Pigs - Procedural Refinements

Evidence-based refinements for procedures with pigs

Procedural Refinements

1. Swine Restraint

Refinements:

  • Positive Reinforcement Training

  • Use of Swine Board

  • Peanut Butter on Wall

    • Patience is everything!

2. Swine Anaesthesia

Refinements:

  • Gatoraid and Prang Popsicles for NPO

  • 3D Refinements

  • Ear Wedges

  • Modify recovery surroundings:

    • Soft padding during recovery

    • Low light

    • Low voice

    • Dedicated post-op nursing care

    • John Hopkins Chair

3. Swine Humane Euthanasia

Refinements:

  • Pre-Medication (Sedative): Injectable and Oral options

  • Euthanasia Options

  • Adequate Restraint: It’s all in the hold

4. Swine Blood Collection

Refinements:

  • Consistent body weight

  • Place weigh scale at door entryway

  • Consistent anesthesia

  • Positive Reinforcement Training

Related Refinements

1. Behavioural Management Program

Refinements:

  • Dedicated behavior manager to ensure consistency

  • Dedicated environmental enrichment opportunities

    • Rotational

  • Human-Patient Interaction

    • Understanding time to learn individual behavior

2. Swine Housing

Refinements:

  • Flexible spacing

    • Social housing whenever possible

  • On bedding–>allows rooting; more clean animals

    • Encourages more human interaction because less odor; less noise

    • Allows flexibility for daily sanitation

    • Comfortable and less anxiety

    • Healthier patient models

    • Incision

    • Occupational Health

      • Low noise level

      • Can’t smell feces

  • Enlarged space for animals to move around

  • Exercise

  • Scratch Pad

    • Smearing the twinkie

  • Enrichment Hallway

    • Minimize slipping/non-slip floor

    • Encourage human interaction

3. Swine Housing

Refinements:

  • Step down process: Tender footstep down and acclimating them to step down; Use positive reinforcement

  • Offloading

    • In groups / unloading as a group and not putting them in a carrier;

See Next

Guinea Pigs