Vetdle Archive Case #101: Swine Mange

Clinical Clues

Growing pigs are rubbing persistently against pen fittings and scratching at the ears.
The skin over the ears, shoulders, and flanks becomes thickened and crusted.
Several pigs in the group are affected and are becoming restless.
Pruritus is severe and worsens over time.
Skin scrapings identify mites consistent with Sarcoptes infestation.
This highly pruritic parasitic skin disease commonly causes crusting and reduced performance in pigs.

Diagnosis

Swine Mange

This case is most consistent with Swine Mange because the pigs have severe pruritus, crusting skin lesions, and confirmatory mites on scraping. The most important clues are the intense itching and group spread, which make a nutritional skin problem less likely.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

Use the paired clues to explain how the evidence in this pig case supports the provided diagnosis, Swine Mange, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

Clue 1: Growing pigs are rubbing persistently against pen fittings and scratching at the ears.
Clue 2: The skin over the ears, shoulders, and flanks becomes thickened and crusted.

Clues 3-4

Clue 3: Several pigs in the group are affected and are becoming restless.
Clue 4: Pruritus is severe and worsens over time.

Clues 5-6

Clue 5: Skin scrapings identify mites consistent with Sarcoptes infestation.
Clue 6: This highly pruritic parasitic skin disease commonly causes crusting and reduced performance in pigs.

Self-review prompts

After clues 1-2, what evidence from this pig case shaped your initial interpretation?
When you compare clues 3-4 with clues 1-2, what changed in your reasoning about Swine Mange?
How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Swine Mange?

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.