Investigating oesophago-gastric ulcers in Australia

A recent study of over 15,000 pigs examined at slaughter showed that oesophago-gastric ulcers in pigs in Australia are at least as common as they are in pigs in other countries. Nearly half of all herds examined in Victoria had pigs with erosions of ulcers, but only 18% of herds in Queensland were similarly affected. There was no evidence that Helicobacter bacteria were involved in causing the condition, since they were present in both health and diseased pigs, nor was any influence of grain type detected. On the other hand, the use of pelleted diets and automated feeding systems were significantly associated with the condition.

This article can also be found at Pig Progress, volume 17, no. 6