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This project was funded by Doctorats Industrials de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Number 006/21) and Mevet-SAU - Vall Companys Group.

Analysis of institutional authors

Pujols, JoanAuthorSegales, JoaquimAuthorMartinez, JorgeCorresponding Author

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January 20, 2025
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A proposal of a fecal scoring system based on physicochemical analyses of suckling pig feces

Publicated to:Porcine Health Management. 11 (1): 5- - 2025-01-09 11(1), DOI: 10.1186/s40813-024-00417-2

Authors: Pons, Ana Maria; Gonzalez, Blanca; Pujols, Joan; Serratosa, Jordi; Segales, Joaquim; Gomez, Ernesto A; Martinez, Jorge

Affiliations

Campus Univ Autonoma Barcelona UAB, Ctr Recerca Sanitat Anim CReSA, IRTA, Anim Hlth, Bellaterra 08193, Catalonia, Spain - Author
Campus Univ Autonoma Barcelona UAB, Ctr Recerca Sanitat Anim CReSA, Unitat Mixta Invest IRTA UAB Sanitat Anim, Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain - Author
Campus Univ Autonoma Barcelona UAB, Dept Psiquiatria & Med Legal, Fac Med, Bellaterra 08193, Catalonia, Spain - Author
Campus Univ Autonoma Barcelona UAB, Dept Sanitat & Anat Anim, Fac Vet, Bellaterra 08193, Barcelona, Spain - Author
CEGECO Vall Co Grp, Lleida 25191, Spain - Author
Inst Valenciano Invest Agr, Ctr Invest & Tecnol Anim CITA, Segorbe, Castellon, Spain - Author
IRTA CReSA, WOAH Collaborating Ctr Emerging & Reemerging Pig D, Bellaterra 08193, Barcelona, Spain - Author
Mevet SAU Vall Co Grp, Lleida 25191, Spain - Author
Sanitat Animal. Producció Animal - Author
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Abstract

BackgroundDigestive disorders are one of the main health problems in suckling piglets. The correct visual identification of feces in suckling piglets is an important tool for the diagnosis of enteric diseases. The aim of the present observational study was to analyze different physicochemical parameters of the feces of suckling piglets aged 0 to 21 days: visual appearance (color and consistency), fecal dry matter (FDM) content and pH. A total of 482 fecal samples were collected and visually classified into six categories: meconium, colostrum stage feces and 4 further scores according to the degree of consistency: 0 = form; 1 = pasty; 2 = liquid; and 3 = watery feces. The percentage of FDM was estimated by two drying methods, oven and microwave, doing duplicates in each one to evaluate methods, and both were compared. ResultsThe most frequent colors of each feces category were dark green or dark brown for meconium; orange for colostrum; formed feces were mostly ocher and for the rest of the feces, the colors varied predominantly cream and ocher. Regarding FDM, liquid and watery categories had no statistically significant differences between them; meconium and colostrum feces FDM were not statistically different from pasty feces. The correlation coefficient between the FDM values of the duplicate analyses of the samples by both methods (oven and microwave) was very high (> 0.988). Importantly, no differences were found while comparing the results between both methods (p = 0.078), and the correlation coefficient between all samples analyzed with both methods was very high (> 0.98). Meconium was the only one that differed significantly from the rest in terms of pH. ConclusionThe physicochemical study of the feces of suckling piglets including color, FDM and pH allowed the establishment of an objective fecal score to characterize the stools in this age group.

Keywords

DiarrheDry-matterLactatingNeonatalPhPigScore

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Porcine Health Management due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2025, it was in position 13/167, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Veterinary Sciences. Notably, the journal is positioned above the 90th percentile.

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-07-08:

  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 7 (PlumX).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
  • Assignment of a Handle/URN as an identifier within the deposit in the Institutional Repository: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12327/3722

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: Last Author (MARTINEZ MARTINEZ, JORGE).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been MARTINEZ MARTINEZ, JORGE.