Respiratory diseases are of considerable economic importance in pigs, and less emphasis is on the diagnostic approaches in porcine health in our environment. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of haematology, gross, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and histopathological changes of pneumonia in pigs. The study was conducted at a municipal abattoir for over three months. 146 finished pigs were clinically examined. Blood samples were taken, while the plucks were examined for lung lesions. Lavage samples and lung sections were taken for BAL and histological examinations. Six breeds were slaughtered comprising Large White 112 (77%), Mixed Breed 15 (10%), Duroc 7 (5%), Local 6 (4%), Hampshire 4 (3%), and Large Black 2 (1%). 71 (49%) were males and 75 (51%) were females. Grossly, there was pneumonia in 92 (63%) of the pigs and the mean pulmonary consolidation score was 9.6±1.2. The large white breed had the highest consolidation score. Also, the right and left caudal lobes had the highest consolidation scores. Clinically, there was mild anaemia and leukocytosis, and BAL fluid cellular differential showed increased lymphocytic and neutrophilic counts in the pigs with pneumonia (p
Key words: Bronchoalveolar lavage, Cytology, Swine, Pneumonia, Diagnostics
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