Photo: Inger Catrinius

Here, veterinary students are examining an enlargement in the pig’s groin. The swelling is a scrotal hernia, a condition in which parts of the small intestine passes through the inguinal canal and into the scrotum, remaining positioned next to the testicles.

The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science buys pigs with such disorders, so that graduate students can receive surgical training under skilled instruction. Scrotal hernia is a common disorder among Norwegian pigs. If the hernia becomes too large, it can cause pain, due to reduced circulation and other reasons. Scrotal hernia is corrected by forcing the intestine back into the abdominal cavity and stitching up the inguinal canal. This is usually done in connection with castration.

Most male piglets are castrated when they are 1-3 weeks old. Pigs are castrated to avoid the male, or ’boar odour’ in the meat. Boar odour is a uric/sweaty smell, which becomes very pronounced when meat from boars is heated. At castration, piglets are given an anaesthetic, and then the testicles are removed by simple surgery. The Norwegian parliament (Storting) has decided to ban the castration of pigs as of 1 January 2009. Before then, other methods must be found to avoid the problems associated with boar odour. This is a considerable challenge. In Norway, an extensive research project has been initiated to develop pigs with no or greatly reduced boar odour. The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science is a major contributor to this research.