Teeth clipping

Teeth clipping in pigs is a management practice in which the sharp tips of newborn piglets' teeth are trimmed or filed to reduce the risk of injury to sows during nursing and minimize aggression-related injuries among piglets.

Piglets are born with erupted teeth, in order to avoid sow teat injury and damage between piglets, some farms clip their deciduous teeth.^[1] Lesions caused by piglet teeth are superficial and mortality is lower among pigs that don't undergo painful procedures, including teeth clipping.^[2][3]

Disadvantages

The benefits of teeth clipping do not exceed the negative aspects.^[1] Some of the disadvantages of teeth clipping are:^{[1][2][4][5][6]}

• Piglets may stop eating due to pain
• Antibiotic overuse^{[clarification needed]}
• Decreased weight gain
• Hemorrhage(blood loss)
• Teeth fracture
• Gum damage
• Abscess
• Mouth infections
• Joint infections
• Systemic infections
• Lethargy due to infection
• Higher stress and cortisol which reduces mucle mass in pigs^[7][8]

Ethics

The procedure is painful and produces chronic pain, the dental pulp with the nerve can become exposed, producing further pain. Moreover, if the exposed dental pulp becomes infected, extreme pain will be present.^[4]

Alternatives

Smaller litter sizes, less dense and intensive pig farming, cage free farming, better feed sow.^[9][2]

See also

• Cruelty to animals
• Overview of discretionary invasive procedures on animals
• Intensive pig farming

References

1. Sutherland MA (January 2015). "Welfare implications of invasive piglet husbandry procedures, methods of alleviation and alternatives: a review". New Zealand Veterinary Journal. 63 (1): 52–57. doi:10.1080/00480169.2014.961990. PMID 25204203.
2. "Solutions for ending painful piglet procedures: teeth reduction". www.thepigsite.com. Retrieved 2024-09-03.
3. Van Beirendonck S, Driessen B, Verbeke G, Permentier L, Van de Perre V, Geers R (2012-03-01). "Improving survival, growth rate, and animal welfare in piglets by avoiding teeth shortening and tail docking". Journal of Veterinary Behavior. 7 (2): 88–93. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2011.08.005. ISSN 1558-7878.
4. "Avoiding the Need to Teeth Clip Piglets" (PDF). A Greener World Technical Advice Fact Sheet No. 19.
5. Hay W, Rue J, Sansac C, Brunel G, Prunier A (2004). "Long-term detrimental effects of tooth clipping or grinding in piglets: a histological approach". Animal Welfare. 13 (1): 27–32. doi:10.1017/S0962728600026622. ISSN 0962-7286.
6. Menegatti L, Silva KC, Baggio RA, Silva AS, Paiano D, Zotti ML (2018-01-10). "Los procedimientos dentales postnatales afectan la ganancia de peso y el bienestar de los lechones" [Postnatal dental procedures affect weight gain and welfare of piglets]. Revista MVZ Córdoba (in Spanish). 23 (1): 6429–6437. doi:10.21897/rmvz.1238. ISSN 1909-0544.
7. Yoshioka G, Imaeda N, Ohtani T, Hayashi K (November 2005). "Effects of cortisol on muscle proteolysis and meat quality in piglets". Meat Science. 71 (3): 590–593. doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2005.05.015. PMID 22060938.
8. Wan X, Wang D, Xiong Q, Xiang H, Li H, Wang H, et al. (November 2016). "Elucidating a molecular mechanism that the deterioration of porcine meat quality responds to increased cortisol based on transcriptome sequencing". Scientific Reports. 6 (1): 36589. Bibcode:2016NatSR...636589W. doi:10.1038/srep36589. PMC 5105143. PMID 27833113.
9. Chou JY, Marchant JN, Nalon E, Huynh TT, van de Weerd HA, Boyle LA, et al. (2022-12-02). "Investigating risk factors behind piglet facial and sow teat lesions through a literature review and a survey on teeth reduction". Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 9: 909401. doi:10.3389/fvets.2022.909401. PMC 9755856. PMID 36532351.