A LONCITUDINAL CLINICAL AND HISTOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE MAMMARY GLAND IN PRIMIPAROUS SOWS INTRAMAMMARILY INOCULATED WITH ESCHERICHIA COLI

摘要

Coliform mastitis occurs in the newly farrowed sow and often causes a transitory decrease in milk production. As a result, piglets may not receive the amount of milk needed for normal development. In addition to listlessness and weakness, mastitic sows typically present with mammary glands that are reddish, sore and hot. However, in some affected animals such signs of inflammation are absent (1). An increased rectal temperature within the first two days after parturition is considered by some to be the most consistent finding in connection with this disease (2). A subclinical form of coliform mastitis has also been described (1), which affects piglet performance (3) and can only be detected by laboratory examination. In the present study the mammary glands of 10 sows intramammarily inoculated with E. coli are described clinically and histologically over time, with tie objective of elucidating the relation between time of inoculation, development of clinical signs and histological changes.