ABSTRACT: Since the first reports of boar castration, the anesthesia, surgery, and especially the restraint for surgical wound management of large and strong boars may be challenging. Most frequent complications include hemorrhage, excessive edema, infection, abscess, scirrhous cord, inguinal hernia, seroma, hematoma, and death. In order to diminish those complications, we hypothesized that the pre-scrotal approach would be a successful method for orchiectomy in boars and that the complication rate would be low, facilitating post-surgical handling on the commercial swine breeding farms by the owners or handlers. Therefore, the present study aimed to describe our experience performing castration in boars using a pre-scrotal approach on farm-setting. Thirty commercial-breed male boars (weighing 255-410kg) were submitted to dissociative anesthesia protocol and local anesthesia. An 8-10cm skin incision was made cranially to the hemiscrotum, and subcutaneous tissue was bluntly dissected, reaching the tunica dartos, fascia, and vaginal tunica. Mesorchium was bluntly dissected to separate, and a double size-0 transfixion ligature was placed around the spermatic cord that was sharply transected. The procedure was repeated on the contralateral testis using the same skin incision. Short-term complication was restricted to mild scrotal edema in 12 (40%) boars. No wound exudate, surgical site infection or death related to the surgery was recorded. On the long-term follow-up (≥4 months’ post-surgery), all owners stated that the boar was subsequently used as intended (slaughter after the proper boar taint withdrawal time) and their satisfaction with the low degree of difficulty in handling the post-operative care. Herein, the overall complication rate was considered low, the mortality rate was zero, and the pre-scrotal castration approach was successfully performed in all boars. These features confirm the technique as a safe procedure for orchiectomy in boars. Additionally, abolishing the daily dressing of surgical wounds required in open castration techniques, especially when surgical site infection occurs, may provide better welfare for the boars.

RESUMO: Desde os primeiros relatos de castração de cachaços, a anestesia, a cirurgia, e, principalmente, a contenção para manejo de feridas cirúrgicas de cachaços grandes e fortes podem ser desafiadoras. As complicações mais frequentes incluem hemorragia, edema excessivo, infecção, abscesso, funiculite, hérnia inguinal, seroma, hematoma e morte. A fim de diminuir tais complicações, levantamos a hipótese de que a abordagem pré-escrotal seria um método bem-sucedido para orquiectomia em cachaços e que a taxa de complicações seria baixa, facilitando o manejo pós-cirúrgico pelos proprietários ou tratadores. Portanto, o presente estudo objetivou descrever nossa experiência na castração de cachaços por abordagem pré-escrotal nas granjas comerciais de suínos. Trinta cachaços machos de raças comerciais (variação de peso de 255-410kg) foram submetidos ao protocolo de anestesia dissociativa e anestesia local. Uma incisão cutânea de 8 a 10cm foi feita cranialmente ao hemiscroto, e o tecido subcutâneo divulsionado de forma romba atingindo a túnica dartos, fáscia e túnica vaginal. O mesórquio foi separado por divulsão, e, uma ligadura de transfixação dupla com fio 0 realizada ao redor do cordão espermático, que foi seccionado. O procedimento foi repetido no testículo contralateral usando a mesma incisão na pele. A complicação de curto prazo foi restrita a leve edema escrotal em 12 (40%) cachaços. Nenhuma infecção incisional, exsudato ou morte relacionada à cirurgia foi registrada. No acompanhamento a longo prazo (≥4 meses pós-cirúrgico), todos os proprietários afirmaram que o cachaço foi posteriormente utilizado como pretendido (abate após o tempo adequado de retirada do odor de macho inteiro), e sua satisfação com o baixo grau de dificuldade nos cuidados pós-operatórios. Aqui, a taxa geral de complicações foi considerada baixa, a taxa de mortalidade foi zero e a castração por abordagem pré-escrotal foi realizada com sucesso em todos os cachaços. Essas características confirmam a técnica como um procedimento seguro para orquiectomia em cachaços. Além disso, a abolição do curativo diário das feridas cirúrgicas exigido nas técnicas de castração aberta, principalmente quando ocorre infecção, pode proporcionar melhor bem-estar aos cachaços.

Abstract: In order to evaluate iron chelate in diets for sows during gestation and lactation and its effects on iron supplementation for piglets, a total of 50 pregnant sows in the third parity order were distributed according to a randomized block design with two treatments: diet without iron chelate supplementation (n=20); diet supplemented with 0.15% of iron chelate (n=30). The litters of sows were distributed into five different treatments: sows without iron chelate supplementation and piglets receiving intramuscular iron-dextran; sows without iron chelate supplementation and piglets receiving oral iron supplementation; sows supplemented with iron chelate and piglets receiving intramuscular iron-dextran; sows supplemented with iron chelate and piglets receiving oral iron supplementation; sows supplemented with iron chelate and piglets without iron supplementation. No influence of dietary supplementation of iron chelate was verified on the productive parameters of the sows. For the piglets, iron-dextran supplementation promoted higher weaning weight in comparison to non-supplemented piglets, although not differing to those received oral iron supplementation. Thus, iron chelate supplementation did not improve the productive parameters of sows, but it increased iron excretion in the feces, thus requiring iron supplementation for the piglets after birth.