Investigation of jaundice in pigs
Published 2 July 2026
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
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Jaundice is due to an accumulation of bilirubin and can be:
- pre-hepatic – disruption happens before bilirubin has been transported from the blood to the liver e.g. haemolysis
- intra-hepatic (aka hepatocellular) – disruption happens inside the liver
- post-hepatic (aka obstructive) – disruption prevents bile (and thus bilirubin) from draining into the digestive system
Pathology
Jaundice is most easily seen externally in the skin in non-pigmented breeds, in the conjunctivae and sclera and in the vulval mucosa. It is less easy to see in the oral mucosa. Full post-mortem examination will reveal yellowed subcutis and fat. Check in particular for anaemia, liver and kidney pathology, lymphadenopathy appearance of urine, and any other lesions.
Samples and tests to investigate main differential diagnoses for jaundice in pigs
| Diagnosis | Sample | Test | Main gross pathology | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Septicaemia | Charcoal swabs from systemic sites | Bacterial culture | General, non-specific | Erysipelas cases are occasionally jaundiced |
| Leptospirosis | Kidney – fresh (hold fresh liver) | Pathogenic leptospira PCR | Renal – pale or discoloured, haemorrhages, swollen | Mainly periweaning and mostly rodent-leptospire associated |
| Coal tar toxicity | Liver, kidney, lymph node, spleen fixed | Histopathology | Hepatic necrosis, anaemia, ascites | Check for source of coal tar |
| Porcine circovirus 2 hepatitis | Liver, kidney, lymph node, spleen fixed | Histopathology (and immunohistochemistry if no viral inclusions) | Hepatitis and lymphoid depletion | Postweaned and may be seen in young pigs in unvaccinated herds |
| Ragwort toxicity | Liver, kidney, lymph node, spleen fixed | Histopathology | Hepatic fibrosis | Uncommon diagnosis |
| M. suis haemolytic anaemia | Spleen – fresh (or better EDTA blood from affected pig) | Mycoplasma DGGE/PCR | Circulatory - anaemia | Uncommon diagnosis |
e.g. meninges, liver, spleen, lung fix in 1:10 formalin with a wide range of other tissues.
For queries or comments contact: pigexpertgroup@apha.gov.uk
PCV2 hepatitis (see pig section of link)
Leptospirosis (see page 9 of link)