Erfahrungen zur Schmerzausschaltung bei der Ferkelkastration in der Schweiz Teil 1: Inhalationsanästhesie

Abstract

The objectives of this study were a description of the practical implementation of the painless castration under inhalational anaesthesia with an objective assessment of animal welfare, workplace safety and time exposure. 600 questionnaires were sent to farmers all over Switzerland and 100 farms were visited during castration under inhalation anaesthesia. 44 % of the visited farmers administered analgetics during anaesthesia or less than 10 minutes before castration. 14 % of the piglets were insufficiently anaesthetised (moving or vocalising) and 18 % showed stronger bleeding tendency after castration. The mortality rate was less than 0.1 %. 22 % of the swine farmers reported headache or dizziness during or after castration work. The Isoflurane level on 2 farms was above the Swiss safety limits. The time needed for castration was with 4.3 minutes clearly above the time necessary without anaesthesia. The additional financial costs and time are at the moment not adequately compensated to the farmers.

Optimization of analgesia for piglet castration under isoflurane anaesthesia with parenteral butorphanol, meloxicam or intratesticular lidocaine

“…In the present study, the additional use of IT lidocaine reduced pain-related defence movements during castration under inhalation anaesthesia from 65% to 17-18% independent of dose rate (4 mg/kg and 8 mg/kg) used. Incidence of movements of group M in the present study was higher than previously published (Enz et al, 2013;Steigmann, 2013). This discrepancy may have occurred, as the authors of the present study recorded any kind of movement and the piglets were not restrained at all, whereas other authors judged mild movements as unconscious reflexes and not pain related and piglets were fixed with a commercially available castration system.…”

“…As with the current Swiss standard anaesthesia for piglet castration with isoflurane and meloxicam 14-34% of piglets show purposeful movement in response to surgery (Enz et al, 2013;Steigmann, 2013), the current study investigated further analgesics in order to reduce unnecessary suffering of piglets undergoing castration. In the present study, the additional use of IT lidocaine reduced pain-related defence movements during castration under inhalation anaesthesia from 65% to 17-18% independent of dose rate (4 mg/kg and 8 mg/kg) used.…”

“…Furthermore, piglets receiving meloxicam show less pain related behaviour during and after surgery (Zöls, 2006;Hansson et al, 2011). However, in a Swiss survey 22% of piglets castrated under isoflurane anaesthesia including meloxicam, showed movement during castration (Enz et al, 2013). A German study showed an even higher number of insufficient depth of anaesthesia with 34% (Steigmann, 2013).…”

“…In Switzerland, 1.3 millions male piglets are castrated yearly, 75% under inhalation anaesthesia (Enz et al, 2013). Isoflurane is a volatile agent providing fast and save induction of anaesthesia in pigs (Hodgson, 2007).…”

Modern inhalation anesthetics: Potent greenhouse gases in the global atmosphere

“…Methoxyflurane (1960s and 1970s) was the first halogenated ether used in anesthesiology but was also phased out due to medical side effects [ Halpern , ]. Enflurane was used from the 1970s to the 1990s [ Ball and Westhorpe , ] and was replaced by isoflurane (early 1980s) [ Halpern , ], which is presently still used, in particular in veterinary anesthesia [e.g., Enz et al , ]. Desflurane (1992) [ Halpern , ] and sevoflurane (mid‐1990s) [ Ball and Westhorpe , ] are the most recently introduced inhalation anesthetics.…”