Search Results (4)

Reproduction is one of the most important considerations for the livestock industry, presenting significant economic and animal health and welfare pressures for producers. Parturition, the process of giving birth, is known to be highly painful in many mammalian species, but the understanding of parturient pain in sows is limited. Farrowing, the process of parturition in pigs, is understudied compared to other livestock species, with very little research available specifically regarding pain. Pain can be detrimental to animal wellbeing; hence, it is vital for it to be reliably detected and managed in such a way that improves both sow and piglet health and welfare. Grimace scales have been developed as a method for pain detection and quantification in animals via observations of facial expression changes in response to painful stimuli. This presents a unique opportunity for improved pain assessment during farrowing, increasing the current understanding of farrowing dynamics and potentially enhancing farrowing management decisions to prioritise sow welfare. This review synthesises and critically analyses the current knowledge on sow parturient pain and the ability for the application of facial grimace scoring to measure pain severity. Grimace scoring was found to be an effective, simple and feasible method of pain assessment in a number of domestic species, and its recent application to farrowing is a promising development in the understanding and management of sow welfare during parturition. Full article

Proper methods of assessment to objectively identify pain are essential for welfare improvements of piglets undergoing surgical castration on commercial farms. The Piglet Grimace Scale (PGS) is used to identify changes in facial expressions caused by acute pain in piglets undergoing tail docking and castration. However, subjective scoring methods are a concern for the validation of the PGS. The objectives of this study were to evaluate and refine the PGS through 3D landmark geometric morphometrics. Male piglets (n = 88) were randomly allocated to one of two treatments: castration and sham-castration. Piglet facial images were taken at four time points (before treatment, immediately post-treatment, 1 h post-treatment, and 4 h post-treatment) using a photogrammetry rig. Images were scored by four raters using five facial action units (FAUs): orbital tightening, ear position, temporal tension, lip contraction, and nose bulge/cheek tension. Three-dimensional facial models were generated and landmarked denoting 3 FAUs (orbital tightening, lip contraction, and nose bulge/cheek tension). Results suggest that orbital tightening and ear position may be reliable FAUs for the PGS. However, neither the PGS nor 3D landmark-based geometric morphometrics were able (both p > 0.10) to reliably identify facial indicators of pain in piglets undergoing castration. Full article

This study aimed to describe a technique to locate retained testes in pigs by means of ultrasound examination and thereafter proceed with cryptorchidectomy. Fifty-two monolateral cryptorchid pigs were enrolled. After anaesthesia, 42 pigs (Group U) underwent ultrasound examination before cryptorchidectomy, and 10 pigs (Group C) were used as control group without ultrasonography. The total duration of anaesthesia, ultrasound examination, and surgery was evaluated. In 10 pigs of Group U and 10 pigs of Group C, the heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), and body temperature (T) were monitored to assess intraoperative pain response. An operator used the Piglet Grimace Scale (PGS) to assess postoperative pain. In Group U, the total time required for anaesthesia and surgery was less than Group C. No intra- or postoperative complications were reported in both groups. For HR, RR, and T, no statistically significant differences were observed. During the postoperative pain assessment, the highest pain scores were recorded at T6 (6 h after surgery). Ultrasound examination was found to be a valid technique for locating the retained testis in the abdomen in cryptorchid pigs and to reduce the duration of the surgery. Full article

Pig cryptorchidism is a congenital anomaly, which requires surgical intervention. Pain assessment in pig farming has some limitations and consumers are increasingly concerned about suffering linked to on-farm procedures. The PGS seems to be a promising tool for pain assessment in piglets, although it has not been investigated whether this tool is applicable to growing pigs. This study was designed to determine whether the PGS could be useful to assess pain in growing pigs undergoing on-farm cryptorchidectomy. Ten mixed-breed cryptorchid pigs were pre-medicated with azaperone and ketamine. Anesthesia was induced and maintained using IV sodium based. Pigs were filmed pre- and 6 h post-surgery to evaluate their behavior (scan sampling every minute). Besides, 36 pictures of the face expressions (18 pre- and 18 6 h post-surgery) were scored with the PGS by three treatment-blind observers. The pre-surgery pig’s activity ratio was 59%, while it was 2% 6 h post-surgery. While the PGS inter-observer reliability was excellent (Interclass Correlation Coefficient value of 0.87), the PGS score increased significantly in pigs 6 h post-surgery (Paired sample t-test, p = 0.02). The PGS proved to be a potentially effective method to assess pain associated with cryptorchidectomy. However, further validation studies are required to validate this tool for other potentially painful procedures. Full article