Start by focusing on two key components of breeding herd health in the
fall/winter: temperature management and disease intervention.
We all know that late fall is typically the time when much of the nation
starts seeing 70°+ days and 35°+ nights, which means you’re going to see
some natural fluctuations in barn temperatures. But while keeping the average
daily barn temperature from varying more than 6° to 10° degrees from
one day to the next is a good thing, it’s not the only thing.
From the sow’s point of view, it’s about how cool she got, how warm she
got, and how often those two conditions changed over a 24-hour period. That’s what causes stress, and stress can lower the sow’s ability to fight off respiratory disease-causing pathogens that thrive in the fall/winter.
In addition, fall is the time many producers undertake their nutrient
application efforts, which means they’re emptying the manure out of their
barns at a time when managing natural daily temperature variation is
already a concern. One common-sense precaution during manure removal is
to over-ventilate the barns, which only exacerbates temperature-related stress
on the breeding herd.
That’s where disease intervention comes into play. Two of the primary
pathogens associated with respiratory disease are Pasteurella multocida and
Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae.1
Research shows controlling these two pathogens in breeding animals
can have a significant impact on the quality of the pigs they produce. And
reducing the opportunity for vertical disease transmission from sow to
offspring is a great way to remove one barrier to each pig’s ability to reach its
full genetic potential.
In one study, as a result of respiratory disease control, sows that received
PulmotilT produced an average of 5% more weaned pigs than did sows in
a control group.2 The pigs from Pulmotil-treated sows showed three times
fewer gross pneumonia lesions at weaning than the control pigs, and they
weighed, on average, 9.8% more at the end of the nursery phase.2 This
shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Unstressed sows that aren’t fighting
respiratory disease are likelier to deliver healthier, hardier offspring—and
those offspring have a better chance of becoming Full Value PigsE. That’s
just as true in the fall and winter as it is in the spring and summer.
How to use Pulmotil
Pulmotil dosage Use
181-363 g/ton For the control of swine respiratory disease associated with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
and Pasteurella multocida.
CAUTION: Federal law limits this drug to use under the professional supervision of a licensed veterinarian.
Animal feed bearing or containing this veterinary feed directive drug shall be fed to animals only by
or upon a lawful veterinary feed directive issued by a licensed veterinarian in the course of the veterinarian’s
professional practice.
Feeds containing tilmicosin must be withdrawn 7 days prior to slaughter.
The label contains complete use information, including cautions and warnings. Always read, understand and
follow the label and use directions.
1 Brogden, K. and Guthmiller, J. 2002. “Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex.” Polymicrobial Diseases.
Accessed 4/7/09. .
2 Almond, G., Eads, K. et al. 2006. “Assessment of the therapeutic effect of tilmicosin in lactation feed.”
Proc 19th IPVS Congress: 523.
PulmotilT is a trademark for Elanco’s brand of tilmicosin.
© 2011 Elanco Animal Health.
SBU2541
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