Oral fluid replacement by a glucose glycine electrolyte formulation in E coli and rotavirus diarrhoea in pigs

A glucose glycine electrolyte solution (GGES) was investigated to determine its suitability for oral rehydration in diarrhoea in pigs. Piglets with diarrhoea following experimental infection with eneteropathogenic Escherichia coli were given access in cube drinkers to either GGES or water. The mortality in the GGES group (11.6 per cent) was significantly (P less than 0.05) less than in the controls (24.0 per cent), and weight gain in severely diarrhoeic piglets was greater in the GGES group. Gnotobiotic piglets were challenged with pig rotavirus and either given access to GGES or milk. The GGES was either in restricted volume or ad lib. Restricted access to GGES prevented much of the weight loss due to the diarrhoea and ad lib access to GGES allowed relatively uninterrupted weight gain in comparison with controls. In naturally occurring cases of diarrhoea on farms, access to GGES reduced mortality to weaning from 19.7 per cent to 7.2 per cent (P less than 0.05). Weight gain per day was also greater in piglets which scoured for three days or more, indicating the rehydrating effect in reducing net fluid loss. Thus GGES treatment was of value in treatment e&ects of diarrhoea due to either E. coli or rotavirus.