Classic “causes” of pre-weaning diarrhoea

1	A range of disease agents – E. coli, TGE, Coccidiosis, Clostridia, Rotovirus etc.
2	Almost any air movement is undesirable >0.2 m/sec (> 50 feet/min) is a draught
3	Chilling of the piglets, check lying patterns and creep temperatures (ideally 30•C)
4	Variable temperatures in the creep
5	Damp floors particularly in the creep area
6	Poor colostrum intake
7	No milk in the sows, check udder line – mycotoxins and management
8	Degree of cross-fostering
9	Piglet treatments not been clean enough, Check cross-contamination between healthy and sick piglets
10	Infection transfer - is there a separate brush and scrape for each room, foot baths, personal hygiene
11	Poor room cleaning between batches
12	Number of sows farrowing each week, application of all-in all out and pig flow
13	Presence of udder oedema
14	Amount of navel bleeding
15	Type of iron injection utilised, more post-weaning scour
16	Vaccine storage protocols

As part of the investigation, if post-mortem examinations are required, select an acutely sick piglet, not a chronic piglet which is likely to have secondary infections which may mask the actual causal agent(s).