Investigating the effects of intramuscular administration of porcine plasma to unthrifty neonatal piglets

The interaction between treatment and the type of litter was found to influence survival of the piglets in the pilot study. The birth weight of the piglet was the main factor in survival and weight gain in the main experimental study with higher birth weight piglets showing increased weight gain and lower mortality rates compared to those that were lighter. Importantly, while it may be possible to transfer immunoglobulins in plasma therapy, in order to obtain significant levels of immunoglobulin transfer, considerably higher doses of plasma than those used in this study will need to be delivered. In addition, this study shows that plasma therapy cannot be reliably used as a sole therapeutic option to improve unthrifty neonate piglet health.