Histopathological Characterization of Tail Injury and Traumatic Neuroma Development after Tail Docking in Piglets.

ABSTRACT: Tail docking of neonatal pigs is widely used as a measure to reduce the incidence of tail biting, a complex management problem in the pig industry. Concerns exist over the long-term consequences of tail docking for possible tail stump pain sensitivity due to the development of traumatic neuromas in injured peripheral nerves. Tail stumps were obtained post mortem from four female pigs at each of 1, 4, 8 and 16 weeks following tail amputation (approximately two-thirds removed) by a gas-heated docking iron on post natal day 3. Tissues were processed routinely for histopathological examination. Non-neural inflammatory and reparative epidermal and dermal changes associated with tissue thickening and healing were observed 1 to 4 months after docking. Mild neutrophilic inflammation was present in

SUBMITTER: Sandercock DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4940206 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature