The effect of needle-free administration of local anesthetic on the behavior and physiology of castrated pigs

The objectives of this study were to 1) evaluate the stress caused by administering local anesthetic (LA) using a needle-free injection system and 2) evaluate if there are any benefits of administering LA immediately prior to castration on post-operative pain. At 3 days of age, piglets were allocated to one of four treatment groups. Treatments included: 1) sham castration (CON); 2) surgical castration (CAS); 3) castration plus LA administered immediately prior to castration using a conventional needle and syringe (NED) and 4) castration plus LA administered immediately prior to castration using a needle-free injection system (NF).

Source: Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research - July 19, 2017 Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Mhairi A. Sutherland, Brittany L. Backus, Tiffanie A. Brooks, John J. McGlone Source Type: research