A comparative study of young wild boars’ and rearing piglets’ health status with regard to the behavioral disorder tail biting in pigs

This study analyses a potential link of certain pathological findings to tail biting and whether tail biting/necrosis occurs in wild boars. Thirteen young wild boars and 17 rearing pigs were pathologically examined and findings compared by Chi²/t-Tests. Sixty-five tails of wild boars were analyzed pathohistologically. Typical pathological findings in wild boars were linked to parasitic infections, which were not seen in rearing pigs. However, significantly more rearing pigs were affected by parameters linked to gut health (P = 0.05) and rhinitis (P = 0.02). Pathological deviations in tails of wild boars were linked to external parasites. Wild boars are not healthier than rearing pigs (or vice versa). However, causes for diseases differ. The gut seems to be challenged in the rearing pigs. This may be explained by a nutritional challenge due to early weaning and might be linked to the development of tail biting. No evidence for tail biting/necrosis in wild boars was found.