(introduction...)
Pigs are susceptible to many different internal and external
parasites. You can be sure that in a free-ranging environment where the pigs eat
feces and vegetable waste they will be heavily infested with parasites. In
attempting to improve production one must rid the pigs of parasites or they will
not be able to utilize the feed efficiently. Feed is always too expensive to
give to parasites. Treatment for parasites is expensive, potentially harmful to
the pig, and does not prevent reinfection. Prevention and control of parasites
by breaking their life cycle is far more important than treatment. With both
internal and external parasites it is important for you to know the various life
stages and habits so that you can plan to disrupt their life cycles and destroy
them. Pigs are also the intermediate host for many parasites that affect man.
Therefore, eliminating parasites in swine will serve to eliminate them from man
as well. The information that follows on different internal and external
parasites should help you in your plans to break parasite life cycles by giving
you an understanding of how each parasite
develops.