Teeth clipping
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.
Some piglets are born with erupted teeth; in order to avoid sow teat injury and damage between piglets, some farms clip their deciduous teeth. Lesions caused by piglet teeth are superficial, and mortality is lower among pigs that don't undergo painful procedures, including teeth clipping.
Disadvantages
Some of the disadvantages of teeth clipping are:- Piglets may stop eating due to pain
- Antibiotic overuse
- Decreased weight gain
- Hemorrhage
- Teeth fracture
- Gum damage
- Abscess
- Mouth infections
- Joint infections
- Systemic infections
- Lethargy due to infection
- Higher stress and cortisol, which reduces muscle mass in pigs