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
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]
^ abcSutherland 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. PMID25204203.
^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. PMID22060938.