Obstetrical and surgical abnormalities and interventions in swine

Question 1

What is the normal position of a piglet during farrowing?

Answer 1

Anterior or posterior positioned

Question 2

Which position of farrowing is this called, and is this normal?

Answer 2

Posterior

Normal

Question 3

Which position of farrowing is this called, and is this normal?

Answer 3

Anterior

Normal

Question 4

What is an abnormal farrowing called?

Answer 4

Dystochia

Question 5

Is abnormal farrowing common or rare, and why?

Answer 5

Its very rare.

The mother is much larger than the piglets

Question 6

If there is an abnormal farrowing what will happen to the productivity and why?

Answer 6

Decrease the productivity.

Decreased number of liveborn piglets and increased sow mortality and culling rates

Question 7

Which signs should you look out for in case of abnormal farrowing?

Answer 7

o If the sow goes over 116 days, there could be a problem.

o If the farrowing has started, but there are no piglets after 1-2 hrs or if there is more than 1hr btw 2 piglets born.

o If the sow has a lack of appetite, is lethargic, this are typical signs of unwell animals.

o Reddish/brownish vaginal discharge

o Reddening of the sows eyes = toxicosis

o Meconium staining

Question 8

How long does a sow go pregnant?

Answer 8

116 days

3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days

Question 9

How do you perform a clinical examination in pigs?

Answer 9

The option for clinical examination in pigs is very limited, but we can observe from a distance;
- skin colour
- breathing rate
- the eyes
- mucous membranes
- discharge.

Question 10

What is the meconium staining?

Answer 10

the digestive amniotic fluid in the piglets bowl, it is a is a thick, green, tar-like substance that lines your baby’s intestines during pregnancy.

It should not be expelled until the piglet is delivered. During a difficult birth the pig will have a bowel movement prior to birth and excreting the meconium into the amniotic fluid.

Question 11

How will you grade the meconium staining of these piglets? (A-D)

Answer 11

A. Normal, without staining
B. Light
C. Moderate
D. Severe

Question 12

How would you examine the birth canal of a pig?

Answer 12

we do a thoroughly cleaning - clip our fingernails.
We wash our arm with soap and water
put on a glove and some lubricate.

The hand should be cupped in the shape of a cone, and once the lips of the vulva are parted we can gently insert the hand into the birth canal

Question 13

Name som causes of delayed farrowing

Answer 13

Ineffective myometrial contraction

Obstruction of the birth canal

Question 14

What is Ineffective myometrial contraction = uterine inertia

Answer 14

= uterine inertia

We have both primary and secondary

Primary = disturbances in the feeding regiment, deficiency of Mg, Ca, energy, or there are problems with housing, too cold.

Secondary = Physical obstruction

Question 15

Give examples of obstructions of the birth canal

Answer 15

Could be both maternal factors and piglet factors

Piglet:
- The foetus could be too big
- The foetus could be in an abnormal presentation

Maternal factors
- The mother could be too small
- Shape of pelvis. Normal shape is V shaped, abnormal shape W
- Prior problems, old injures
- Full bladder
- Fat deposits in the birth canal, especially in older pigs.

Question 16

How can we perform an obstetrical intervention?

Answer 16

We use our hands or we can use equipment’s such as ropes, hook, snare or tong.
If we use any of the equipment’s we can only grab bony parts, NOT ear or tail. And if all of this fails we can do a caesarean section

If the problem is not a stuck piglet, but the uterine inertia, we can determine it by doing the obstetrical examination: Put the hand in until the limit and we can still not feel an obstruction = uterine inertia.

Question 17

How is uterine inertia threated?

Answer 17

oxytocin injection, combined with an infusion of glucose and calcium, because the pig is usually hyperthermic

Question 18

What do you call this farrowing position, and is it normal and how will you fix it if its abnormal?

Answer 18

Abnormal

Carpo-flexion position

The piglet is head first, on its belly (good).
But the front legs are in an flexed from elbow
and down. We need to make the piglet smaller,
by extending the front legs and the we pull

Question 19

What do you call this farrowing position, and is it normal and how will you fix it if its abnormal?

Answer 19

Abnormal

Shoulder-Flexion position

The whole front leg is going backwards.
It is legal to use traction in this case, sometimes
it works. If it doesn’t work we need to extend
the front legs. We push piglet back and pull
front feet in the extended position → place rope
onto head and rope onto front feet → traction

If it is still difficult: → to push hind feet in
extended position.

Question 20

What do you call this farrowing position, and is it normal and how will you fix it if its abnormal?

Answer 20

Abnormal

Ventral position

The piglet is facing up.
In this case we might try to use traction after
extending the front legs, but most of the time it’s
not going to work because the piglets spine
doesn’t bend that way.
In this case we need to
rotate the piglet and then pull out

Question 21

What do you call this farrowing position, and is it normal and how will you fix it if its abnormal?

Answer 21

Abnormal

Shoulder-Flexion backwards position

We need to extend the front legs
towards the cervix and pull out by the
hind legs.

If it is difficult: → check shoulder
position and manipulate front legs
into forward position

Question 22

What do you call this farrowing position, and is it normal and how will you fix it if its abnormal?

Answer 22

Abnormal

Two sided hip-flexion

Also called Breach

We can try traction first, if this doesn’t
work we will have to extend the hind
legs.

Question 23

What do you call this farrowing position, and is it normal and how will you fix it if its abnormal?

Answer 23

Abnormal

Dorsal-Transverse

This is the most difficult position.

The back is facing outwards, and the
piglet is perpendicular to the mothers
long axis.
We push the piglet back and try to reach
the head.

We can use a head rope, put the legs in extended position and use a rope on legs then we do traction. Often other pigs will rapidly follow, several may be stillborn.