Tips for a junior assistant going out on a pig call

I can hear you groaning and turning on to the next page of Vet Times. How can a 78-year-old veterinary surgeon who qualified in 1966 possibly remember what it was like to be the most junior assistant in a mixed practice when he can’t even find the app on his smartphone to help him find his van in a multistorey car park?

In May 2006, a graduate vet joined Westover Veterinary Centre as its most junior veterinary assistant. She only remained in that role for a few minutes before she took the screwdriver blade of her Swiss army knife and attacked the board outside of the practice that displayed the names of the veterinary surgeons.

I was the eldest and my name was on the top. She removed my plaque and moved everyone up. She added her new shining plaque at the bottom and then added mine below hers. She had learned I was no longer a partner and had been re-employed as an assistant. It was a humbling experience that I never cease from reflecting on.

I was now the most junior assistant, and I would be given all the calls to smallholder and pet pigs.

I like pigs and I was happy to take on this role.

Pig calls

If you have recently joined a mixed practice and do not like pigs then you need to take immediate action.

The worst thing to do is nothing, because you then have a dilemma if you get sent on a pig call. If you refuse to go, you will upset the receptionists.

These members of staff must be obeyed by newly employed vets, otherwise they are in a unique position to make your life hell.

You will not endear yourself to the other veterinary employees as they are nearly always reluctant to attend, as they will claim they either do not know anything about pigs or they need to maintain their pig-free status as they have an important visit to a large pig enterprise fixed for the following day.

You will certainly not gain any brownie points with the senior veterinary surgeons who will brand you, at best, difficult, or more likely as insubordinate, regardless to the fact that at your interview they promised that you would not be asked to treat an animal to which you were not familiar.

What you need to do is to ring around the other practices in the area and arrange that they will visit any pet pigs.

You get a card made out with their name and telephone number, which you display prominently on the front desk. Such an action will endear you to the receptionists, who will be entirely happy to pass on this information.

It is quite likely that this change in practice policy will take considerable time to filter up to the senior management. As an insurance policy, I would be inclined to keep this copy of Vet Times.

Challenge

However, you may like pigs and feel up to the challenge. You will certainly endear yourself to all the other employees of the practice. Here are some tips to help you.

Syringes

The practice needs to purchase for you a strong plastic non-disposable 20ml syringe with a Luer lock needle attachment.

You will need to practise using this syringe, which costs under £10, on a large canvas-covered soft toy.

What you will be aiming to do is to be able to lunge at the toy and inject 20ml of fluid through a 12-gauge needle, all in one movement. We will call it “the Graham Lunge” (at the time of writing, the author can still manage it).  Do not despair if you find this totally impossible. You could get the practice to purchase a MasterJect Gun Kit; sadly, this will cost £400.

Anaesthesia

Now you need to know the dose of an anaesthetic cocktail to administer to an adult pig.

For 100kg of pig, you will need 10ml of 10% ketamine, 2ml of 10% xylazine and 2ml of 1% butorphanol. These can be mixed in the same syringe for a deep IM injection.

Euthanasia

In the sad event of euthanasia in an adult pig, you can anaesthetise it with the previous dose and then destroy it with an injection of Somulose into its heart.

In farm situations, euthanasia is best carried out with a 12 bore-shotgun, shot a foot away from the head at a point where a line from one ear to the opposite eye crosses a line from the opposite ear to the opposite eye. It is sensible to make a mark with a marker spray.

As a vet, you are allowed to borrow a shotgun from a farmer if they have a licence. You are not allowed to use a gun with a free bullet unless you personally have a firearms licence.

Euthanasia of baby pigs can be carried out in the jugular vein with the pig lying on its back on an assistant’s lap using triple strength barbiturate, in a similar manner to injecting cats into the jugular vein.

The author can not condone the practice, however, euthanasia of baby pigs on farm is allowed by blunt trauma.

Castration

Castration is not necessary in commercial pigs as they can reach slaughter weight before they begin to smell like a boar.

Ideally, in pet pigs it should be carried out in piglets less than seven days of age; then, an anaesthetic is not required. However, they can be masked down with isoflurane.

Older pigs will require local anaesthetic injected into the scrotum 10 minutes after receiving 1ml of Stresnil injected intramuscularly. Piglets should be held upside down.

It is vital that the sow is properly restrained as she may become violent. It is best if she is out of earshot. Piglets should be examined carefully to make sure that they do not have inguinal hernias. This inherited trait is common in pot-bellied pigs.

Normal pigs can be castrated by an open method. The testicle is squeezed into the scrotum. A single cut is made through the skin and the tunics.

The testicle and its attachments are drawn out of the body. The procedure is repeated on the second testicle. There is no need for any haemostasis or suturing of the scrotum.

In contrast, pigs with inguinal hernias need to be castrated by a closed method. The piglet is anaesthetised as described previously and held upside down.

A careful incision is made through the skin of scrotum. With blunt dissection, the testicle is pulled out. The testicular sack is carefully examined to make sure that it only contains the testicle. A large haemostat is placed across the tunics. A transfixing ligature of catgut is then placed across the tunics below the haemostat.

The testicle is removed with the scalpel above the haemostat. After careful replacement of the stump, two simple sutures of catgut are placed in the skin.

Castration of older pigs should be avoided. However, if it is required, it can be performed in a smallholder situation in a weighing crate with local anaesthetic. The testicle should be twisted and pulled. Haemostasis is not required.

In a pet pig situation, or if an inguinal hernia is present, the pig should be anaesthetised as described for adult pigs on a pro-rata basis.

Rectal prolapse

Rectal prolapse is likely to be seen in finishing pigs suffering from coughing.

Respiratory disease can be prevented by vaccination and good husbandry. It is vital that this underlying cause of the coughing is treated with suitable antibiotics and NSAIDs before surgical treatment.

The pig should be adequately restrained in a weighing crate. Local anaesthetic should be instilled around the rectum in a ring block.

After several minutes, a purse-string suture of thick braided nylon should be placed in position before replacement of the organ.

It should be drawn tight, leaving the anus with a hole just sufficient to insert an index finger. There is no need to remove the suture, which will be discarded during the dressing process of the carcase.

Rectal prolapse in sows can be repaired in a similar manner, leaving an anus large enough to insert three fingers.

The sow will need to medicated with liquid paraffin on the water for 10 days before the suture is removed.

Wounds and burns

Wounds and burns in pigs should be treated with suitable antibiotics and NSAIDs, both parenterally and topically. Suturing is rarely necessary and should be avoided.