CASTRATION OF PIGLETS - PAIN SENSIBILITY AND ANESTHESIA

Electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings performed in piglets during T rapanal(R) anaesthesia showed distinct changes in bioelectrical brain activity in some piglets when castration was carried out. Only an addi tional extradural anaesthesia seemed to interrupt the transmission of peripheral pain stimuli to the central nervous system. Based on the pr otocol used EEG did not reveal a marked response to noxious stimulatio n. Castration of piglets up to two weeks of age were performed during general anaesthesia with Trapanal(R) or Disoprivan(R) or local anaesth esia with Hostacain(R) or without any anaesthesia. The different modes of anaesthesia have had no effects to postoperative wound healing and weight gain between groups as well as between males and females withi n single groups. With regard to insufficient analgesia and/or partiall y extreme secondary effects the application of investigated anaestheti c methods on the occasion of castration of piglets is not justifiable at present. Castration in piglets up to an age of two month without an aesthesia is allowed by the animal protection law. However, due to imp roved wound healing and decreased response to surgical stimulus we sug gest to perform castration during the first 10 days after delivery.