Oinkment®

…O (Oinkment®; Animal Science Products; Nacogdoches, TX, USA): Male piglets (n = 32) surgically castrated with topical application of Oinkment® at the incision site post-procedure. ZO (Zinc oxide Ointment USP®; Rugby Laboratories…

…O (Oinkment®; Animal Science Products; Nacogdoches, TX, USA): Male piglets (n = 32) surgically castrated with topical application of Oinkment® at the incision site post-procedure. ZO (Zinc oxide Ointment USP®; Rugby Laboratories…

ry safety and efficacy field trials with the principles of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) as laid down in the Council Directive 2001/82/EC and guideline CVMP/VICH/595/98 VICH Topic GL9 Step 7-Guideline on Good Clinical Practices (CVMP approved July 2000). The animal study was performed, with owner consent, at two commercial pig farms in Germany and Italy dedicated to the management of breeding sows. Together, 173 commercially bred male piglets (Danish and Landrace ×Large White) between 3 and 7 days of age and in good health were confirmed suitable for enrolment in the study. Prior power analysis indicated the requirement for a minimum of 80 animals per group to show a significant reduction at the 5% level. Litters with 6–12 male piglets (7 average) were selected for the study at each site. Piglets within a litter were individually identified by ear tag (applied on study Day −2) and spray/pen mark. Piglets within a litter were randomly allocated to treatment or control groups. All study piglets had standard blue spray-on piglet marker dye applied to the scrotum prior to procedures, to blind post-operative observers to any translucent-blue colouring that may have remained following application of treatment. This method of blinding was used rather than a placebo solution, to allow comparison with standard castration practice, and prevent confounding due to potential impacts (pain/inflammation/infection) from wound instillation of a placebo solution. Hence, the person performing the treatment was unblinded, however, this person did not participate in any trial assessments or data analysis. Study animals were maintained in their normal farrowing pens as per standard farm practice with their dam and litter mates. Piglets had ad lib access to potable water and con- stant

ry safety and efficacy field trials with the principles of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) as laid down in the Council Directive 2001/82/EC and guideline CVMP/VICH/595/98 VICH Topic GL9 Step 7-Guideline on Good Clinical Practices (CVMP approved July 2000). The animal study was performed, with owner consent, at two commercial pig farms in Germany and Italy dedicated to the management of breeding sows. Together, 173 commercially bred male piglets (Danish and Landrace ×Large White) between 3 and 7 days of age and in good health were confirmed suitable for enrolment in the study. Prior power analysis indicated the requirement for a minimum of 80 animals per group to show a significant reduction at the 5% level. Litters with 6–12 male piglets (7 average) were selected for the study at each site. Piglets within a litter were individually identified by ear tag (applied on study Day −2) and spray/pen mark. Piglets within a litter were randomly allocated to treatment or control groups. All study piglets had standard blue spray-on piglet marker dye applied to the scrotum prior to procedures, to blind post-operative observers to any translucent-blue colouring that may have remained following application of treatment. This method of blinding was used rather than a placebo solution, to allow comparison with standard castration practice, and prevent confounding due to potential impacts (pain/inflammation/infection) from wound instillation of a placebo solution. Hence, the person performing the treatment was unblinded, however, this person did not participate in any trial assessments or data analysis. Study animals were maintained in their normal farrowing pens as per standard farm practice with their dam and litter mates. Piglets had ad lib access to potable water and con- stant

ry safety and efficacy field trials with the principles of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) as laid down in the Council Directive 2001/82/EC and guideline CVMP/VICH/595/98 VICH Topic GL9 Step 7-Guideline on Good Clinical Practices (CVMP approved July 2000). The animal study was performed, with owner consent, at two commercial pig farms in Germany and Italy dedicated to the management of breeding sows. Together, 173 commercially bred male piglets (Danish and Landrace ×Large White) between 3 and 7 days of age and in good health were confirmed suitable for enrolment in the study. Prior power analysis indicated the requirement for a minimum of 80 animals per group to show a significant reduction at the 5% level. Litters with 6–12 male piglets (7 average) were selected for the study at each site. Piglets within a litter were individually identified by ear tag (applied on study Day −2) and spray/pen mark. Piglets within a litter were randomly allocated to treatment or control groups. All study piglets had standard blue spray-on piglet marker dye applied to the scrotum prior to procedures, to blind post-operative observers to any translucent-blue colouring that may have remained following application of treatment. This method of blinding was used rather than a placebo solution, to allow comparison with standard castration practice, and prevent confounding due to potential impacts (pain/inflammation/infection) from wound instillation of a placebo solution. Hence, the person performing the treatment was unblinded, however, this person did not participate in any trial assessments or data analysis. Study animals were maintained in their normal farrowing pens as per standard farm practice with their dam and litter mates. Piglets had ad lib access to potable water and con- stant

ia) is a commercially available topical anesthetic spray-on wound dressing with haemostatic and antiseptic properties, registered in Australia for the alleviation of pain of castration in sheep and cattle. It contains lignocaine (40.6 g/L), bupivacaine (4.5 g/L), adrenalin (24.8 mg/L) and cetrimide (5.0 g/L) in a gel base, and has been reported to be effective in ameliorating wound pain and improving healing dur- ing mulesing, castration and tail docking in sheep and castration in calves [11–14]. Due to the efficacy of this product for reducing the post surgical pain associated with castration in lambs and calves, and the similar anatomical nature of the wounds induced in porcine castration, we studied the efficacy of Tri-Solfen1 in the amelioration of the pain of castration in piglets. Materials and methods All experimental protocols were approved by The University of Sydney Animal Ethics Com- mittee (AEC Approval No. 742). Animals The trial was performed using 40 Landrace x Large white piglets sourced from a commercial herd at The University of Sydney Farms near Cobbitty, NSW. Piglets were from mixed litters and aged 3–5 days old when castrated. The piglets were housed in farrowing stalls with the sow and their littermates, before and upon completion of the trial. Piglets were removed for the procedure and subsequent wound sensitivity testing, and retained in large crates containing a sawdust floor cover for the 5 hour duration of the study, with an overhead heat lamp providing warmth. The piglets were returned to their sows on conclusion of the observation period. The trial was conducted over a three day period using piglets from six litters with 12 piglets treated on days one and two, and 16 on day three. On each day, piglets were weighed and num- bered 1–12