Pathogen
elimination through
Hysterectomy and move piglets to a new farm
Example - Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae elimination
(It is possible to do with a hysterectomy – carefully
prepared caesarean but requires detailed surgical care)
Science assumptions – re Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
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The
organism is not normally present on the skin
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The
organism not normally present in the blood
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The
organism is not passed through the placenta to the foetus
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Sow Preparation Protocols
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The sow should
be presented at 112-114 days of gestation. The day before
the hysterectomy, the sow should be washed without causing stress |
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Day before hysterectomy |
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1 |
It is better
not to try to stop the farrowing time, but sometimes it will necessary. Two compounds may be considered. Check that these compounds are legal. |
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Progesterone: 300 mg intramuscular day before |
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Planipart™ (clenbuterol): 10 ml (300 mg) intramuscular dose every 12 hours |
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2 |
Ensure that a
foster mother is going to be available on the new farm |
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Preparation protocol |
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1 |
Sow must not be
in labour and giving birth. If any piglets have
been born or there is placenta showing, the sow must not be moved off the
unit |
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2 |
The sow should
be gently driven to the site of hysterectomy |
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3 |
The truck,
driver and support staff must stay at least 20 metres
away from the piglet end of the hysterectomy |
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4 |
The driver and
support staff must wear clean outer clothing on the day of the
hysterectomy. Particular areas of
concern are the wearing of clean boots and washed hands |
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5 |
The truck used
to transport the sow should be cleaned and disinfected and not used to
move pigs for 12 hours after cleaning and disinfection |
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6 |
The breeding
company is to ensure all parties know that the hysterectomy is to be carried
out the next morning |
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Hysterectomy site |
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1 |
The hysterectomy
site must be secure and discreet |
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2 |
The site should
be arranged so that the piglet area and dam area are clearly separated by a
minimum of 20 metres |
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3 |
No staff should
move between the two sites at any time |
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4 |
After the
hysterectomy has been completed all material must be removed and the site
disinfected. |
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5 |
If the carcase
remains at the hysterectomy site, it must be placed in a covered and/or
purpose built dog proof building. The carcase must
be removed within 24 hours of slaughter. The carcase must have been removed prior
to another hysterectomy being carried out |
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PREPARATION FOR THE HYSTERECTOMY |
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DAY PRIOR TO THE HYSTERECTOMY |
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Stockpersons Responsibilities |
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1 |
Prepare
the bath, ensure that it is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected |
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2 |
Ensure the
hysterectomy table is thoroughly clean |
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Within 15 minutes of the start of the
hysterectomy |
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1 |
The bath is to
be filled to a water depth of 30 cm with hot tap water |
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2 |
Add suitable mild disinfectant to the water |
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3 |
Move the bath to the clean site of the
hysterectomy |
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4 |
Have one
additional bucket of warm clean water ready to clean post-slaughter |
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5 |
If the hysterectomy is
not carried out within 25 minutes of filling the bath, then the bath
should be refilled with water at the required temperature |
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Slaughter Procedure |
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Three
people are required; two stock people (stockperson 1 & 2) and one
veterinarian |
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1 |
The piglet area must be ready |
2 |
The sow must be
securely snared and restrained by stockperson 1 |
3 |
The veterinarian
gives stockperson 2 the pithing rod and the knife |
4 |
Both stockpeople
must stand behind the veterinarian The veterinarian
shots the sow using a captive bolt. |
5 |
Immediately the
veterinarian passes the discharged gun to stockperson 2 by the handle,
keeping the gun pointing at the floor at all times. |
6 |
The stockperson
2 passes the pithing rod to the veterinarian |
7 |
The
veterinarian attempts to insert the pithing rod
into the cranial hole. A certain degree
of force may be required to fully penetrate the cranium |
8 |
Stockperson 1
must stay behind the veterinarian and continue to restrain the sow on the
snare |
9 |
The pithing rod is passed down the spinal cord of the sow and
slowly moved in and out until all excessive movement stops |
10 |
Leave
the pithing rod in place until after the
hysterectomy |
The Hysterectomy Procedure |
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1 |
The sow is to
be rolled out on her back with stockperson 1 holding one hind leg |
2 |
Stockperson 2
pass to the veterinarian the knife and then places the gun back in its gun
box |
3 |
Stockperson 2
prepares to bring the hot water bath to the side of the sow |
4 |
The
veterinarian starting at the xyphoid process cuts
through the skin and fat, down to between the hind legs. Do not penetrate the abdomen. Cut only through skin and fat |
5 |
Penetrate the
abdominal cavity at the xyphoid process. Make a
sufficiently large hole to allow the hand to be inserted into the abdominal
cavity. Reverse the cutting method and
raising the abdominal wall with the hand, cut along the linea
alba. Take particular care not to
penetrate any internal organs |
6 |
Place the knife
blade into the muscles of the fore leg |
7 |
Bring the hot
water bath to the side of the sow |
8 |
Pour and pull
the uterus into the bath. Pull and tear the ovarian end. In some cases the
cervical end can even be torn but in most cases the cervical end will need to
be severed by the knife |
9 |
Once the whole
uterus is in the water bath both stockpeople must briskly walk with the bath
to the piglet area |
Possible problems during the hysterectomy |
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A |
A small hole has
been made in the uterus but no piglets are released |
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Ignore and
continue |
B |
A larger hole
has been made in the uterus and a piglet is released |
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A larger hole
has been made in the uterus and a piglet is released. Keep pulling the uterus into the water bath
and proceed with the hysterectomy. The
released piglet is not to be moved to the piglet processing area but is to be
dried and returned, whenever possible, to the sow source farm |
The piglet site |
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DAY BEFORE HYSTERECTOMY |
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1 |
Processing Table |
Ensure the table
is cleaned and disinfected thoroughly at least 12 hours before the
hysterectomy. The table is designed to
have a grill to allow water though but not the uterus and piglets |
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2 |
Piglet
Transport Box |
Ensure the box
is cleaned and disinfected thoroughly at least 12 hours before the
hysterectomy. Ensure the box can be
warmed effectively. Ensure there is an
adequate number of boxes and that they are big enough to take the maximum
number of piglets |
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3 |
The truck to
Transport the Piglets to the new farm |
Ensure the truck
is cleaned and disinfected thoroughly at least 12 hours before the
hysterectomy |
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DAY
OF THE HYSTERECTOMY |
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1 |
The piglet area
should be discretely sited |
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2 |
The
veterinarian, nurse and stockperson from the destination farm should have
clean outer clothing and boots.
Plastic outer protectors should be worn |
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3 |
Hands should be
cleaned prior to arrival and washed with surgical scrub disinfectant. Gloves can be worn by the operators. However, gloves can interfere with the
processing time as it can make it more difficult to remove the piglets from
the uterus |
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4 |
Tools required
are: Naval clamps 14 pairs, Sterilised
curved blunt ended scissors, Dry towels, 2 bottles Revivon™ drops |
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Piglet
Processing |
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1 |
The two
stockpeople briskly approach the processing table and pour the water and
disinfectant onto and through the processing table |
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2 |
The two
stockpeople briskly walk back to the hysterectomy site |
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3 |
All three
operators (one vet, nurses and piglet stockperson) open the uterus and remove
the piglets. Do not cut into
the piglets |
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4 |
The veterinarian
then moves the blood up the cord towards each pig and placed a navel clamp
approximately 5 cm from the umbilicus.
The umbilical cord is then cut from the placenta from each piglet. |
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5 |
During all this
time the nurse and stockperson use dry towels to massage and dry the piglets. The nurse and
stockperson must talk to the piglets and encourage the piglets to breath |
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6 |
The piglet
should squeal and move vigorously before being moved into the transportation
box |
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7 |
Piglets having
problems with breathing, attempt to recover using Revivon™ dripped on the
tongue. Despite the temptation, mouth
to mouth resuscitation is not to be attempted as pathogen transmission may
occur |
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8 |
Once all the
piglets are in the transportation box the stockperson, transportation box and
transport truck must leave for the new farm |
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9 |
Any piglets with
any deformity likely to affect production must not enter the piglet
transportation box. For example,
deformed legs or cleft palate (if noticed) |
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10 |
The piglet
processing area is now thoroughly cleaned down and all disposable equipment
disposed of hygienically (plastic overcoat, gloves etc.,) |
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At the new farm |
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New farm
being made – no sow’s available |
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The farm
facilities must be extremely clean |
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Note the new
piglets will have received no colostrum and therefore, will have no natural
immunity. |
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Provide
artificial colostrum supplements. Cow
colostrum may be a good substitute.
Provide 50 ml per piglet at 10 ml per dose by stomach tube. |
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Inject each
piglet with 3mg ceftiour or 5 mg tulathromycin |
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New stock being moved to an established farm |
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Induce sows to
farrow on the day of the hysterectomy |
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Foster pigs of
sows as they farrow. If short of sows,
box up sow’s natural piglets and give then artificial colostrum and once all
pigs are born given them one suckle of the sow |
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Hysterectomy
piglets must be given priority. When
hysterectomy piglets arrive, do not fuss over then. Put shredded paper in the pen and extra
lights. Ensure foster sow has not
suckled in the last hour, and then just leave the hysterectomy piglets to get
on with it. |
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Inject each
piglet with 3mg ceftiofur or 5 mg tulathromycin |
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