Tail Lesions Research Articles

Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study of the Utility of Dermoscopy in Assessing the Activity and Stability of Vitiligo

Introduction: Dermoscopy is an important noninvasive tool that helps to determine the stability and activity of vitiligo. Various dermoscopic findings help classify the disease as stable or unstable. This is important for the management of the disease, as surgical management requires disease stability. Objectives: We aimed to describe the dermoscopic findings in vitiligo and to assess the frequency of various dermoscopic findings in stable and unstable vitiligo. Methods: This was a hospital-based, cross-sectional, descriptive study of 100 vitiligo patients and various dermoscopic findings. Results are expressed as percentages. Results: The most common dermoscopic findings in stable vitiligo patches were sharp border, marginal and perifollicular pigmentation, and reticulate pigment network. Findings such as polka dot appearance, starburst appearance, comet tail, and satellite lesions were seen in unstable vitiligo patches. Conclusions: Dermoscopy is extremely helpful in determining the stability of vitiligo patches.

Enrichments Adjusted to the Number of Litters: Simple Approach to Improve the Welfare of Weaned Piglets under Farm Conditions.

Environmental enrichment is one of the methods used to reduce conflicts at weaning, which erupt when mixing unknown litters and are known to negatively affect growth and welfare of piglets. Here we aimed to test a simple approach of increasing the amount of existing enrichment objects to mitigate post-weaning aggression. The experiment comprised ten groups of piglets (five controls, five tests) with 3-4 litters weaned in each of them. In the control group, a red hanging plastic object (biting ring) and a piece of spruce wood (7 cm × 7 cm × 30 cm) were used for enrichment. In the test group, the enrichment was multiplied according to the number of weaned litters (one toy and one piece of wood was provided per each mixed litter). On days 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 after weaning, behaviours (negative social behaviours, pen equipment-directed and enrichment-directed behaviours) and injuries (on different parts of the body, tail lesions, lameness) were recorded. On day 21 after weaning, the overall welfare status of the piglets was assessed using the Welfare Quality® protocol for pigs. A significant (4-fold) increase in the enrichment-directed behaviours was observed in the test group (p < 0.001). Consequently, there were 3.5 times fewer negative social behaviours (p < 0.001), 38-52% fewer injuries on different body parts (p < 0.001) and higher overall welfare status of the piglets in the test group. Adjusting enrichment to the number of weaned litters proved to be an effective solution to reduce aggression at weaning and improve piglets' welfare. The study provides important information on the use of enrichment material in commercial weaner pens and demonstrates the possibility of significantly improving pig welfare with low effort, input and cost.

Focal Pancreatitis Mimicking Neuroendocrine Tumor on DOTATATE PET/CT With Radiology-Pathology Correlation.

A 54-year-old man presented with left lower quadrant pain. CT showed no cause for his pain but identified an incidental 2.0-cm enhancing lesion in the pancreatic tail. On MRI, this lesion was hyperenhancing and diffusion-restricting, suspicious for a neuroendocrine tumor. However, EUS-guided biopsy yielded only benign pancreatic tissue. Due to this discordance, 64 Cu-DOTATATE PET/CT was performed. The pancreatic tail lesion was tracer-avid, suggesting a well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor. Based on the PET findings, the patient underwent distal pancreatectomy. Surgical pathology revealed only focal chronic pancreatitis with islet aggregation, a previously undescribed mimic of neuroendocrine tumor on DOTATATE PET/CT.

8604 Ectopic Cushing’s Syndrome Associated with a Metastatic Pancreatic Mixed Neuroendocrine Non-neuroendocrine Neoplasm (MiNEN) with Amphicrine Features

Abstract Disclosure: A. DeMarsilis: None. C. Jiang: None. O. Lavrynenko: None. D. Motavalli: None. C. Musurakis: None. Z.H. Taxin: None. E.D. Rosen: Advisory Board Member; Self; Source Bio, Inc.. Consulting Fee; Self; Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Gensaic. M.S. Irwig: None. Background: Ectopic Cushing’s Syndrome (CS) makes up 9-18% of ACTH-dependent CS cases, of which fewer than 15% are attributed to pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (1). Mixed neuroendocrine non-neuroendocrine neoplasms (MiNENs) are rare, aggressive carcinomas, often driven by high-grade neuroendocrine components, with a poor prognosis (2). Amphicrine neoplasms contain neuroendocrine and exocrine components in the same cell. Clinical Case: A 34 year-old woman with asthma, hypertension, and depression presented with new onset lower extremity edema, facial hirsutism, mood changes, polyuria and polydipsia. She had an elevated morning serum cortisol of 52 ug/dL (normal &amp;lt; 20) with plasma ACTH 42 pg/mL (normal &amp;lt; 50), 24-hour urine free cortisol of 1003 mcg (normal &amp;lt; 50), K+ of 2.6 mEq/L, and fasting glucose 164 mg/dL. CT showed multiple hepatic lesions, pulmonary nodules, a pancreatic tail lesion, and lymphadenopathy concerning for metastatic disease. Her adrenal glands were thickened bilaterally without nodules. A pituitary MRI was normal. These findings were concerning for ectopic CS. She was admitted due to rapidly developing symptoms. Potassium, insulin, sitagliptin, and prophylactic anticoagulation were started. Spironolactone and ketoconazole were initiated while awaiting biopsy results of liver and pancreas lesions. Osilodrostat was not available and a trial of metyrapone was poorly tolerated. The liver and pancreatic tail lesion biopsy revealed metastatic MiNEN with amphicrine features, of pancreatic origin, with Ki67 proliferation index of 70%. Section staining of pancreas and liver biopsies were negative for ACTH. A Ga-68 Dotatate scan showed minimal uptake, so octreotide was not prescribed. Palliative chemotherapy was planned. Although ketoconazole was titrated to 1600 mg/day, urine free cortisol levels and serum free cortisol levels did not reach target. Cushing disease was considered but not suspected, as ACTH levels remained modest despite a relative decrease in cortisol level. Given significant morbidity from uncontrolled hypercortisolism, and plans for urgent initiation of systemic chemotherapy, after multidisciplinary discussion the patient was treated with a surgical bilateral adrenalectomy. Post-operative morning serum cortisol measured 8.3 ug/dL. After one week, palliative chemotherapy with FOLFIRINOX (oxaliplatin, leucovorin, fluorouracil, and irinotecan) was initiated. She was discharged home on stress dose steroids with plan for taper. Conclusion: Ectopic ACTH secretion is a rare phenomenon, particularly when presenting with a rare case of metastatic pancreatic MiNEN with amphicrine features, associated with significant morbidity. To improve tolerance and survival of further treatment, early surgical bilateral adrenalectomy should be considered.

Prevalence of tail damage and ear lesions in docked and undocked pigs during trials to find alternatives to tail docking on Spanish commercial farms.

Tail docking is widely used to control tail biting in pigs, but it is a painful and stressful procedure. The impact of non-docking trials on tail damage (TD) and ear lesions (EL) from weaning to slaughter was assessed on four commercial farms. A total of 898 docked pigs (396 DP) or undocked pigs (502 UP) were assessed for tail damage and ear lesions at the beginning and end of the weaner stage, during fattening and at the abattoir during slaughter. The percentage of UP with shortened tails increased significantly from weaning to fattening, but the percentage of non-inflamed tails and tails without fresh lesions increased. In terms of severity of lesion, a lower percentage of pigs scored as 'no visible lesion' at the end of weaning compared to fattening, both for UP and DP (p<0.05). DP always had a lower percentage of TD, whereas UP had a lower percentage of EL at the end of weaning. It was not possible to statistically compare different preventive strategies trialed on farms as alternatives to docking. This study highlights that combining tail length and lesion score at slaughter could be a reliable on-farm welfare indicator.

Organic rearing of non-castrated male pigs: welfare indicators, carcass traits, pork quality and boar taint in Duroc and Pietrain crossbreds

The main principles of organic farming as presented by the European organisation for organic food and farming are health, ecology, fairness and care, but the intrinsic quality of products is also important for consumers. Pig genotype was tested as a lever to improve animal welfare and pork quality (meat tenderness, processing ability) of organic, non-castrated males while controlling the risk for boar taint. Non-castrated Large White × Duroc (D, n = 47) or Large White × Pietrain NN (P, n = 34) males were involved in two batches, each including one group of pigs per genotype. Each group was reared in a pen from the same building on deep straw bedding (1.3 m2/pig), with a feeding zone (0.2 m2/pig) and an outdoor area (1.0 m2/pig), from 28 kg BW until slaughter at ca. 125 kg BW. All pigs received ad libitum the same growing and finishing diets, and hay. Overall, health and welfare indicators showed few problems, but the proportions of pigs with skin scratches, and tail lesions at the end of the finishing period, were lower in D than in P pigs (P < 0.05). Growth rate and final BW did not differ between genotypes. The D pigs had lower carcass lean meat content (P < 0.001) and relative proportions of ham and loin (P ≤ 0.01), and higher proportions of belly and backfat (P ≤ 0.001) than P pigs. Compared to P, loin (Longissimus muscle) of D pigs was less light and exudative and had higher chroma (P < 0.05), but pH 24 h and glycolytic potential did not differ. Loin meat of D pigs had higher intramuscular fat content (P < 0.001) and tended to have a lower shear force (P = 0.09), but cooking loss did not differ. In the ham muscles, D pigs had higher chroma than P pigs in the Gluteus medius, whereas pH 24 h did not differ in the Gluteus medius and Semimembranosus. D pigs had higher backfat concentrations of androstenone (P < 0.001), and skatole and indole (P < 0.05) than P pigs, suggesting a higher risk of rejection by consumers due to boar taint. However, only one D carcass was detected as tainted by human nose test. Altogether, organic farming of non-castrated Duroc crossbred males appears to be favourable for animal welfare, technological and several sensory pork properties provided that the risk of undesirable odours is limited through management practices.

Occurrence of tail docking and tail biting in weaner pigs—A preliminary study in Portuguese abattoirs

EU legislation forbids the systematic use of tail docking. Tail-biting is a welfare problem in swine production, including weaners. In Portugal, like in Spain, Greece, Italy, Croatia, and Serbia the transport of five-week-old pigs to the abattoir is a common practice. This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of tail docking and tail-biting in weaners and associate it with the farm of origin/grouping centre and meat inspection results. Weaners were observed at 6 abattoirs in the Central Region of Portugal. Origin, docking status, tail lesions, and carcass condemnation were recorded during post-mortem inspection. A total of 15,863 weaners were assessed, 12.6 % came from assembly centres, 22 % with docked tails, 21.5 % with tail lesions, and 60 weaners were condemned. Tail-biting lesions were significantly associated with having an undocked tail. This association was stronger if the weaners came from intermediate assembly centres compared to weaners that came directly from the farm (AOR = 5.642, 95 %CI 2.885 to 11.030, P = 0.017 versus AOR = 1.403, 95 %CI 1.062 to 1.853, P < 0.001). The rate of carcass condemnations was higher among weaners presenting tail lesions (6.15 versus 3.13/1000 in weaners without tail lesion). The most frequent cause of condemnation was polyarthritis/purulent arthritis (1.6 per 1000 weaners). Our study shows that tail-docking is still practiced, and having the tails undocked is an additional vulnerability in what concerns tail-biting, especially in those weaners that do not go directly from the farm to the abattoir, with intermediate stops at assembly centres. New regulation is needed that takes into account this further deterioration in animal welfare.

Description of patterns of ear and tail lesions during the grower-finisher period in a commercial pig farm

BackgroundEar and tail lesions are prevalent indicators of impaired welfare observed in pig production with different multifactorial causes. Understanding the progression of ear and tail lesions over time is important to implement preventative strategies on commercial pig farms. Therefore, this case study aimed to provide a detailed account of patterns of ear and tail lesions in pigs on a single commercial farm during the grower-finisher period.Case presentationA total of 1,676 12-week old pigs (n = 773 females and n = 903 males, all tail docked) were followed from arrival to the grower facilities until transferred to the finisher stage on a commercial pig farm in Ireland. Pigs were individually weighed and inspected for the severity of fresh ear and tail lesions (score 0–4) on transfer to the first grower (24.9 ± 5.33 kg, 12 weeks of age, n = 1,676 pigs), second grower (33.3 ± 7.04 kg, 14 weeks of age, n = 1,641 pigs), and finisher stage (60.2 ± 7.74 kg, 18 weeks of age, n = 1,626 pigs). Due to the low number of pigs with high scores, ear lesions were classified as no (score 0), mild (score 1), moderate (score 2) and severe (score ≥ 3) and tail lesions were classified as no (score 0), mild (score 1), and moderate-to-severe (score ≥ 2). Ear lesions were more prevalent than tail lesions at each inspection. There were approx. 19% of pigs with ear lesions at all three inspections but no pigs presented with tail lesions at all three inspections. When considering the specific severity categories, we observed 32 different ear lesion score combinations and 15 different tail lesion score combinations across the three inspections.ConclusionThe high number of observed patterns of ear and tail lesions suggest large individual variability in lesion progression. Ear lesions were more of an issue than tail lesions and little is known about this health and welfare problem indicating that further research into causes and management strategies is needed.

Comparison of 68 Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT and 123 I-MIBG SPECT/CT in the Imaging of Functional Pheochromocytoma in an Adolescent Patient With Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome.

A 17-year-old boy with Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome presented with hypertension, raised plasma catecholamines, and MRI findings of a new pancreatic tail lesion and 2 stable right adrenal lesions concerning for functional neuroendocrine tumors. A 68 Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT demonstrated intense tracer avidity within the pancreatic lesion with minimal uptake in the adrenal lesions. Conversely, a 123 I-MIBG SPECT/CT study demonstrated high-grade tracer uptake within the adrenal lesions, with no significant uptake appreciated in the pancreatic lesion. The adrenal lesions were resected, and pathology was consistent with pheochromocytoma. Plasma catecholamines returned to within the normal range and hypertension resolved.

Forensic evaluation of tail lesions in pigs: Histological and radiological observations

Forensic evaluation of tail lesions in pigs: Histological and radiological observations

Can environmental nebulization of lavender essential oil (L. angustifolia) improve welfare and modulate nasal microbiota of growing pigs?

The use of phytoextracts has been proposed as a method to improve animal welfare, also in pigs, by reducing stress and anxiety and improving performances. Lavandula angustifolia (Miller) essential oil (LaEO) is an interesting calming phytoextract that could be administered by inhalation for prolonged periods of time to help pigs coping with on-farm conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of daily inhalation of vaporized LaEO on pigs' welfare and health indicators, and nasal microbiota, trying to understand whether this phytoextract represents a feasible tool to improve animal welfare under intensive farming conditions. Eighty-four crossbred barrows were randomly divided into 3 experimental groups: control (C); lavender (L): 3 vaporization sessions of 10 min each of a custom made 1% solution of LaEO; sham (S): same vaporization sessions of L group but only using the solution vehicle. Experimental readouts included growth parameters, behavioural traits, tail and skin lesions, hair steroids and nasal microbiota. L group animals did not show altered growth performance and seemed calmer (increased recumbency time), with decreased amount of skin lesions also associated with lower severity class for tail lesions. They also showed decreased CORT/DHEA ratio, potentially suggesting a beneficial effect of LaEO. Inhalation of LaEO significantly affected the nasal pig microbiome by reducing its diversity. Overall, the study suggests how inhalation of Lavender essential oil may be capable of improving welfare in growing pigs, yet it is pivotal to consider the microbial modulatory capabilities of essential oils before exploiting them on larger scale.

Detecting tail biters by monitoring pig screams in weaning pigs

Early identification of tail biting and intervention are necessary to reduce tail lesions and their impact on animal health and welfare. Removal of biters has become an effective intervention strategy, but finding them can be difficult and time-consuming. The aim of this study was to investigate whether tail biting and, in particular, individual biters could be identified by detecting pig screams in audio recordings. The study included 288 undocked weaner pigs housed in six pens in two batches. Once a tail biter (n = 7) was identified by visual inspection in the stable and removed by the farm staff, the previous days of video and audio recordings were analyzed for pig screams (sudden increase in loudness with frequencies above 1 kHz) and tail biting events until no biting before the removal was observed anymore. In total, 2893 screams were detected in four pens where tail biting occurred. Of these screams, 52.9% were caused by tail biting in the observed pen, 25.6% originated from other pens, 8.8% were not assignable, and 12.7% occurred due to other reasons. In case of a tail biting event, screams were assigned individually to biter and victim pigs. Based on the audio analysis, biters were identified between one and nine days prior to their removal from the pen after visual inspection. Screams were detected earlier than the increase in hanging tails and could therefore be favored as an early warning indicator. Analyzing animal vocalization has potential for monitoring and early detection of tail biting events. In combination with individual marks and automatic analysis algorithms, biters could be identified and tail biting efficiently reduced. In this way, biters can be removed earlier to increase animal health and welfare.

Use of organic material provided by an automatic enrichment device by weaner pigs and its influence on tail lesions.

Providing pigs with organic enrichment material is important for satisfying pigs' natural explorative behavior to prevent injurious tail biting and thus increase animal welfare in general. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of automatically supplied enrichment material of three different types (alfalfa pellets, oat bran pellets, or a mixture of both) and different enrichment frequencies (2, 4, or 6 supplies/day) on the behavior, the occurrence of tail biting, and daily weight gains of weaner pigs. The results showed significant effects and interactions of enrichment material, frequency and the time of day on the exploratory behavior, the occurrence of tail biting, and daily weight gains. Higher probabilities for pigs using the enrichment material were observed for groups provided with only two supplies/day or receiving oat bran pellets. Additionally, more pigs explored the material when supplied in the afternoon compared to the morning. Tail lesions began to increase in week 4 of the rearing period. Higher probabilities of having a tail lesion were recorded in groups provided with two supplies/day compared to four or six supplies per day. Furthermore, the highest probabilities for pigs having a tail length loss at the end of the rearing period were shown by groups receiving two supplies/day, with 0.170 for alfalfa pellets, 0.342 for mixture, and 0.486 for oat bran pellets. For daily weight gains, only alfalfa groups differed significantly from mixture groups in the case of two supplies/day. No differences were observed for the other factor combinations. These results showed the potential of an automatic enrichment device supporting pigs in performing their natural exploratory behavior in a conventional housing system. Higher numbers of daily enrichment supplies show beneficial effects to reduce the occurrence of tail biting and tail length losses.

Evaluation of a scheme to identify risks for tail biting in pigs.

The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a tail-biting risk assessment scheme. The scheme consisted of trained private veterinary practitioners (assessors) applying a risk assessment tool on commercial pig farms to six pens per farm. The assessment tool included animal and non-animal-based observations which were used to determine the perceived risk of tail biting for each pen. For this study 27 farms were assessed, and a subsequent batch of pigs from each farm underwent post-mortem tail lesion scoring at the abattoir. The assessments revealed that a high percentage of pens had fully slatted flooring (92%) and mixed-sex populations (84%), with a significant proportion of pens containing pigs which were all tail docked (92%). Most pens (86%) did not allow all pigs simultaneous access to feeders. Enrichment was present in 88% of the pens, but most (46%) were supplied with only one item, and only 15% offering multiple enrichment types. The study found no significant associations between the risk of tail biting and visible injuries, dirty flanks, or tucked tails, as assessed by the assessors (P > 0.05). Similarly, the risk of tail biting reported per pen was not associated with aggressive, damaging, or exploratory behaviours (P > 0.05). At the abattoir, 96% of pigs' tails exhibited minor skin damage, with only 4% showing moderate to severe damage. Furthermore, no links were found between the scores obtained during slaughter and the risk of tail biting, as reported by the assessors (P < 0.05). Although the tool was useful in identifying several improvements that could be made at farm level in areas such as stocking density, enrichment provision and reducing tail docking, overall the results underscored the need for improved training of assessors, and the challenge of associating management practices and animal based measures with tail-biting risk.

Prediction of tail biting in pigs using partial least squares regression and artificial neural networks

Tail biting in pig farming causes economic losses as well as pain and suffering to the affected pigs. The aim of the study was to predict tail lesions to provide the farmer with the opportunity to intervene early. To do this, tail lesions were recorded during rearing (REA) and fattening (FAT) on two farms (Farm 1: 10 batches REA, 5 batches FAT; Farm 2: 7 batches REA, 4 batches FAT). In addition, tail posture, skin lesions, musculoskeletal system issues, treatment index for suckling, weight at weaning, water consumption, activity time, humidity, NH3 and CO2 concentrations were observed. Processed to daily values forming a time series, these data was used to predict the prevalence of tail lesions per pen using partial least squares (PLS) regression models, focused time-delay neural networks (FTDNN) and nonlinear autoregressive neural networks with exogenous inputs (NARX). After training, validating and testing the methods for Farm 1, the respective methods were applied to the data of Farm 2. In addition, it was investigated whether the prevalence of tail lesions per pen could be predicted for an offset of one to five days before with PLS. The networks were used to test whether a delay of one to five days before should be included for prediction. NARX achieved the best prediction performance on both farms in REA and FAT: accuracy between true and estimated values (R 0.85–0.97), recall (REC 0.63–0.97), false positive rate (FPR 0.01–0.27), precision (PRC 0.43–0.92), F1-score (0.54–0.94) and area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC 0.66–0.97). PLS (R 0.49–0.81, REC 0.32–0.86, FPR 0.02–0.36, PRC 0.42–0.70, F1-score 0.40–0.77, AUPRC 0.43–0.85) and FTDNN (R 0.45–0.90, REC 0.19–1.00, FPR 0.00–0.97, PRC 0.30–0.84, F1-score 0.28–0.75, AUPRC 0.30–0.86) performed less accurately than NARX but still with sufficient prediction performance, whereby the results for Farm 2 were worse than for Farm 1. Therefore, a generalisation of the methods to other farms is possible. No noticeable difference was observed between offsets 1 to 5 and delays 1 to 5. PLS, FTDNN and NARX with all offsets and delays are suitable for predicting the prevalence of tail lesions per pen in several farms as well as in REA and FAT.

Comparison of three different measuring devices of ammonia and evaluation of their suitability to assess animal welfare in pigs

Since negative effects of ammonia (NH3) on health and productivity are known NH3 concentrations should be considered a possible indicator of animal welfare. Thus, a simple and reliable control of NH3 concentrations is necessary. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate factors influencing two hand-held measuring devices - the ‘Basic Ammonia Detector-NH3000’ ammonia meter (AM) and the ‘Dräger accuro®’ gas detection pump (DA) – and the continuously measuring ‘DOL53 Ammonia Sensor’ (DOL) with regard to their practical use in pig houses and to compare them in terms of their reliability. Subsequently, the suitability of NH3 as a welfare indicator was considered by analyzing the connections of NH3 to different on-farm/slaughterhouse welfare indicators. The NH3 concentration on three farms (farm A: organic; farms B, C: conventional) over three to four batches from farrowing to the end of finishing were measured weekly with the AM (n = 284) and the DA (n = 142). In addition, the DOL (n = 77,170) measured the NH3 concentration every 15 min and revealed its daily course. The influence of the farm on NH3, investigated with a linear mixed model, was significant (P ≤ 0.05) for all three measuring devices. The freely ventilated farm A showed the lowest NH3 of all farms (mean DOL 0.69 ppm), which could be caused by a lower animal density, litter and an outdoor arena, compared to the mechanically ventilated farms B (mean DOL 12.4 ppm) and C (mean DOL 10.6 ppm). The season was a further significantly (P ≤ 0.05) influencing factor for the farms B and C, which was reflected in higher NH3 in winter compared to summer. This could be due to a lower ventilation rate and different animal behavior, because of lower outdoor temperatures in winter. Continuous measurement with the DOL also showed influences of the production stage of the pigs, with highest values with increasing age and the barn. The comparison of the AM and DA with the DOL did not achieve acceptable reliability/agreement. Hand-held devices cannot record variations in the NH3 concentration due to the non-continuous measurement, which may lead to wrong conclusions. A strong relationship between the NH3 number ≥20 ppm per batch and the number of affected animals of the on-farm/slaughterhouse indicators determined by significant (P < 0.05) Chi2 Tests and Cramér's V ≥ 0.60 could be detected for coughing (V = 0.89), tail length (V = 0.81), tail lesions (V = 0.60) and M. hyopneumoniae (V = 1.00). These findings indicate NH3 as a potential indicator of animal welfare.

12. Tail lesions in nursery pigs

12. Tail lesions in nursery pigs

22. Effect of raising pigs with intact tails and exposure to enrichment material on their growth rate and tail lesions

22. Effect of raising pigs with intact tails and exposure to enrichment material on their growth rate and tail lesions

Stress responses in pigs postweaning: Effect of heavier hybrid and weaning intact litters

Early and abrupt weaning of pigs is a stressful event. In addition, the use of hyperprolific sows with increasing numbers of live born piglets has decreased the average pig’s birth weight, colostrum intake and weaning weight. The aim of this study was to investigate whether behavioural (tail posture, agonistic and abnormal behaviour), clinical (ear and tail lesions) and physiological (saliva cortisol) indicators of stress postweaning can be minimised by 1) using a pig hybrid that is heavier at birth and weaning, and 2) trough specific-stress-free housing where intact litters of pigs stay in the pen of birth after removing the sow at weaning. The study was a 2 × 2 factorial design, with pigs from Topigs Norsvin TN70 (TN) sows as a heavier alternative to the lighter pigs from DanBred LY sows (DB), and the specific-stress-free (SSF) weaning strategy as an alternative to the conventional weaning strategy (CON) where pigs are regrouped and moved to weaner pens. Fiftyseven litters, on average 26 days of age, were included. Behaviour recordings on the day (d) of weaning (d0), showed that the rate of fights and attacks were 23 and 42 times higher in CON compared to SSF, respectively. Furthermore, on d+1 pig in CON had a 9 (in DB) to 13 (in TN) times higher odds of having clinical ear lesions compared to SSF. Only on d+2, saliva cortisol was lower in TN-SSF than TN-CON, but not lower that DB-SSF. A higher rate of high tail posture was seen in CON d+1, which may reflect higher arousal due to mixing and moving. The rate of belly nosing was 5 times higher in the lighter hybrid (DB compared to TN), but increased from d+7 to d+14 in both hybrids. On d+7 the rate of ear directed behaviour tended to be higher in DB than TN, but the rate increased from d+7 to d+14 in TN to a similar rate as in DB. The rate of tail directed behaviour increased from d+7 to d+14 and tended to be higher in CON than SSF. In conclusion, specific-stress-free weaning reduced agonistic behaviour and ear lesions and tended to reduce tail directed behaviour postweaning. Using the heaver hybrid TN reduced belly nosing postweaning. However, since belly nosing and tail directed behaviour increased over time for both hybrids and weaning strategies additional measures are needed to reduce stress associated with early and abrupt weaning.

Distal pancreatectomy with partial preservation of the spleen: a new surgical technique.

Presently, spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy is predominantly utilized for benign or low-grade malignant tumors of the pancreatic body and tail. The splenic blood vessel-preserving Kimura technique and non-splenic blood vessel-preserving Warshaw technique represent the two primary procedures. In prior reports, total splenectomy was most frequently performed when splenic blood vessels could not be preserved, and severe splenic congestion and ischemia were identified following the dissection of splenic blood vessels. This paper introduces a new method of spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy, entailing a distal pancreatectomy with partial spleen preservation, illustrated through the presentation of two surgical cases. During physical examination, two patients were identified to have benign or low-grade malignant masses in the pancreatic tail. Preoperative examination indicated that the lesion was closely associated with the splenic blood vessels or splenic hilum. During surgery, neither the Kimura technique nor the Warshaw technique could be executed. After resecting the pancreatic body and tail, and a portion of the spleen, the superior pole of the spleen was successfully preserved by maintaining the short gastric blood vessels therein. This technical report demonstrates the viability of this novel spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy, a distal pancreatectomy with partial spleen preservation, for benign and low-grade malignant pancreatic body and tail lesions. The innovative technique achieves partial spleen preservation by effectively preserving the short gastric blood vessels in the superior pole of the spleen.