farm Visits-Pigs

Today I was also called out with the vet to a Gloucester Old Spot Boar. We were told that it was to be a de-tusking. The vet that I was working with had never done one before and so we were both quiet excited by the prospect!
On arrival at the rare breed farm we were shown to a large open enclosure, where three Gloucester Old Spots were enclosed. The vet told me as we were walking down that we would not be using a sedative on the boar. When I asked why I was told that this was due to pigs having such a thick layer of fat. This means that it becomes very difficult to administer a drug as you can never be too sure if contact has been made with the muscle which makes their use very unpredictable.
The boar was moved down a narrow alley between two fielded enclosures. Food was placed at the end of the alley to encourage the boar down. When it reached the food another gate was moved in behind it to enclose it in a small space. The vet then used a dog catcher tool to hold the boar in position whilst the vet de-tusked the animal. To further ensure that the boar was not able to move the gate was pushed up against it, so it was effectively trapped between two gates.
The dog catcher was essentially a lasso, which was able to be tightened and fixed at this tightness. The boar squealed and roared for the duration of the procedure, but the vet told me that this would have been primarily a stress response, as although there would inevitably be some discomfort, there are no nerves as such in the tusk.
The vet then used embryotony wire, which was hooked round behind the tusk and the tusk is then removed in a saw like action. This was more difficult than was originally thought as the tusks were not growing outwards and up towards the snout, as is the norm, instead they had curved back on themselves and had formed a arch with the points digging into the lower jaw. Any de-tusking that takes place usually is due to tusks growing into the snout and causing discomfort, so in this respect it was a very different case.
As the vet 'sawed' away the tusks, the area that was being sawed was smoking. I was later told that this is one of the main advantages of using embryotony wire. The heat energy created resulted in blood vessels, which may have been cut during the process, fusing closed, preventing excess bleeding which could result in infection and further problems for the animal.
This was my first pig based work experience and I am now keen to take part in more to broaden my knowledge of this animal.