Guest Commentary

Dr. Bo Brock, DVM
Lubbock, TX
How To Pick 'Em
I’ve always been amazed to watch someone pick out a baby animal that has been weaned and some how know what that critter is gonna look like when it is grown up. How do they do it? The girl that sat next to me in home room in the fifth grade was the ugliest thing you have ever seen until she got about 17 and then, “wow”, did she ever change. It is certainly beyond me to be able to pick out the winner of the blue ribbon, but I can give you some pointers about picking a healthy one. Every year we have an influx of young, prospective show animals to the clinic that had problems that the people failed to look for when choosing. Here are some of the common problems in pigs. Over the next few issues, we will look at various species and problems you may encounter. Perhaps it will save you some heartache or give you an idea of what to expect if you can come upon one of these problems.
PIGS: HERNIA – Pigs tend to have a problem with these. I suggest you pick up the pig and gently touch the area where the belly button lives and the inside of each back leg where the leg joins the body. If the belly has an area outlined by muscle edges and covered with only skin, you may have an umbilical hernia. If there is a thickening to the are just beneath the remnant of the umbilical cord, you may have an infection smoldering there that will become active later and create an infectious hernia. If you do not detect an inguinal hernia prior to castration, you will often find out the hard way. We palpate and look closely at every inguinal canal before we castrate a pig. It just takes one pig standing in his intestines to drive this point home. On an average year we will see 10 or 12 of these things at the clinic in Lamesa, Texas. This past year we saw more than 50 of them. In speaking with other veterinarians, the number of pigs born with this problem seems to be on the rise. I would suggest learning to look for these problems and making a plan to repair them before they cause a disaster.
CONFIRMATION – Here is one that steps on a few toes. If you have read the articles in the Purple Circle in the past, you will know that we see a large number of crippled pigs every show season. People have called the clinic from all over the country looking for answers to this career ending problem. I suggest that you take a close look at some of the conformational history of the piglets. I am not suggesting by any means that PPLO or crippled pig syndrome is genetic or inherited, but I am saying there are a few things that you should be concerned about when choosing. Remember, the best looking pig in the world is useless if it cannot walk. Pigs that are extremely straight in the hocks are not physically optimizing the surfaces of each joint in their back legs. If less of the joint surfaces are in contact, the part that is touching carries more pounds per square inch. This means that the load on part of the joint is tremendous, while other parts of the joint are not loaded much at all. It is the reason I can usually tell you which joints are causing the pig problems before I even see the animal. Over the years we have seen a pattern with crippled pigs and conformation. I have also seen some pigs that would have certainly done well or even won some of the major shows that never left home because they could not walk. Over the years of producing show quality pigs, we have made animals that are just teetering between having the perfect conformation and completely unable to function as a hog. When choosing, look closely at the animal’s conformation and don’t forget some of the risks that come with extremes.
URINARY DIVERTICULUM – These are commonly referred to as “Piss Pockets”. These things can be of a sudden onset or they can gradually build over a few weeks to months. There is an effective surgery to correct the problem but it does take some nursing care post-operatively and can have some potentially bad side effects. I have seen piglets with this problem when they were purchased. Most of the time they really start showing up when the pig gets to about 40 pounds. CASTRATION PROBLEMS – It seems to have become the trend lately to wait as long as possible to castrate show pigs. I guess people are wanting to squeeze every last drop of testosterone out of those testicles before they cut them off. Still, some are castrated before they are purchased. If this is the case, look the castration site over carefully. The incision should be low enough and large enough to allow for drainage. Ask if the people cut the tunic surrounding to the testicle or if they removed the testicle and tunic both. We have found that if the testicle and tunic (transparent, tough membrane that surrounds the testicle) are removed that the prospect of post-castration cysts goes down considerably. Castration infections can extend into the surrounding musculature and result in a disfigured rump and a chronic infection that comes back over and over. They are some of the most frustrating things I have ever seen.
CORRECT EARS FOR THE BREED – If the breed is not supposed to have erect ears, give the baby pig a close look before purchasing. As the cartilage in the ear becomes less pliable with age, the smaller ears may begin to stick up. As the neck and head area get fatter, the ears are pulled more tightly and have a tendency to rise. Look closely for this potential. SKIN PROBLEMS – There is a real problem with pink pigs sunburning when they are moved to a new place with inadequate shade. Other skin problems can be incubating in a piglet and just waiting for a stressful event to decrease the immune system just enough for the skin infection to get started. These pigs get crusty exudative lesions that sometimes cause extreme itching and discomfort. This can often be contagious and may be spread to other pigs that come in contact with the infected animal. If you watch for these things, it may save you some problems and possible death loss in the newly purchased animal. If you get home and discover a health defect, give your local veterinarian or ag teacher a call. If you want, call Dr. Smith or myself in Lamesa, Texas and we will see if we can give you a hand. (806) 872-3183 Brock Veterinarian Clinic in Lamesa, Texas.

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