Anaesthesia in Swine

Question 1

How large is a newborn piglet and how much can an adult pig wheigh?

Answer 1

Piglet: 1kg
Adult: 350-400 kg (boar)

Question 2

What is important to consider before anaesthesia, since the pig dont have much hair?

Answer 2

They have large amount of subcutanous fat, and they can therefore suffer from heat loss or overheat easily.

Question 3

Name some special considerations in general with pigs

Answer 3

Its hard to catch them, because they are “slippery” and short ears

Pigs are loud, they scream

They are very intelligent. They can be trained, but also learn bad habits easily

The temparament is releated to age: Boars and sows w/piglets can be agressive

Question 4

Name some special approaches before anaesthesia in pigs

Answer 4

We withheld food for 12 hrs, or even 1 day
Withhold water for piglets, but not for older pigs
Stress need to be minimized

Question 5

Why do we withheld water for piglets before anaesthesia?

Answer 5

Because they compensate the feed with water

Question 6

What is important to consider with a dark pig vs a pink pig, and in general?

Answer 6

Dark pig can get heatstroke, the pink pig can get sunburned.

In cold conditions they can get hypothermia

It is important to protect they eyes from dust and sunlight

Question 7

Why is it important to reduce stress of a pig before anaeshesia?

Answer 7

Because some pigs have a disease called malignant hyperthermia, which is caused by a genetic problem – mutation problem. If they are stressed they can overheat = 42-44 degrees –> they will die

Question 8

Terminology:
Relief from pain

Answer 8

Analgesia

Question 9

Terminology:
Loss of sensation and loss of ability to feel pain

Answer 9

Anaesthesia

Question 10

Terminology:
To calm an animal that is nervous, vicious or exited

Answer 10

Sedation

Question 11

Terminology:
Loss of consciousness combined with decreased ability to feel pain and decreased motor response

Answer 11

General anaesthesia

Question 12

Terminology:
Loss of sensation in a limited body area

Answer 12

Local anaesthesia

Question 13

How many different ways to achiece general anaesthesia, name them.

Answer 13

Inhalational
Injections - IM or IV

IM to the neck muscle, either single or multipe injections

IV. Both single and slow drop infusion

Question 14

Which vein(s) can we use for IV in pigs in single injections?

Answer 14

Jugular vein
V. cava cranialis
V. Auricularis (Major ear vein)

Question 15

Which vein(s) can we use for IV in pigs in case of maintenance or repetition?

Answer 15

ONLY v. auricularis

Question 16

What other types of anaesthesia can we use in pigs?

Answer 16

Epidural anaesthesia - we use lumbosacrals

Local anaesthesia: Intratesticular, done before castration

Question 17

Which drug(s) is common to use in pigs for sedation and premedication?

Answer 17

Azaperone - Only drug that is licenced for pigs

Also exists:
- Acepromazine
- Benzodiazepine
- Alpha-2-agonists

Question 18

What is the dosage range of Azaperone?

Answer 18

1-8 mg/kg

The dosage is dependent on the animal size, the surface area.

Smaller animal, more surface are and more drugs needed.

Exam question: Smaller animal=bigger dose, Bigger animal=smaller dose

Sow: 1mg/kg
Piglets: 4mg/kg

Question 19

What are the side effects of azaperone?

Answer 19

Penile prolapse

If used in cold condition it can cause heat loss, peripheral vasodilation, cardiovasvular collapse

Question 20

which drugs belong to benzodiazepine?

Answer 20

Diazepam, midazolam and zolazepam

Question 21

How is benzodiazepin used in pigs?

Answer 21

Mainly used in combination.

Midazolam is better then diazepam, because midazolam is water soluble and has a better bioavailability.

They are given “intranasal” or “rectal application”

Main drug group for human epiliepsy

Question 22

Name the drugs under Alpha-2-agonists, that are used in pigs

Answer 22

Xylazine
Detomidine
Medetomidine
Romifidin

The Alpha-2-agonists are ONLY used in combinations, because the pigs are not sensitive to them. The effect is close to 0.

Question 23

In which order, from highest to lowest, will you rate the potent for xylazine in animals?

Answer 23

Cow –> horse –> pig

Question 24

What is the “field anaesthesia” and which drugs is used for it?

Answer 24

It is a anaesthesia that will give a lloss of conscience for about 20-30 minutes, enough for small and basic surgery

Drugs: medetomidine, ketamine and butorphanol

Question 25

In which cases would you use Alpha-2-agonists?

Answer 25

If the animal is stress-sensitive. We can give in
alpha-2 in combination with Azaperone

Used for to intubation, venous catheterisation or epidural

Question 26

Which drug is used for induction and maintenance?

Answer 26

Ketamin - The go to drug
Thiopental -
Etomidate - not lisenced, but can be used (not common)

Question 27

Thiopental

Answer 27

This drug is a barbiturate, and the only one that can be given to production animals. The drug can only be used in production animals ONCE in a lifetime, so I don’t have a huge value for production veterinarians. Barbiturates are stored in fat, and never leaves the fat again

Question 28

What is the limit of practical application in case of lumbosacral epidural anaesthesia?

Answer 28

145 kg

Question 29

What do you need and how do you perform lumbosacral epidural anaesthesia?

Answer 29

large needle - up to 10 cm

start the pig in standing position

Locate the patellae and draw a line to the vertebrae, then count 2-3 com backwards from this line and we have found our injection site.

Use extra local anaesthesia under the skin, the epidural is quite painful

Find the epidural space = no spinal fluid

Question 30

Which drugs are used for lumbosacral epidural in swine?

Answer 30

Combine xylazine with lidocaine

Question 31

How do you intubate a pig?

Answer 31

We enter with the tube facing DOWNWARDS until we hit the cartilage, turn the tube UPWARDS until we hit the cartilage and turn the tube DOWNWARDS again

Basically screw the tube inside

Question 32

How can we monitore a pig under anaesthesia?

Answer 32

We have several physiological parameters for monitoring a pig, but they are not easy to reach.

What we can measure is the ocular position and the reflexes. Under anaesthesia the eyes are either turned inward or outward.

The colour of the mucous membrane is also a good indication of hypoxia if it is blue.