05/30/2026
The trimmers who know what they're doing, also know to ask owners to withhold food and water from their pigs prior to services being provided. The reason behind this is the safety of the pig. We don't make a habit of showing up and declining services, but if the safety of the animal is in question, we absolutely will and others should.
Pigs have a weak esphogeal sphincter (barrier that prevents regurgitation). This means that during sudden movements or when their bellies are too full they are likely to burp or vomit up material that can then be inhaled. After inhaling material pigs are at a greater risk of pneumonia.
There are a lot of contributing factors to aspiration. Many involve the consumption of food, drinks, or medicine. Other factors are the safety and maneuverability of the animals being treated.
Below I have two separate articles quoted and cited. One is material in regards to aspiration in humans that also apply to pigs. The other is in regards to sedation and anesthesia in pigs.
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"Definitions:
1. Pneumonia is inflammation (swelling) and infection of the lungs or large airways.
2. Aspiration pneumonia occurs when food, liquid, or other material from the mouth, nose, or throat is breathed into the airways or lungs, instead of being swallowed.
Causes
Risk factors for breathing in (aspiration) of foreign material into the lungs are:
> Being less alert due to medicines, illness, surgery, or other reasons
> Coma
> Drinking large amounts of alcohol
> Taking medicines (such as sedatives or opioids) which make you less alert [This includes CBD]
> Receiving medicine to put you into a deep sleep for surgery (general anesthesia)
> Old age
> Problems with swallowing
> Eating or being fed when not sternal (chest to the ground for animals on all 4s) or upright (in humans and animals with Mega E)."
Above Cited:
Aspiration pneumonia https://share.google/LCJhkVxooYtMIcSuO
"Pigs are known to be highly sensitive to stress; consequently, they should be conditioned at the research facility for approximately 7–14 days before anesthesia, in order to have time to adapt to the experimental environment, to avoid stress-induced respiratory disease or diarrhea [6,7].
Physical preanesthetic examination must be performed in a low-stress environment with a focus on evaluation of respiratory and cardiovascular system function. Age and maturity criteria should be considered when choosing a model. The majority of pigs utilized in research projects weigh 15 to 30 kg and are 8 to 12 weeks old [6].
The decision to withhold food and water preoperatively in pigs should involve consideration of the animals’ age, growth rate, breed, pregnancy status, clinical status, and the procedure to be performed. Food and water withdrawal regimens have a wide variation of 2–12 h, with particularly aggressive fasting regimes for gastrointestinal or abdominal surgery [8].
Although fasting may reduce the risk of regurgitation, fasting is recommended, as aspiration of regurgitated material can occur and may cause airway obstruction, irritation, and ultimately aspiration pneumonia. Aspiration of acidic stomach fluid may cause immediate reflexive airway closure and destruction of type II alveolar cells and pulmonary capillary lining cells. Consequently, pulmonary edema (fluid in lungs) and hemorrhage may develop along with bronchospasm (tightening of muscles that line the lungs), dyspnea (shortness of breath), hypoxemia (low levels of oxygen in the blood), and cyanosis (bluish tint to skin). Recovery from aspiration pneumonia, which may take a few days to develop, depends on the pH of the material aspirated."
Above Cited:
Pig Sedation and Anesthesia for Medical Research - PMC https://share.google/5VkesSkv9TeYNoOd0
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If you have any questions, please drop them below!
♡ Tori
Her Animals Hoof Care
