Post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) is a major welfare and production challenge in pig farming, with efforts to reduce antibiotic use driving development of alternative preventive approaches.
Post-weaning diarrhea welfare involves acute gastrointestinal disease causing dehydration, weight loss, and mortality in piglets that have already experienced the stress of weaning and dietary change. The welfare challenge is compounded by regulatory pressure to reduce antibiotic use while maintaining disease control. Alternative approaches including vaccination, improved weaning management, and dietary modification provide prevention opportunities but require integrated implementation. The ban on pharmacological zinc oxide in the EU has accelerated research into alternatives but has also increased PWD prevalence in some herds, creating short-term welfare costs from the regulatory change.