Transcript Testing a novel method to minimize pain due to processing in piglets

Testing a novel method to minimize pain
due to processing in piglets
M.J.
1
Séguin ,
A.
2
Livingston ,
J.
3
Alcorn
and J.M.
1
Stookey
University of Saskatchewan
1Large Animal Clinical Sciences , 2Veterinary Biomedical Sciences and 3College of Pharmacy and Nutrition
Introduction
Methodology
Progress
Newborn piglets are subjected to multiple
routine husbandry procedures such as tail
docking, teeth clipping and castration,
without attempts to alleviate the pain.
• It is easier to prevent pain rather than attempt to alleviate it. Therefore to maximize
pain control, piglets should be given painkillers prior to the “insult” (i.e. castration, tail
docking) rather than after.
• Ten sows were administered a single
intravenous dose of Anafen (15 mg/kg;
Merial Canada), a non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug, on their 4th day of
lactation.
• There are two methods by which one could achieve this requirement;
• Blood samples were collected from six
sows over a 24 hour period postinjection from an ear vein catheter.
Method 1
These procedures are painful to piglets
(Weary et al. 1998, AABS, 56:161-172)
and the pain may persist for hours or days
post-procedure (Noonan et al., 1994,
AABS, 39:203-213; Hay et al. 2003,
AABS, 82:201-218).
Piglet well-being would be greatly
improved if pain control measures were
adopted by the industry. However, there
are currently no practical or economical
options available to producers.
• Milk samples were collected from four
sows at four nursing intervals postinjection.
Catch and restrain
piglet
Administer
analgesic to each
piglet individually
Release piglet and
wait a short period
for analgesic to take
effect
Re-handle piglet
and process
(i.e. castrate)
• This process is not very practical and can be quite time consuming in addition to
increasing piglet stress due to the multiple handlings.
• Determine the benefits of this drug
administration route by measuring the
behavioural responses of piglets during
and after processing.
Implications
The use of a sow as a vehicle for drug
transfer to piglets may prove to be an
ergonomic way to mitigate the pain due to
routine processing of piglets.
Method 2
Objectives
• Investigate the concept of delivering
analgesics to piglets via the sow’s milk.
• Plasma and milk samples are currently
being analyzed by HPLC with UV
detection for drug concentration.
Acknowledgements
Administer analgesic
via a single injection to
a newly lactating sow
Wait for the analgesic to
transfer to the piglets
via the milk and for the
drug to take effect
Catch piglet and
process
(i.e. castrate)
• This process can reduce the labour commitment, is ergonomically and practically
sound and requires handling the piglet only once.
This study is being conducted at the
Prairie Swine Centre and has received
financial support from the Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research
Council.