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Reproductive surgery in the pet pig
Author(s) -
Carr John
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
in practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.211
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 2042-7689
pISSN - 0263-841X
DOI - 10.1136/inpract.23.2.98
Subject(s) - vietnamese , animal welfare , head and neck , pet therapy , medicine , surgery , biology , ecology , philosophy , linguistics
PIGS are an increasingly popular, albeit unusual, pet. The two breeds which are most commonly kept as pets are the Vietnamese pot‐bellied pig and the Kune Kune. Pigs are more intelligent than dogs, are relatively easy to train and, when kept in a loving environment, present with few behavioural problems. However, puberty and its subsequent reproductive changes can result in the development of unpleasant and potentially dangerous behavioural traits, which may require surgical correction. This article briefly reviews a number of important considerations relating to reproductive surgery in the pet pig. When handling pigs it is worth remembering that they have a powerful neck and bite, and even pet varieties can weigh around 100 kg and outrun most humans.