Respiratory disease is among the most common and welfare-significant health problems affecting commercial pig production globally.
Respiratory disease in pigs causes genuine suffering — difficulty breathing, fever, reduced ability to move and feed normally, and in severe cases death. The conditions that predispose to respiratory disease — poor air quality, high ammonia, temperature fluctuation, and overcrowding — are themselves welfare problems independent of disease risk. Welfare-centred respiratory disease prevention addresses housing conditions as the primary intervention: appropriate ventilation that maintains air quality without draughts, appropriate stocking density, minimising mixing events that create stress and disease transfer opportunities. Antibiotic treatment when clinically indicated reduces suffering, but biosecurity and environmental management are more effective as prevention.