32 Pork News & Views Better Pork April 2021 Pork News & Views Better Pork | October 2024 Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness Sanitation: To prevent infections, you want piglets coming into a clean space. Clean sows, pens, tools, hands and coveralls. Umbilical infections: One of the more common infections and can increase the risk of hernias down the line. Prevent infection by keeping the floor dry and clean. Remove accumulated sow manure, clean behind sow before farrowing, and use a drying agent on the floors. Teeth clipping, tail docking, and castration: If done improperly, these practices can risk infection and injury to young pigs. Use clean, sharp tools, do not leave skin tags behind, and do not use the same tools across procedures. Splay legs: Most commonly seen in the hind legs, the legs will be seen splayed out si- deways and forwards, and cause difficulty standing and walking. The faster it is treated, the better. Piglets with splay legs are at a greater risk of being crushed by their sow or may struggle to feed. Massage and tape the hind legs just above the dewclaw to a 50- 80mm gap and give colostrum (10-15mL every half hour until mobile). Inguinal hernias: Infection pr- evention and careful pig han- dling can decrease their risk of development. Hernias should be dealt with when pigs are young and hernias are small. They can be treated by either surgical or non-surgical methods, depending on the case. Animals with severe hernias are not fit for transport or processing. Know the “cut-off” point: Birt hweight below which efforts do not prove effective. Timely eutha- nasia of low birth-weight or ot- herwise compromised piglets prevents prolonged discomfort and provides littermates with a greater chance of survival. Treatment Decisions It is unacceptable to allow a sick or injured animal to linger unnecessarily. There are three options for producers with ill or compromised animals: treatment, shipping directly to slaughter, and on-farm euthanasia. Work with your veterinarian on early intervention, treatment options, and culling decisions. Treatment should be determined and administered as quickly as possible to prevent deterioration and prolonged discomfort. If an animal is unfit for transport and unlikely to recover, euthanasia may be the best option for animal welfare. All animals unfit for transport or unfit for human consumption must be euthanized on farm, and euthanasia should be carried out by trained individuals using approved methods. For guidelines on humane, legal euthanasia, consult the NFACC’s Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs at: https://www. nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice/pigs Resources OFAC: Caring for Compromised Pigs. June 2010. https://www. farmfoodcareon.org/wp-content/ uploads/2016/04/CaringCompromisedPigs.pdf OMAFA: Guidance on pigs with hernias. May 2021. https://www.ontario.ca/page/guidance-pigs-hernias NFACC: Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs. 2014. https://www.nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice/pig-code Blackwell, T. OMAFRA: Preventing Pig Mortalities: An Animal Welfare Issue We Should All Endorse. 2018. Southwestern Ontario Pork Conference, Ridgetown, Ontario. Part 2 – Caring for Compromised Pigs Even with proper precaution, the reality is that some pigs will be considered unfit, compromised, or at risk, and will require additional care. Producers should be observing their animals frequently (several times a day) to identify animals that are struggling as soon as possible. Pain Indication Pain can be an initial indication that something is wrong, or a sign that treatment efforts are not working as desired. Signs of pain and discomfort in a pig include:
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