Technical note: a technique for inserting a T-cannula into the distal ileum of pregnant sows

Our objective was to develop a technique for cannulating the terminal ileum in pregnant sows and to evaluate the usefulness of this procedure in digestibility studies in pregnant and lactating sows. A simple T-cannula was inserted into the terminal ileum approximately 15 cm cranial to the ileo-cecal valve in a total of 15 multiparous sows at d 40 (+/- 5 d) of pregnancy. All cannulated sows recovered quickly after the surgery and within 3 d they were eating normally. Elevated body temperatures were not registered in any sows, and clinical problems related to the surgery were not observed. At farrowing, normal litters were born, and number of stillborn pigs, number of live born pigs, and daily litter weight gain were not affected by the cannulations (P > .05). Of the 15 sows originally cannulated, 11 sows were used for collection of digesta during gestation and the following lactating period. Eight sows were rebred after weaning, and five sows were rebred after the second lactation period and kept for another cycle. Blockage of the cannulas never occurred, and no serious problems were associated with digesta collections. The experiment demonstrated that pregnant sows can be prepared with a simple T-cannula in the distal ileum and that the cannula can be maintained in sows throughout the reproductive cycle. Hence, the procedure provides a tool for obtaining digesta from pregnant and lactating sows for nutrition studies.