Overall 1664 piglets from two Bavarian farms were examined weekly with regard to the aetiology of umbilical hernia. The 1664 piglets were fathered by 24 boars from three artificial insemination centres in Bavaria and one artificial insemination centres in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
The main concern was the connection of umbilical hernia with a possibly existing omphalitis (inflammation of the umbilicus), particularly during the suckling period. In addition to this, the impact of the litter number of the sows, the birth weight, the gender, the length of the umbilicus and the occurrence of umbilical abscesses were investigated.
The piglets were included in the test on the first or second day of life. After determination of their gender and weight, the piglets were given numbered ear tags to enable their proper identification until the 12th week of life, the end of the investigations. The clinical check-up included visual and palpatory examination of the umbilicus and the umbilical cord in a weekly rhythm. After weaning the investigation was restricted to weekly palpation of the umbilicus and its surroundings. The various parameters such as epithelisation, swelling, reddening, oedematisation, exudate, umbilical abscess and umbilical hernia were evaluated according to a scoring system.
After an analysis of the results, it was possible to recognise connections between the occurrence of umbilical hernia and boars or the occurrence of umbilical hernia and the piglets of young sows. Furthermore, inflammations of the umbilicus correlated with litters of old sows, increasing birth weight, increasing length of the umbilicus and female piglets. No connection was found between an inflammation of the umbilicus and an umbilical hernia. Interestingly there was a connection identified between umbilical abscesses and hernias.
In summary it can be said that a severely pronounced, persistent inflammation of the umbilicus (omphalitis) does not necessarily lead to an increased occurrence of umbilical hernia. Primarily heredity transmission through the parent animals appears to have the greatest influence on the occurrence of umbilical hernias and thus also on the culling of piglets with umbilical hernias.