10 KINDS OF ANTIBACTERIAL FOR PIGS

Aminoglycosides

They are very active against gram-negative bacteria such as E.

coli and are used to treat piglet scours and to control bacteria in
the digestive tract. They are bactericidal and are poorly absorbed
from the intestinal tract. The use of streptomycin is banned in
some countries.

Cephalosporins
Most of these medicines are poorly absorbed from the
intestine and are therefore given by injection. They include:

 Cephalexin (Ceporex)
 Ceftiofur (Excenel)
 Ceftiofur has a wide range of activity and is an
excellent medicine for the treatment of
respiratory disease.

Macrolides Pleuromutilins and Lincosamides

This group includes:

 Erythromycin (Erythrocin) - Lincosamide

 Tiamulin (Tiamutin) - Pleuromutilin
 Tilmicosin (Pulmotil) - Macrolide
 Tylosin (Tylan) - Macrolide
 Lincomycin (Lincocin) - Lincosamide
 Valnemulin (Econor) - Pleuromutilin

They are mainly active against gram-positive bacteria and specifically act against mycoplasma
such as M. hyopneumoniae the cause of enzootic pneumonia. Tiamulin, tylosin and lincomycin
are active against Brachyspira hyodysenteriae the cause of swine dysentery. Chloramphenicol is
also a member of this group but its use in food producing animals has been banned in some
countries. Tiamulin, tilmicosin, tylosin and lincomycin are bacteriostatic.
 Penicillins
There are three types:

1. Penicillin G. benzathine - This is not used orally because

it is destroyed in the stomach. It is used only by injection
and is very active against gram-positive bacteria including
staphylococci, streptococci, erysipelothrix and clostridia
and some activity against actinobacillus spp, pasteurella
haemophilus and leptospira. It has a prolonged action.
Penicillin G. procaine - This is slowly released giving a
prolonged action.
2. Acid Resistant - Phenoxymethyl penicillin - This is the oral form, it is absorbed from the
digestive system and not destroyed by gastric juices.
3. Semi-synthetic - Ampicillin, amoxycillin, cloxacillin - Ampicillin and amoxycillin have
a wide range of activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Cloxacillin has
good activity against gram positive.

All the penicillins are bactericidal.

Quinolones
These medicines are new to veterinary medicine. Enrofloxacin
(Baytril) is used in pigs. They are very active against gram-
positive and negative organisms and thus of value in both
respiratory and enteric disease.

Sulphonamides
There are approximately thirty different ones available
but the common ones used in pigs are sulphadimidine
(also called sulphamezathine) and sulphadiazine. The
former recycles in the environment via faeces and can
be responsible for tissue residue failures at slaughter
particularly in the kidneys. Sulphonamides are often
combined with synthetic substances called
trimethoprim and baquiloprim. They are then termed
potentiated sulphonamides and have a wider spectrum
of activity. Sulphonamides are bacteriostatic but have
a wide range of activity against both gram-positive
and gram-negative organisms and they are also active
against chlamydia, toxoplasma and coccidia spp.
Tetracyclines
These antibiotics are produced from streptomyces fungi and
are widely used in pig medicine. Tetracyclines include
oxytetracycline (OTC) and chlortetracycline (CTC). They
have a wide range of activity against gram-positive and
gram-negative bacteria. They are bacteriostatic at low levels
but may become bactericidal at high doses and are used in
respiratory diseases and secondary bacterial infections. The
common ones are OTC (terramycin) and CTC (aureomycin).

Dimetridazole (Emtryl) - This may be used either in

feed or water. It acts mainly on anaerobic bacteria and it
used specifically in swine dysentery and colitis.

Nitrofurans - These are mainly active against gram-

negative organisms found in the intestinal tract and are
available for feed medication.

 Furazolidone (Neftin) - Available for in-feed

medication or oral use
 Furaltadone - Another nitrofuran used against
salmonella and E. coli infections by water
medication.
 Nifulidone - This is only available for water
medication.

Enrofloxacin (brand name: Baytril®) is a

fluoroquinolone antibiotic used to treat bacterial
infections. Its use in dogs to treat certain specific
infections and its use in small mammals, birds, and
reptiles is 'off label' or 'extra label'. Many drugs are
commonly prescribed for off label use in veterinary
medicine.