eriparturient sows and reasons for administering those medications and to c ompare medication practices among farms of different sizes. Design-Survey. Sample Population-301 farms; 231,016 periparturient sows. Procedure-A survey was used to obtain information regarding medications-giv en to sows during the farrowing period. State and federal veterinary medica l officers completed surveys during;their final interview with producers wh o had participated in the National Animal Health Monitoring System's (NAHMS ) Swine 95 study. Data were summarized and treatment regimens compared amon g farms of different sizes; Results-More than a third of the sows received medications during the farro wing period. The most common reasons for administering medications were rou tine preventive treatment and treatment of dystocia, uterine discharge, and poor appetite. The most commonly used medications for treatment of sick so ws were oxytocin, procaine penicillin G, and B vitamins; high percentage of medications were either not indicated for the specific condition or used a t greater or less than the approved close. In general, treatment rates and medications used did not differ among farms of different sizes. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Better treatment protocols are needed to provide more appropriate treatment of sick sows.