HANDLING

Restraint methods, commonly used in agricultural settings such as "snout snaring" or other aggressive physical types of restraints should be discouraged in biomedical research institutions because of the stress they induce. Swine may be humanely restrained in commercially available restraint slings (Figure 2) or institutions may construct their own (Panepinto, 1986). Swine may be herded into the comer of a pen using a handheld plywood or plastic panel when restraint is necessary in the pen. If restrained manually, they should be held in the same manner as dogs and not held upside down by the rear legs. Physical examinations, rectal temperature checks, and injections may be performed while a pig is distracted by food.



Short-term chemical restraint agents and anesthetics may be used if the procedure requires them. Techniques and agents are reviewed elsewhere (Riebold and Thurmon, 1986; Smith et al., in press; Swindle et al., 1988).



HEALTH CARE



The best method to ensure having healthy research animals is to procure them from a reliable source, which has been evaluated by the institutional veterinarian. The health status of domestic farm breeds is variable depending upon the endemic diseases in the region of the country and the quality of the management and health care program of the farmer. Purchasing pigs at auctions is almost certain to introduce porcine diseases to the research facility. Specific-pathogen free (SPF) status is a specific term in swine management ensuring that the source of animals is free of many infectious and parasitic diseases with a notable exception being mycoplasmosis. While non-SPF sources may still be healthy and suitable for research, the animals should be evaluated by a veterinarian. Regardless of the source of the animals, our experience is that a 3-day stabilization period following shipment is recommended for animals undergoing survival surgical procedures. Depending on the source of the animal, quarantine and conditioning programs may be necessary for animals on long-term projects. If research animals are being maintained for long-term projects, it may be necessary to establish a vaccination program. Potential pathogens to vaccinate for include Bordetella, Pasteurella, erysipelas, Hemophilus, Clostridium, parvovirus, leptospira, Escherichia coli, transmissible gastroenteritis, and rotavirus. Veterinary advice should be sought on which organisms are of particular importance to the research facility. A program to control internal and external parasites should also be established based on a physical examination and an evaluation of fecal samples.



If a facility is raising neonates, a program of care should include clipping the needle teeth and injecting iron dextran to protect against physiologic anemia, which occurs in newborn pigs.



Health programs for miniature swine are the same as for domestic farm breeds, and in-depth discussions of health management programs are available in veterinary textbooks (Leman et al., 1992).