Identifying Barriers to Implementing Pain Management for Piglet Castration: A Focus Group of Swine Veterinarians
Identifying Barriers to Implementing Pain Management for Piglet Castration: A Focus Group of Swine Veterinarians
复制标题
DOI：
10.3390/ani10071202
复制
发表时间：
2020-07-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3
通讯作者：
Pairis-Garcia, Monique
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Wagner, Brooklyn;Royal, Kenneth;Pairis-Garcia, Monique
在美国，手术阉割是一种痛苦的饲养过程，通常在仔猪出生后的第一周内进行。阉割被用来改善肉质，因此，几乎所有在美国屠宰的雄性猪都将被阉割。近年来，消费者和零售商质疑阉割作为一种生产实践的伦理性，因为它会导致仔猪经历痛苦。然而，目前在美国，消除阉割是不现实的，采用疼痛管理协议仍然是管理与阉割相关的疼痛的最可行的解决方案。鉴于兽医经常直接监督动物护理方案的制定，本研究的目的是利用焦点小组方法确定影响猪兽医在仔猪阉割疼痛管理方面决策的因素。确定了三个主要重点领域，包括：(1)缺乏有效性验证的批准产品，(2)经济限制和挑战，以及(3)缺乏兽医制定方案的指南和培训。必须解决这些障碍，向前推进，以支持整个美国养猪业对阉割仔猪使用疼痛管理协议。手术阉割是在美国对仔猪进行的一种痛苦的饲养过程，以提高肉质。兽医在制定疼痛管理方案方面发挥着至关重要的作用。然而，在美国养猪生产系统中，为阉割提供疼痛管理并不常见。因此，本研究的目的是利用焦点小组方法确定影响猪兽医在仔猪阉割疼痛管理方案方面决策的因素。招募猪兽医（n = 21）参加三个焦点小组中的一个。录音由两名独立编码员逐字转录并分析，他们确定了三个重点领域，包括(1)缺乏有效性验证的批准产品，(2)经济限制和挑战，以及(3)缺乏兽医制定方案的指南和培训。虽然参与研究的兽医从动物福利的角度承认疼痛管理的重要性，但必须解决这些障碍，以确保在农场成功减轻阉割疼痛。
Simple Summary Surgical castration is a painful husbandry procedure typically performed on piglets in the United States (US) within the first week of life. Castration is used to improve meat quality, and as a result, nearly all male pigs destined for slaughter in the US will be castrated. In recent years, consumers and retailers have questioned the ethicality of castration as a production practice, given that it results in pain experienced by the piglet. However, eliminating castration is not practical at this time in the US, and the adoption of pain management protocols remains the most viable solution to managing pain associated with castration. Given that veterinarians often have direct oversight regarding the development of animal care protocols, the objective of the present study is to identify factors influencing swine veterinarian decision-making in regard to pain management for piglet castration using focus group methodologies. Three main areas of focus were identified and included (1) the lack of approved products validated for efficacy, (2) economic limitations and challenges, and (3) deficient guidelines and training for veterinarians to develop protocols. These barriers must be addressed, moving forward, to support the use of pain management protocols for castrated piglets throughout the US swine industry. Surgical castration is a painful husbandry procedure performed on piglets in the United States (US) to improve meat quality. Veterinarians play a crucial role in developing pain management protocols. However, providing pain management for castration is not common practice in US swine production systems. Therefore, the objective of the present study is to identify factors influencing swine veterinarian decision-making in regard to pain management protocols for piglet castration using focus group methodologies. Swine veterinarians (n = 21) were recruited to participate in one of three focus groups. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by two independent coders who identified three areas of focus, including (1) the lack of approved products validated for efficacy, (2) economic limitations and challenges, and (3) deficient guidelines and training for veterinarians to develop protocols. Although participating veterinarians acknowledged the importance of pain management from an animal welfare standpoint, these barriers must be addressed to ensure that castration pain can be successfully mitigated on-farm.