Foot lesions and forelimb skin abrasions in suckling piglets: development and risk factors.

Animal welfare Erosion Floor Heel bruising SINS Sole bruising

Journal

Porcine health management
ISSN: 2055-5660
Titre abrégé: Porcine Health Manag
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101684126

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
04 Jan 2024
Historique:
received: 21 09 2023
accepted: 17 12 2023
medline: 5 1 2024
pubmed: 5 1 2024
entrez: 4 1 2024
Statut: epublish

Résumé

Foot lesions in suckling piglets have been associated with poor flooring in several studies and were recently proposed to be indicative of swine inflammatory and necrosis syndrome. However, identical findings are also the typical outcome of various non-infectious causes; thus, further risk analysis is needed. The objective of this study was to describe the development of heel bruising, coronary band lesions and forelimb skin abrasion in suckling pigs up to 5 days of age. Furthermore, the effects of various intrinsic and extrinsic factors were examined. On each of four commercial piglet-producing farms, piglets from two or three batches of eight sows were studied. The piglets were included within 18 h after birth. Each piglet was individually scored four times. The score for the heels differentiated six (0-5) and for the coronary band and forelimb skin abrasion three stages (0-2). The body weight was measured two times. The effect of the floor was estimated by allocating the sows randomly to farrowing pens equipped with either soft rubber mats covered with litter or fully slatted plastic floors. The final analysis comprised data from 1045 piglets. Foot lesions were not found at birth but started to develop on day 1. On day 5, heel bruising was found in 94%, main claw coronary band lesions in 49% and forelimb skin abrasion in 73% of the piglets. In a multifactorial logistic regression analysis, it was shown that a slatted plastic floor significantly increased the odds of heel bruising and coronary band lesions, while a rubber floor with litter increased the odds of forelimb skin abrasions. Foot and forelimb lesions in new-born piglets are mainly induced by the floor. The effect of slatted plastic floors on heel bruising showed an overwhelming OR of 52.89 (CI 26.29-106.43). Notably, coronary band lesions in young suckling piglets occur on slatted as well as non-slatted floors, indicating that the piglets incur these injuries not only from the wedging of their feet into the gaps between slats but also from contact with the floor while suckling. Based on these findings, preventive measures should be redirected to the improvement of the floor in the farrowing pen, particularly in the area under the sow's udder.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
Foot lesions in suckling piglets have been associated with poor flooring in several studies and were recently proposed to be indicative of swine inflammatory and necrosis syndrome. However, identical findings are also the typical outcome of various non-infectious causes; thus, further risk analysis is needed. The objective of this study was to describe the development of heel bruising, coronary band lesions and forelimb skin abrasion in suckling pigs up to 5 days of age. Furthermore, the effects of various intrinsic and extrinsic factors were examined. On each of four commercial piglet-producing farms, piglets from two or three batches of eight sows were studied. The piglets were included within 18 h after birth. Each piglet was individually scored four times. The score for the heels differentiated six (0-5) and for the coronary band and forelimb skin abrasion three stages (0-2). The body weight was measured two times. The effect of the floor was estimated by allocating the sows randomly to farrowing pens equipped with either soft rubber mats covered with litter or fully slatted plastic floors.
RESULTS RESULTS
The final analysis comprised data from 1045 piglets. Foot lesions were not found at birth but started to develop on day 1. On day 5, heel bruising was found in 94%, main claw coronary band lesions in 49% and forelimb skin abrasion in 73% of the piglets. In a multifactorial logistic regression analysis, it was shown that a slatted plastic floor significantly increased the odds of heel bruising and coronary band lesions, while a rubber floor with litter increased the odds of forelimb skin abrasions.
CONCLUSION CONCLUSIONS
Foot and forelimb lesions in new-born piglets are mainly induced by the floor. The effect of slatted plastic floors on heel bruising showed an overwhelming OR of 52.89 (CI 26.29-106.43). Notably, coronary band lesions in young suckling piglets occur on slatted as well as non-slatted floors, indicating that the piglets incur these injuries not only from the wedging of their feet into the gaps between slats but also from contact with the floor while suckling. Based on these findings, preventive measures should be redirected to the improvement of the floor in the farrowing pen, particularly in the area under the sow's udder.

Identifiants

DOI: 10.1186/s40813-023-00351-9 PMID: 38178228
pubmed: 38178228
doi: 10.1186/s40813-023-00351-9
pii: 10.1186/s40813-023-00351-9
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Pagination

1

Informations de copyright

© 2023. The Author(s).

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Auteurs

Marcus Heimann (M)

Field Station for Epidemiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buescheler Str. 9, 49456, Bakum, Germany.

Maria Hartmann (M)

Department of Biometry, Epidemiology and Information Processing, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training for Health at the Human-Animal-Environment Interface, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 2, 30559, Hannover, Germany.

Fritjof Freise (F)

Department of Biometry, Epidemiology and Information Processing, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training for Health at the Human-Animal-Environment Interface, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 2, 30559, Hannover, Germany.

Lothar Kreienbrock (L)

Department of Biometry, Epidemiology and Information Processing, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training for Health at the Human-Animal-Environment Interface, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 2, 30559, Hannover, Germany.

Elisabeth Grosse Beilage (E)

Field Station for Epidemiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buescheler Str. 9, 49456, Bakum, Germany. elisabeth.grosse.beilage@tiho-hannover.de.

Classifications MeSH