Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-b95js Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-08T14:47:40.877Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Influence of teeth resection on the skin temperature and acute phase response in newborn piglets

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

S Llamas Moya ,
LA Boyle ,
PB Lynch  and
S Arkins
S Llamas Moya
Affiliation:
Pig Production Department, Teagasc - Moorepark Research Centre, Fermoy, Co Cork, Ireland Department of Life Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
LA Boyle*
Affiliation:
Pig Production Department, Teagasc - Moorepark Research Centre, Fermoy, Co Cork, Ireland
PB Lynch
Affiliation:
Pig Production Department, Teagasc - Moorepark Research Centre, Fermoy, Co Cork, Ireland
S Arkins
Affiliation:
Department of Life Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
*
* Correspondence and requests for reprints: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Two experiments were carried out to determine the effect of different teeth resection methods on skin temperature, concentrations of the acute phase proteins C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA), and cortisol in piglets. In Experiment 1, piglets from 60 litters were assigned to three treatments where the ‘needle’ teeth were clipped (CLIP), ground (GRIND) or left intact (INT) within 12 h of birth; skin temperature was measured immediately afterwards. Fourteen pigs were selected in each treatment for blood sampling at 1 day and 29 days-of-age for the determination of concentrations of CRP, SAA and cortisol. In Experiment 2, a 2 × 2 factorial design was used to determine the effect of teeth clipping and time spent out of the farrowing crate post-clipping on skin temperature. Piglets from 60 litters had their teeth clipped (CLIP) or left intact (INT) and were returned to the farrowing crate immediately or after 1 min. Skin temperature was measured after piglets were returned to the farrowing crate and after 10 min. In Experiment 1, CLIP and GRIND piglets had significantly lower skin temperatures than INT piglets; skin temperature was also significantly reduced in CLIP piglets in Experiment 2. Skin temperature did not differ between time-out groups. Plasma levels of CRP and SAA did not differ between treatments on day 1; however, concentrations of both proteins were significantly higher on day 29. CLIP pigs had significantly higher concentrations of CRP in comparison with GRIND pigs on day 29. Stress caused by teeth resection provoked a transient reduction in skin temperature. Furthermore, both resection methods caused infection and/or inflammation, but to a similar degree as that caused by leaving the teeth intact. These results indicate that the welfare of piglets is better in the short term if their teeth are left intact; however, if teeth resection is necessary grinding can be recommended in preference to clipping.

Keywords

acute phase proteinsanimal welfarecortisolpigsskin temperatureteeth resection
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 15 , Issue 3 , August 2006 , pp. 291 - 297
Copyright
© 2006 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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

Baldi, A, Verga, M, Maffii, M, Canali, E, Chiaraviglio, D and Ferrari, C 1989 Effects of blood sampling procedures, grouping and adrenal stimulation on stress responses in the growing pig. Reproduction, Nutrition, Development 29: 95–103Google ScholarPubMed
Brookes, JB and Lean, IJ 1993 Teeth clipping in piglets. Animal Production 56: 437 (Abstract)Google Scholar
Campbell, RG and Dunkin, AC 1982 The effect of birth weight on the estimated milk intake, growth and body composition of sow-reared piglets. Animal Production 35: 193–197Google Scholar
Charkoudian, N 2003 Skin blood flow in adult human thermoregulation: how it works, when it does not, and why. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 78: 603–612Google ScholarPubMed
Di Costanzo, A, Spain, JN and Spiers, DE 1997 Supplementation of nicotinic acid for lactating Holstein cows under heat stress conditions. Journal of Dairy Science 80: 1200–1206Google ScholarPubMed
Eckersall, PD 2000 Acute phase proteins as markers of infection and inflammation: monitoring animal health, animal welfare and food safety. Irish Veterinary Journal 53: 307–311Google Scholar
Eckersall, PD, Saini, PK and McComb, C 1996 The acute phase response of acid soluble glycoprotein, a1–acid glycoprotein, ceruloplasmin, haptaglobin and C–reactive protein, in the pig. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 51: 377–385CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gordon, CJ, Puckett, E and Padnos, B 2002 Rat tail skin temperature monitored noninvasively by radiotelemetry: characterization by examination of vasomotor responses to thermomodulatory agents. Journal of Pharmacological and Toxicological Methods 47: 107–114Google ScholarPubMed
Griffin, JFT 1989 Stress and immunity: a unifying concept. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 20: 263–312CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gruys, E, Obwolo, MJ and Toussaint, MJM 1994 Diagnostic significance of the major acute phase proteins in veterinary clinical chemistry: a review. Veterinary Bulletin 64: 1009–1018Google Scholar
Hay, M, Rue, J, Sansac, C, Brunel, G and Prunier, A 2004 Long-term detrimental effects of tooth clipping or grinding in piglets: a histological approach. Animal Welfare 13: 27–32CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heegaard, PMH, Klausen, J, Nielsen, JP, González-Ramón, N, Piñeiro, M, Lampreave, F and Álava, MA 1998 The porcine acute phase response to infection with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. Haptaglobin, C–reactive protein, major acute phase protein and serum amyloid A protein are sensitive indicators of infection. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 119: 365–373Google Scholar
Holyoake, PK, Broek, DJ and Calliana, APL 2004 The effects of reducing the length of canine teeth in suckling pigs by clipping or grinding. Australian Veterinary Journal 82: 574–576CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hutter, S, Heinritzi, K, Reich, E and Ehret, W 1993 The effect of different methods of tooth resection in piglets. Tierarztliche-Praxis 21: 417–428Google ScholarPubMed
Kanitz, E, Tuchscherer, M, Puppe, B, Tuchscherer, A and Stabenow, B 2004 Consequences of repeated early isolation in domestic piglets (Sus scrofa) on their behavioural, neuroen-docrine, and immunological responses. Brain, Behaviour and Immunity 18: 35–45CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kattesh, HG, Charles, SF, Baumbach, GA and Gillespie, BE 1990 Plasma cortisol distribution in the pig from birth to six weeks of age. Biology of the Neonate 58: 220–226CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lay, DC Jr, Matteri, RL, Carroll, JA, Fangman, TJ and Safranski, TJ 2002 Preweaning survival in swine. Journal of Animal Science 80, E Suppl 1: E74–E86Google Scholar
Lewis, E, Boyle, LA, Lynch, PB, Brophy, P and O'Doherty, JV 2005a The effect of two teeth resection procedures on the welfare of piglets in farrowing crates. Part 1. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 90: 233–249CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lewis, E, Boyle, LA, Lynch, PB, Brophy, P and O'Doherty, JV 2005b The effect of two teeth resection procedures on the welfare of sows in farrowing crates. Part 2. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 90: 251–264CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lossec, G, Herpin, P and Le Dividich, J 1998 Thermoregulatory responses of the newborn pig during experimentally induced hypothermia and rewarming. Experimental Physiology 83: 667–678Google ScholarPubMed
Mayfield, SR, Stonestreet, BS, Shaul, PW, Brubakk, AM, Susa, J and Oh, W 1989 Plasma catecholamine concentration of newborn piglets in thermoneutral and cold environments. Journal of Development Physiology 11: 331–334Google ScholarPubMed
McGlone, JJ and Johnson, AK 2002 Welfare of the neonatal piglet. In: Wiseman, J, Varley, MA and Kemp, B (eds) Perspectives in Pig Science pp 169–196. Nottingham University Press: Nottingham, UKGoogle Scholar
Meunier-Salaün, MC, Bataille, G, Rugraff, Y and Prunier, A 2002 Influence of tail docking and tooth resection on behaviour and performance of piglets. Journal of Animal Science 80, Suppl 1: 371 (Abstract)Google Scholar
Noonan, GJ, Rand, JS, Priest, J, Ainscow, J and Blackshaw, JK 1994 Behavioural observations of piglets undergoing tail docking, teeth clipping and ear notching. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 39: 203–213CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Otten, W, Kanitz, E, Tuchscherer, M and Nürnberg, G 2001 Effects of prenatal restraint stress on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical and sympatho-adrenomedullary axis in neonatal pigs. Animal Science 73: 279–287Google Scholar
Piñeiro, C, Morales, J, Lázaro, R, López, E, Latorre, MA and Mateos, GG 2003 Effect of heat processing of cereal and oat hull addition on acute-phase protein concentration in serum of piglets after weaning. Proceedings of the Fourth European Colloquium on Acute Phase Proteins pp 133-134. 25-26 September. Segovia, SpainGoogle Scholar
Prunier, A, Mounier, AM and 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: 216–222CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scientific Veterinary Committee 1997 The Welfare of Intensively Kept Pigs. Report of the Scientific Veterinary Committee of the ECC pp 58-62. Doc XXIV/ScVC/0005/1997. Brussels, Belgium. http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/oldcomm4/out17_en.pdf (accessed 5 May 2006)Google Scholar
Spurlock, ME, McComb, MA and Ross, MA 1996 Effect of weaning and weaning diet on circulating acute phase proteins and intestinal stress protein expression in the pig. Journal of Animal Science 74, Suppl: 36Google Scholar
Weary, DM and Fraser, D 1999 Partial tooth-clipping of suckling pigs: effects on neonatal competition and facial injuries. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 65: 21–27CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, BE and Katovich, MJ 1996 Effect of restraint on drug-induced changes in skin and core temperature in biotelemetred rats. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behaviour 55: 219–225CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed