Administration of ketoprofen in postpartum sows to control the incidence of post-parturient disorders and improve piglet survival rate

Objective Inflammation and pain management in postpartum hyperprolific sows is currently an important animal welfare issue in the swine industry. The present study investigates effects of ketoprofen treatment on the incidence of post-parturient disorders, feed intake, colostrum yield, piglet colostrum intake, colostrum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and piglet mortality rate during the first 3 days of postnatal life. Methods In total, 61 Danish Landrace×Yorkshire crossbred sows and their offspring (n = 833) were included in the experiment. The sows were randomly distributed into two groups: i) control (n = 31), sows were treated with tolfenamic acid 2 mg per kg for 2 days postpartum; ii) ketoprofen (n = 30), sows were treated with ketoprofen 3 mg per kg for 2 days postpartum. The farrowing process of the sows was monitored for 24 h daily, and data associated with farrowing were collected. Piglet colostrum intake, sow colostrum yield and colostrum IgG were determined. Results During the first 3 days postpartum, the incidence of sows that had fever did not differ between control and ketoprofen groups (51.6% and 56.7%, respectively, p = 0.692). Piglet colostrum intake did not differ between control and ketoprofen groups (p = 0.736). However, the proportions of piglets that had inadequate colostrum intake were 71.3%, 22.6%, and 5.4% in those with birth weights of <1.0 kg, 1.0 to 1.29 kg, and ≥1.30 kg, respectively (p<0.001). The piglet mortality rate did not differ between control and ketoprofen groups (p = 0.808). Conclusion Administration of ketoprofen in postpartum sows for 2 days can control the evidence of post-parturient disorders in sows as effectively as the use of tolfenamic acid. No deleterious effect of ketoprofen was detected on sow colostrum yield, piglet colostrum intake and piglet mortality. Therefore, ketoprofen can be recommended as an alternative anti-inflammatory drug used in postpartum sows.