Effects of a local anaesthetic and NSAID in castration of piglets, on the acute pain responses, growth and mortality

Abstract

The present study addresses the questions whether on-farm use of local anaesthesia with lidocaine leads to a reduction in pain responses during castration, and whether the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam improves technical performance after castration of piglets. Five treatments were included in the study: (1) castration without anaesthesia or analgesia (CAST), (2) castration after local anaesthesia with lidocaine (LIDO), (3) castration after administration of meloxicam (MELO), (4) castration after lidocaine and meloxicam (L 1 M) and (5) sham castration (SHAM). To reduce litter influences, each treatment was present in each of the 32 litters (n 5 32 per treatment). During castration, vocalizations were recorded continuously. Blood samples were collected 15 min before and 20 min after castration for determination of plasma levels of total cortisol, glucose, lactate and creatine kinase (CK). Mortality was registered and piglets were weighed several times to calculate growth. Several aspects of vocalizations during castration showed consistent and significantly different levels in CAST compared with LIDO, L 1 M and SHAM. CAST piglets squealed longer, louder and higher. Vocalizations of MELO piglets most resembled those of CAST. An increase in cortisol was seen in all treatments. However, in SHAM piglets this increase was significantly lower than in the other treatments. LIDO piglets showed a significantly smaller increase in plasma cortisol levels compared with CAST and MELO. L 1 M piglets differed significantly only from the SHAM group. Lactate levels differed significantly between LIDO and MELO, the level in LIDO being decreased after castration. In the other treatments an increase was measured. No treatment effects were found in plasma glucose and CK levels, nor in growth and mortality of the piglets. In conclusion, on the basis of vocalizations and plasma cortisol, local anaesthesia with lidocaine reduces pain responses in piglets during castration. A positive effect of meloxicam on technical performance was not found.

Pain behaviour after castration of piglets; effect of pain relief with lidocaine and/or meloxicam

“…This is in line with the findings of Hay et al (2003) and Kluivers-Poodt et al (2012) and indicates that growth is not a sensitive indicator of procedural pain in piglets. The speed of wound healing after castration was not influenced by the use of lidocaine or meloxicam.…”

“…They can also induce secondary hyperalgesia and thereby increase the pain reaction to castration (Lavand'homme, 2006). Local anaesthesia with lidocaine has a pain-relieving effect during castration (White et al, 1995;Haga and Ranheim, 2005;Kluivers-Poodt et al, 2012); however, our study shows that lidocaine has no longer lasting effect after castration. This is in compliance with the action time of lidocaine of ,1 h (Ranheim et al, 2005).…”

“…The anaesthetic effect lasts for ,1 h (Ranheim et al, 2005). It has been shown that local anaesthesia, injected into the testicle, can reduce pain responses during and shortly after castration (McGlone et al, 1993;Haga and Ranheim, 2005;Kluivers-Poodt et al, 2012). On the basis of heart rate and vocalizations, White et al (1995) reported that castration of 8-day-old piglets with local anaesthesia was less painful -E-mail: marion.kluivers@wur.nl a Present address: Veterinary Health Research NZ, Waikato Innovation Park, PO Box 9466, Ruakura Road, Hamilton 3216, New Zealand.…”

Weight gain, behavioral and cortisol changes after orchiectomy with or without local anaesthesia in piglets

“…Although the administration of analgesia and anesthesia before castration consumes both time and money, the demand for these techniques during castration in piglets has increased because they reduce the pain and suffering associated with this procedure (HANSSON et al, 2011;KLUIVERS-POODT et al, 2012). However the effect of local anesthesia in short-term weight gain has not been demonstrated yet (HANSSON et al, 2011;KLUIVERS-POODT et al, 2012, 2013.…”

Can novel methods be useful for pain assessment of castrated piglets?

“…During the last years, methods to reduce pain with anaesthesia and/or analgesia were investigated (Sutherland et al, 2010;Hansson et al, 2011;Kluivers-Poodt et al, 2012). In order to monitor suffering after mutilation, several pain indicators are commonly considered such as physiological (including a clinical and a neuroendocrine approach) and behavioural parameters (Weary et al, 2006;Sutherland et al, 2012).…”