Vetdle

Think. Diagnose. Play.

Vetdle Archive

Archive Case #122: Swine Colibacillosis

Pig veterinary case - Easy - July 3, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. A group of neonatal piglets develops sudden diarrhea and weakness.
  2. The piglets dehydrate and become chilled quickly.
  3. The sow appears well while litter performance drops sharply.
  4. The outbreak is concentrated in the first days of life.
  5. Testing supports enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infection.
  6. Swine colibacillosis is a major cause of secretory diarrhea and dehydration in young piglets.

Diagnosis

Swine Colibacillosis

This case is most consistent with Swine Colibacillosis because the piglets have acute watery neonatal diarrhoea with rapid dehydration and compatible diagnostics. The most important clues are the age and secretory diarrhea pattern, which distinguish it from dysentery or ileitis.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

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

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: A group of neonatal piglets develops sudden diarrhea and weakness.
  2. Clue 2: The piglets dehydrate and become chilled quickly.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: The sow appears well while litter performance drops sharply.
  2. Clue 4: The outbreak is concentrated in the first days of life.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: Testing supports enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infection.
  2. Clue 6: Swine colibacillosis is a major cause of secretory diarrhea and dehydration in young piglets.

Self-review prompts

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

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.