Teeth clipping
Teeth clipping in pigs is a management practice in which the sharp tips of newborn piglets' teeth are trimmed or filed to reduce the risk of injury to sows during nursing and minimize aggression-related injuries among piglets.
Some piglets are born with erupted teeth; in order to avoid sow teat injury and damage between piglets, some farms clip their deciduous teeth.[1] Lesions caused by piglet teeth are superficial, and mortality is lower among pigs that don't undergo painful procedures, including teeth clipping.[2][3]
Disadvantages
[edit]Some of the disadvantages of teeth clipping are:[1][2][4][5][6]
- Piglets may stop eating due to pain
- Antibiotic overuse[clarification needed]
- Decreased weight gain
- Hemorrhage (blood loss)
- Teeth fracture
- Gum damage
- Abscess
- Mouth infections
- Joint infections
- Systemic infections
- Lethargy due to infection
- Higher stress and cortisol, which reduces muscle mass in pigs[7][8]
Many contend that the harms of teeth clipping exceed the benefits.[1]
Ethics
[edit]Teeth clipping, if done without anesthetic or analgesic (a common practice), is painful.[9] Teeth clipping often exposes the dental pulp, thereby exposing nerves, causing chronic pain. If the exposed dental pulp becomes infected, extreme pain will follow.[4]
Alternatives
[edit]Smaller litter sizes, less dense and intensive pig farming, cage-free farming, and better feed for sows. [10][2]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Sutherland MA (January 2015). "Welfare implications of invasive piglet husbandry procedures, methods of alleviation and alternatives: a review". New Zealand Veterinary Journal. 63 (1): 52–57. doi:10.1080/00480169.2014.961990. PMID 25204203.
- ^ a b c "Solutions for ending painful piglet procedures: teeth reduction". www.thepigsite.com. Retrieved 2024-09-03.
- ^ Van Beirendonck S, Driessen B, Verbeke G, Permentier L, Van de Perre V, Geers R (2012-03-01). "Improving survival, growth rate, and animal welfare in piglets by avoiding teeth shortening and tail docking". Journal of Veterinary Behavior. 7 (2): 88–93. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2011.08.005. ISSN 1558-7878.
- ^ a b "Avoiding the Need to Teeth Clip Piglets" (PDF). A Greener World Technical Advice Fact Sheet No. 19.
- ^ Hay W, Rue J, Sansac C, Brunel G, Prunier A (2004). "Long-term detrimental effects of tooth clipping or grinding in piglets: a histological approach". Animal Welfare. 13 (1): 27–32. doi:10.1017/S0962728600026622. ISSN 0962-7286.
- ^ Menegatti L, Silva KC, Baggio RA, Silva AS, Paiano D, Zotti ML (2018-01-10). "Los procedimientos dentales postnatales afectan la ganancia de peso y el bienestar de los lechones" [Postnatal dental procedures affect weight gain and welfare of piglets]. Revista MVZ Córdoba (in Spanish). 23 (1): 6429–6437. doi:10.21897/rmvz.1238. ISSN 1909-0544.
- ^ Yoshioka G, Imaeda N, Ohtani T, Hayashi K (November 2005). "Effects of cortisol on muscle proteolysis and meat quality in piglets". Meat Science. 71 (3): 590–593. doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2005.05.015. PMID 22060938.
- ^ Wan X, Wang D, Xiong Q, Xiang H, Li H, Wang H, et al. (November 2016). "Elucidating a molecular mechanism that the deterioration of porcine meat quality responds to increased cortisol based on transcriptome sequencing". Scientific Reports. 6 (1) 36589. Bibcode:2016NatSR...636589W. doi:10.1038/srep36589. PMC 5105143. PMID 27833113.
- ^ Schmid SM, Steinhoff-Wagner J (2022-01-17). "Impact of Routine Management Procedures on the Welfare of Suckling Piglets". Veterinary Sciences. 9 (1): 32. doi:10.3390/vetsci9010032. ISSN 2306-7381. PMC 8778417. PMID 35051116.
- ^ Chou JY, Marchant JN, Nalon E, Huynh TT, van de Weerd HA, Boyle LA, et al. (2022-12-02). "Investigating risk factors behind piglet facial and sow teat lesions through a literature review and a survey on teeth reduction". Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 9 909401. doi:10.3389/fvets.2022.909401. PMC 9755856. PMID 36532351.