Veterinarians and pork producers share responsibility for animal health. Still, they do not always approach pigs from the same position, according to Dr. John Carr, a world livestock consultant, veterinarian and lecturer based in Brisbane, Australia.
Carr said the producer must manage the entire farming business, including finances, labour, facilities, feed costs and long-term survival. The veterinarian, however, should enter the barn prepared to represent the pig.
“The vet is the pig’s spokesman,” Carr said. “The vet needs to be with the pig, understand the pig’s needs and explain those needs to the farmer.”
Carr said the physical position of the veterinarian inside a barn can reflect that responsibility. Rather than remaining in the central passageway with the producer and manager, the veterinarian should enter the pen and observe the building from the pigs’ level.
“The vet should stand in the pen with the pigs around him,” he said.
From there, the veterinarian can identify what the animals experience. Overstocking, inadequate flooring, poor ventilation or malfunctioning drinkers may affect pig behaviour, health and performance.
Carr used water access as an example. One drinker may not work, another may deliver insufficient water, and only one may operate properly. Producers may then see fighting without recognizing that the pigs are competing for the only reliable water source.
The pig cannot explain that situation, Carr said, making it the veterinarian’s responsibility to interpret what the animal is communicating through its behaviour.
The producer’s role is different because every decision must also make economic sense.
“A farmer, to be a farmer, cannot love the pigs,” Carr said. “He has hard decisions to make, and that decision might not always be in the interest of the pig.”
He clarified that farmers must treat animals properly, but they may need to employ people who genuinely enjoy working closely with pigs. The farm owner’s responsibility is to ensure the business remains financially sustainable while providing the animals with appropriate care.
Carr has encountered producers who openly admit that pigs are primarily a business. When pigs generate income, they expand. When losses continue, they may consider another enterprise.
That does not necessarily mean they neglect their animals. Carr said some producers and employees provide excellent care, but their relationship with pigs is different from his own.
“I love pigs,” he said. “But the farmer’s job is to make the money add up.”
Carr said veterinarians must also remain practical. Commercial pig production cannot provide every treatment available in companion-animal or university medicine. A veterinarian may technically be able to repair a serious injury, but the treatment may not be economically or humanely justified for a market pig.
He favours clear treatment limits and regular assessments of animals placed in hospital pens. When a pig does not respond within a reasonable period, the veterinarian and producer must make a timely decision rather than allowing suffering to continue.
Carr is concerned that too few veterinary students show an early interest in pigs. During recent teaching sessions in Melbourne, he asked veterinary students to explain pig diseases and possible treatments rather than relying entirely on lectures.
The exercise encouraged several students to ask about placements with pig veterinarians and farms.
Carr said veterinary education must produce graduates who are safe and competent on their first day. Still, meaningful understanding develops when they learn to observe normal pigs and recognize when something is wrong.
The best working relationship does not place the producer and veterinarian against each other. The producer understands the farm, its people and its financial limits. The veterinarian brings animal-health knowledge and speaks for the pig.
“I will do anything you ask,” Carr said, describing the pig’s position. “But you have to give me the facility, space, food and water to do it.” •
— By Harry Siemens