Infrared Thermography for Early Identification and Treatment of Shoulder Sores to Improve Sow and Piglet Welfare

Shoulder sores in sows cause pain, may lead to early weaning and resultant piglet distress, and premature culling. Early detection and intervention is key to avoid these substantial production and welfare imposts. In this experiment we tested infrared thermography (IRT) to identify shoulder sores before wound eruption, and effectiveness of four wound healing treatments; manuka honey (n = 11); Derisal (R) ( n = 11); Chloromide (R) ( n = 13) and Repiderma (R) ( n = 16), all of which contain no antibiotics. Three hundred and ten sows (parity 2.3 +/- 0.2) were monitored daily from entry to the farrowing sheds until weaning using a thermal camera. IRT successfully detected 88% of shoulder sores as hot spots and provided a lead in time of 7 days. Sixteen percent of all sows had a hotspot detected and were randomly allocated to one of four daily treatment groups. At the end of the treatment period, sore diameter was significantly reduced for all treatments, except the Repiderma (R) group. Sow traits had little influence on susceptibility to shoulder sores. There may be a link between prewean mortality and shoulder sores, but this requires further investigation. The use of IRT to monitor for hotspots for early intervention is validated. Future work should concentrate on methods to prevent wound eruption after detection with IRT to improve the health and welfare of both the sow and her litter.

Automated summary

Shoulder sores in sows can cause pain, early weaning, and distress for piglets, making early detection and intervention crucial. This study tested the use of infrared thermography (IRT) to identify shoulder sores before they become visible, as well as the effectiveness of four non-antibiotic wound healing treatments. The results showed that IRT successfully detected 88% of shoulder sores as hot spots, with a lead time of 7 days. The treatment with manuka honey, Derisal, and Chloromide significantly reduced sore diameter, while Repiderma did not. Sow traits had minimal impact on susceptibility to shoulder sores.