Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T16:01:33.107Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of a local anaesthetic and NSAID in castration of piglets, on the acute pain responses, growth and mortality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2012

M. Kluivers-Poodt ,
B. B. Houx ,
S. R. M. Robben ,
G. Koop ,
E. Lambooij  and
L. J. Hellebrekers
M. Kluivers-Poodt*
Affiliation:
Wageningen University and Research Centre, Livestock Research, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
B. B. Houx
Affiliation:
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, PO Box 80154, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands
S. R. M. Robben
Affiliation:
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, PO Box 80154, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands
G. Koop
Affiliation:
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, PO Box 80154, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands
E. Lambooij
Affiliation:
Wageningen University and Research Centre, Livestock Research, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
L. J. Hellebrekers
Affiliation:
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, PO Box 80154, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The present study addresses the questions whether on-farm use of local anaesthesia with lidocaine leads to a reduction in pain responses during castration, and whether the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam improves technical performance after castration of piglets. Five treatments were included in the study: (1) castration without anaesthesia or analgesia (CAST), (2) castration after local anaesthesia with lidocaine (LIDO), (3) castration after administration of meloxicam (MELO), (4) castration after lidocaine and meloxicam (L + M) and (5) sham castration (SHAM). To reduce litter influences, each treatment was present in each of the 32 litters (n = 32 per treatment). During castration, vocalizations were recorded continuously. Blood samples were collected 15 min before and 20 min after castration for determination of plasma levels of total cortisol, glucose, lactate and creatine kinase (CK). Mortality was registered and piglets were weighed several times to calculate growth. Several aspects of vocalizations during castration showed consistent and significantly different levels in CAST compared with LIDO, L + M and SHAM. CAST piglets squealed longer, louder and higher. Vocalizations of MELO piglets most resembled those of CAST. An increase in cortisol was seen in all treatments. However, in SHAM piglets this increase was significantly lower than in the other treatments. LIDO piglets showed a significantly smaller increase in plasma cortisol levels compared with CAST and MELO. L + M piglets differed significantly only from the SHAM group. Lactate levels differed significantly between LIDO and MELO, the level in LIDO being decreased after castration. In the other treatments an increase was measured. No treatment effects were found in plasma glucose and CK levels, nor in growth and mortality of the piglets. In conclusion, on the basis of vocalizations and plasma cortisol, local anaesthesia with lidocaine reduces pain responses in piglets during castration. A positive effect of meloxicam on technical performance was not found.

Keywords

castrationpigletlidocainemeloxicamvocalization
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 6 , Issue 9 , September 2012 , pp. 1469 - 1475
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Carroll, JA, Berg, EL, Strauch, TA, Roberts, MP, Kattesh, HG 2006. Hormonal profiles, behavioral responses, and short-term growth performance after castration of pigs at three, six, nine, or twelve days of age. Journal of Animal Science 84, 1271–1278.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Engelhardt, G, Homma, D, Schlegel, K, Utzmann, R, Schnitzler, C 1995. Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic and related properties of meloxicam, a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent with favorable gastrointestinal tolerance. Inflammation Research 44, 423–433.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
European Food Safety Authority 2004. Welfare aspects of the castration of piglets. The EFSA Journal 91, 1–18.Google Scholar
Haga, HA, Ranheim, B 2005. Castration of piglets: the analgesic effects of intratesticular and intrafunicular lidocaine injection. Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia 32, 1–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hay, M, Vulin, A, Genin, S, Sales, P, Prunier, A 2003. Assessment of pain induced by castration in piglets: behavioral and physiological responses over the subsequent 5 days. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 82, 201–218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kielly, J, Dewey, CE, Cochran, M 1999. Castration at 3 days of age temporarily slows growth of pigs. Swine Health and Production 7, 151–153.Google Scholar
Kluivers-Poodt, M, Hopster, H, Spoolder, HAM 2007. Castration under anaesthesia and/or analgesia in commercial pig production. Animal Sciences Group, Wageningen UR, Lelystad.Google Scholar
Llamas Moya, S, Boyle, LA, Lynch, PB, Arkins, S 2008. Effect of surgical castration on the behavioural and acute phase responses of 5-day-old piglets. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 111, 133–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marx, G, Horn, T, Thielebein, J, Knubel, B, Von Borell, E 2003. Analysis of pain-related vocalization in young pigs. Journal of Sound and Vibration 266, 687–698.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McGlone, JJ, Hellman, JM 1988. Local and general anesthetic effects on behavior and performance of two and seven-week-old castrated and uncastrated piglets. Journal of Animal Science 66, 3049–3058.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGlone, JJ, Nicholson, RI, Hellman, JM, Herzog, DN 1993. The development of pain in young pigs associated with castration and attempts to prevent castration-induced behavioral changes. Journal of Animal Science 71, 1441–1446.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Minematsu, T, Nakagami, G, Sari, Y, Akase, T, Sugama, J, Nagase, T, Sanada, H 2010. Candidate biomarkers for deep tissue damage from molecular biological and biochemical aspects. Journal of Tissue Viability 19, 77–83.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Molony, V, Kent, JE 1997. Assessment of acute pain in farm animals using behavioral and physiological measurements. Journal of Animal Science 75, 266–272.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morton, DB, Griffiths, HM 1985. Guidelines on the recognition of pain, distress and discomfort in experimental animals and an hypothesis for assessment. Veterinary Record 116, 413–416.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prunier, A, Mounier, AM, Hay, M 2005. Effects of castration, tooth resection, or tail docking on plasma metabolites and stress hormones in young pigs. Journal of Animal Science 83, 216–222.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pugh, DM 1991. Local anaesthesia and voluntary muscle relaxation. In Veterinary applied pharmacology & therapeutics (ed. GC Brander, DM Pugh, RJ Bywater and WL Jenkins), pp. 81–96. Bailliere Tindall, London, UK.Google Scholar
Puppe, B, Schon, PC, Tuchscherer, A, Manteuffel, G 2005. Castration-induced vocalisation in domestic piglets, Sus scrofa: complex and specific alterations of the vocal quality. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 95, 67–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ranheim, B, Haga, HA, Ingebrigtsen, K 2005. Distribution of radioactive lidocaine injected into the testes in piglets. Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics 28, 481–483.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rutherford, K, Robson, SK, Donald, RD, Jarvis, S, Sandercock, DA, Scott, EM, Nolan, AM, Lawrence, AB 2009. Pre-natal stress amplifies the immediate behavioural responses to acute pain in piglets. Biology Letters 5, 452–454.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taylor, AA, Weary, DM 2000. Vocal responses of piglets to castration: identifying procedural sources of pain. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 70, 17–26.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taylor, AA, Weary, DM, Lessard, M, Braithwaite, L 2001. Behavioural responses of piglets to castration: the effect of piglet age. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 73, 35–43.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weary, DM, Braithwaite, LA, Fraser, D 1998. Vocal response to pain in piglets. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 56, 161–172.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wemelsfelder, F, van Putten, G 1985. Behaviour as a possible indicator for pain in piglets. Report B-260, Instituut voor Veeteeltkundig Onderzoek ‘Schoonoord’.Google Scholar
White, RG, DeShazer, JA, Tressler, CJ, Borcher, GM, Davey, S, Waninge, A, Parkhurst, AM, Milanuk, MJ, Clemens, ET 1995. Vocalization and physiological response of pigs during castration with or without a local anesthetic. Journal of Animal Science 73, 381–386.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zöls, S, Ritzmann, M, Heinritzi, K 2006. Effect of analgesics on castration of male piglets. Berliner und Münchener tierärztliche Wochenschrift 119, 193–196.Google ScholarPubMed