The Neonatal Pig

Covers the basic anatomy and histology of the gastrointestinal tract, and the postnatal growth and functional maturation of the gastrointestinal system in neonatal pigs.

This monograph contains 12 Chapters written by leading scientists from Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong and the USA.

With the modern practice of early weaning, the gastrointestinal system of the neonatal pig has been pushed to its limit, resulting in numerous problems including diarrhoea, malnutrition and the postweaning growth check. To deal with these problems, much research has been performed during the last decade and a wealth of information on the interrelationships between gastrointestinal development and nutrient assimilation in neonatal pigs has accumulated. However, the information is scattered in a multitude of scientific journals and conference proceedings, and is not always easily accessible to many workers in the pig industry including most animal nutritionists. This volume aims to bring together the most up-to-date knowledge in this field and to provide a single source of reference.

The book covers the basic anatomy and histology of the gastrointestinal tract, and the postnatal growth and functional maturation of the gastrointestinal system in neonatal pigs. It also covers the nutrition and metabolism of neonatal pigs during the early postnatal period and issues concerning creep feeding and early weaning diets. Gastrointestinal disorders in neonatal pigs during pre- and post-weaning periods and the use of piglets as experimental models for studying such topics as total parenteral nutrition and prenatal growth retardation in human infants are discussed.