Assessment of abdominal lesions in pigs with wounded umbilical outpouchings transported to slaughter

Benjamin Meyer Jørgensen, Tina Birk Jensen, Cecilie Brandt Becker, Christoffer Kirkelund Flyger, Maja Vive Christensen, Andreas Birch, Henrik Elvang Jensen*

*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

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Abstract

Background: Umbilical outpouchings (UOs) in pigs are of welfare and production concern in Danish pig herds. One of the challenges is the transportation of these animals due to the size of the UOs and ulcerations on them. With certain precautions and an approval from a veterinarian, pigs with UOs may be transported, however, UOs are associated with several intra-abdominal lesions, e.g. peritonitis and incarceration, which may worsen during the process of transportation. The prevalence and characterization of intra-abdominal lesions associated with UOs following transportation has not been investigated. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate lesions associated with the intestines and peritoneum in slaughter pigs with wounded UOs following transportation to an abattoir. Results: A cross-sectional study involving three conventional Danish pig herds was conducted comprising 96 slaughter pigs with wounded UOs transported to an abattoir. Following slaughter the UOs with accompanying intestines were examined pathologically. Three distinct morphological categories were present: hernia, enterocystoma and herniating enterocystoma. Intra-abdominal lesions were present in 72% of the animals, representing 65% (44/68) of the hernias, 77% (10/13) of the enterocystomas, and 100% (15/15) of the herniating enterocystomas. Several different lesions were found like bleedings, acute/chronic peritonitis and hypertrophy of the intestinal muscular layers. Conclusions: The prevalence of intra-abdominal lesions in pigs transported with a wounded UO was found to be high independent of the underlying condition, and it is clear that these pigs possess a vulnerable group of animals, especially during physical stressful situations like transportation. More information is needed regarding the prevalence of intra-abdominal lesions in UO pigs without wounds on the UO. The results provide valuable knowledge, that can be used when examining and evaluating UO pigs before transportation.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
Artikelnummer17
TidsskriftPorcine Health Management
Vol/bind10
Antal sider7
ISSN2055-5660
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2024

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
The research was funded by the Pig Levy Foundation. The funding body had no impact on study design, data collection/ analyses, interpretation, or manuscript writing.

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.

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