The effect of formalin solution in footbath associated with floor abrasiveness reduction on clinical aspects of lameness in sows

Abstract

An experiment was made in order to evaluate the effect of hooves treatment with 10% formalin solution in a footbath plus a reduction in the floor abrasiveness on the clinical aspect of lameness. One hundred and two sows, in 14 boxes with partially slatted floor, were used. The animals, seven in each box, were randomly divided in control (T1) and treatment (T2), where the animals were submitted to 12 passages in a 10% formalin in solution footbath during five weeks. The box floor was visual and manually classified as a very abrasive. Afterwards using an electric sharper the floor of all the boxes was polished and it was then classified as milddy abrasive. The treatment (T2) started after the floor correction. The animals were clinically examined in order to evaluate lameness frequency and severity at the beginning and at the end of the experiment period. The results were compared by qui-square test. It was concluded that with the decrease of the floor abrasiveness there was no improvement of the clinical situation of lameness but it is not worse and that the treatment with 10% formalin solution reduce significantly the lameness.