Butorphanol tartrate acts to decrease sow activity, which could lead to reduced pig crushing.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine whether administration of an analgesic to sows immediately after farrowing would allow them to lie more restfully. Sows lying on their pigs, causing them to be "crushed," is a major cause of pig mortality. Most deaths due to crushing occur during the first 3 d postpartum. For modern, lean-type sows, farrowing crates are relatively hard and unforgiving, even though they may be equipped with plastic-coated, expanded metal flooring. Indeed, many sows develop pressure sores on their shoulders, and this may contribute to the sows' discomfort. These sores may cause a sow to change position frequently to alleviate pain, thus increasing its chances of crushing pigs. Sixteen production sows were assigned to either a control group (C, n = 8) with litter size 11.71+/-.78 or an experimental group (B, n = 8) with litter size 11.63+/-1.22. Pigs born to C and B sows weighed 1.60+/-.04 and 1.37+/-.04 kg, respectively. The C sows were given no treatment, whereas the B sows were administered an i.m. injection of butorphanol tartrate at a dose of .15 mg/kg BW every 6 h until 3 d after farrowing. Data were collected on all sows using time-lapse photography (1 frame/.4 s) for a 3-d duration upon the initiation of farrowing. To assess the degree of comfort of each sow, body position changes were recorded when sows switched between lying, sitting, and standing. Data were analyzed by 12-h periods using Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney equations. During the 72-h period, B sows tended to perform fewer position changes than C sows (P = .10). Specifically, position changes were fewer for B sows from 48 to 72 h postpartum (P<.06). There were no differences in position changes between treatments from 0 to 48 h postpartum (P>.50). There was no difference in the rate of crushing between treatments (C = 5, B = 5). The butorphanol did not seem to affect pig activity or normal behaviors or to create adverse effects, such as diarrhea. Although the sows given butorphanol showed a reduced number of position changes, the dose was intermediate, and a higher dose may have a greater effect. If pig mortality can be decreased, an analgesic protocol that is simple to administer and readily available to producers can be developed. Alternatively, using of more pliable flooring or an increase in sow body fat may allow sows to lie more stationary.

Does the presence of shoulder ulcers affect the behaviour of sows?

“…Restlessness is a general sign of motivational conflict (Manning and Dawkins, 1998) and known to be an indicator of persistent pain in mammals (Gebhart et al, 2009;Mellor et al, 2000). In a study by Haussmann et al (1999), sows given analgesics immediately after farrowing reduced the number of postural changes from 48 to 72 hours post partum compared to a control group, indicating that the increased restlessness in the U-sows might have been a response to pain associated with the lesions. In addition, human patients with pressure sores point out that pain from such lesions can be relieved by frequently shifting body position (Spilsbury et al, 2007).…”

Effects of meloxicam (Metacam®) on post-farrowing sow behaviour and piglet performance

“…No differences were found between treatment groups in the number of position changes. Haussmann et al (1999) showed a reduced number of body position changes 48 h after farrowing in sows treated with butorphanol and hypothesised that this may lead to a decrease in crushing rates. Although butorphanol and meloxicam have analgesic properties, butorphanol has a different mechanism of action and effect as compared with meloxicam.…”

A Review of Pain Assessment in Pigs

“…In contrast, Lawrence et al (102) recorded decreased frequency and duration of standing in naloxone-treated sows. Posture and the number of posture changes have been used to evaluate the use of post-farrowing analgesics (95–97, 100). Haussmann et al (100) demonstrated that sows administered butophanol for 3 days post-parturition adopted fewer body position changes between 48 and 72 h afterward.…”

“…Posture and the number of posture changes have been used to evaluate the use of post-farrowing analgesics (95–97, 100). Haussmann et al (100) demonstrated that sows administered butophanol for 3 days post-parturition adopted fewer body position changes between 48 and 72 h afterward. Sows administered meloxicam for three consecutive days spent less time lying on the third day post-partum compared with placebo-treated animals (97).…”