title: Observations on the action of amperozide: are there social influences on sow-litter productivity?
abstract: The effects of amperozide on sow performance when administered as a single intramuscular injection of 1 mg kg-1 at the time of either farrowing or weaning, or on both occasions were evaluated. Treatments were given during the rearing of two consecutive litters with each individual sow remaining on the same treatment throughout the trial. In total, 64 sows, 16 per treatment group, were used to investigate the effects on weight loss during lactation, mastitis-metritis agalactia (MMA) and duration of the reproductive cycle. Untreated control sows lost more weight (2 to 3 kg) during lactation than sows treated with amperozide at farrowing. No clinical outbreak of MMA was recorded in the amperozide groups dosed at the time of farrowing. The number of empty days was decreased (about three days) in sows treated with amperozide at weaning. Furthermore, pre-weaning mortality decreased (8 per cent) and piglet growth rate improved (6 per cent) when sows were treated with amperozide at farrowing. The results suggest that amperozide improves the health status and productivity of sows by reducing their emotional responses to novel or threatening situations.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kyriakis
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Olsson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Martinsson
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Björk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D007774:Lactation / Q000187:drug effects*; D007775:Lactation Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D010879:Piperazines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012472:Salivation / Q000187:drug effects; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D014886:Weaning; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D010879:Piperazines; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; C049058:amperozide