The Effect of Blunt Trimming Verses Functional Trimming on Sows

The object of this study was to ascertain if blunt verses functional claw trimming provided similar benefits. Twenty one PIC (Cambrough 29) sows were used with an average claw length of 6.5 cm and dewclaw length of 6.2 cm pre trimming. Sows were trained for 3 days before recording. Sows were individually walked through a dog bone track (7.5 m long) and recorded on a pressure mat (Gaitrite) for five useable repetitions on d0, d4, d8 and d12 of the study. After d0 sow locomotion was recorded, dewclaws were trimmed even with coronary band. Sows were recorded on d4 and then claws were straight cut across the toe using a lopper (Blunt cut). Sows were recorded on d8 and then were functionally trimmed. The final recording was on d12. Recordings were analyzed using Gaitfour (Gaitrite) software to assess swing, stance, stride length, gait cycle, percent stance of gait cycle, and overall velocity. Data were analyzed using the PROC MIXED procedure of SAS as a repeated measures design with each sow serving as her own control. There was an increase from d0 to d12 for velocity (P < 0.003; d0 94.8, d8 97.62) and d8 to d12 (P < 0.009; d0 94.8, d12 105.5 cm/s), stride length (front d0 to d12 P < 0.003, d8 to d12 P < 0.035, 97.80, 99.74, 101.77 cm; rear 98.09, 99.04, 101.67 cm d0, d8 and d12 respectively) and percent stance of gait cycle (front d0 to d12 P < 0.0001, d8 to d12 P <0.001, 69.06, 69.95, 65.68%; rear d0 to d12 P < 0.001, d8 to d 12 P < 0.002, 67.49, 66.04, 64.12% d0, d8 and d12 respectively). There was a decrease from d0 to d12 and d8 to d12 for stance (front d0 to d12 P < 0.0001, d8 to d 12 P < 0.0041, 0.75, 0.7, 0.66 s; rear d0 to d12 P < 0.0001, d8 to d12 P < 0.005, 0.75, 0.71, 0.6 s d0, d8 and d12 respectively) and gait cycle (front d0 to d12 P < 0.003, d8 to d12 P < 0.03, 1.08,1.04, 0.99 s; rear d0 to d12 P < 0.0012, d8 to d12 P < 0.02, 1.11, 99.04, 1.01 s d0, d8 and d12 respectively). This illustrates that blunt cut trimming the claw is not enough to improve gait quality in the sows and functional trimming will provide better results in sow locomotion.