Health-compromised pigs, those facing immune challenges, disease pressure, weaning stress, or exposure to suboptimal environments, exhibit altered nutrient and energy metabolism, reduced feed intake, impaired gut function, and growth. Depending on the stage of production, the stress type, severity, and duration of these conditions may require specialized nutritional strategies to mitigate production losses and support recovery. Altogether, these impact pig production efficiency and increase the risk of mortality. Dietary crude protein levels, acids, reducing anti-nutritional factors, energy to lysine ratios, antioxidants, acidifiers, probiotics, therapeutic minerals, functional amino acids and functional fiber are all nutritional strategies and approaches to manage health-compromised pigs. These nutritional strategies for health-compromised pigs may go beyond supporting growth. However, they need to be targeted to specific pathogens, pathogenesis, and the age of the pig. Conclusion: Disease remains a major barrier to swine performance, with both enteric and respiratory infections. Biosecurity, good management practices, and therapeutics set the foundation for optimal pig health and production. However, diet remains a flexible tool for pig producers. Nutritional strategies that support feed intake, gut health, and immune resilience are critical during these challenges. Depending on the pathogen or stressor and pig age, adjusting amino acid density, managing fiber type, and improving feed form and composition can all help mitigate losses. Soybean meal, while sometimes negative depending on anti-nutritional factors and crude protein levels in complete feed, may enhance immune responses and reduce pig mortality. Ultimately, precision nutrition delivered early and tailored to the pathogen and production phase offers a powerful, daily tool to reduce antimicrobial reliance and preserve pig livability and performance.
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Gabler, N. 2025. Nutritional Management of Health Compromised Pigs: Implications and Approaches. Proceedings of the 2025 Midwest Swine Nutrition Conference, pp. 39-44