Pelvic Organ Prolapses in Sows

Excerpt from Better Pork magazine article authored by Dr. Hollyn Maloney of Prairie Swine Health Services:

Prevention of prolapses is essential because few treatment options are available.

Pelvic organ Prolapse (POP) is a significant cause of sow mortality. Research from 2019 found that around 20 percent of reported sow mortality on farms in the United States was due to POP.

Mortality from POP has steadily increased over the past five years. Many factors have been associated with POP, however, the contributing factors are still not fully understood.

Types of POP

There are three categories of POP: rectal prolapse, vaginal prolapse, and uterine prolapse. A rectal prolapse can occur with a vaginal and uterine prolapses.

Uterine prolapses are the rarest form of POP and can be either partial eversion, with only a small portion of the uterus protruding, or complete eversion with the whole uterus everted outside of the body.

Prolapses can occur before, during or after farrowing. Vaginal and rectal prolapses most commonly occur during the last third of gestation or immediately post-farrowing. Uterine prolapses most commonly occur a few hours post-farrowing.

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