Sows are the foundation for both the farm they live on and the pork supply chain. They will determine the profitability of the farm, which makes them crucial assets. Diseases like swine respiratory disease (SRD) and porcine proliferative enteritis (PPE, ileitis) challenge producers every day.

Instead of focusing solely on restoring the sow’s health for immediate return to production, it’s crucial to provide care that prioritizes long-term health and productivity. Sows that contract SRD or ileitis require timely treatment to prevent the formation of lesions in the lung or intestinal tract, highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach.

Water-soluble antibiotics are fast, flexible, effective, and require little human labor. When the urgency of illness arises and threatens animals, antibiotics via water are a strong option. A caretaker can provide relief from disease with one antibiotic prescribed by their veterinarian to combat particular infectious agents. Water-soluble antibiotics increased by 4% from 2001 to 2020. By 2020, water as a route of administration (ROA) represented 30% of treatment administration.

Water, as a route of administration, is an ideal source for operations with large numbers of animals. The fact that most animals continue to consume water even when ill makes it a practical and efficient method for providing relief.

Enteric pathogens like ileitis can debilitate gilts and young sows in clinical and subclinical cases. These pathogens can rob the female of the nutrients she needs to grow and mature. The goal is to keep the female’s energy going towards reproduction development rather than immunity to fight disease. Water-soluble antibiotics are a quick source of treatment for clinical cases, which can be life-threatening and cause loss of production.