Lung auscultation in pigs
Mickwitz, G. von; Feider, U.
Deutsche Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 79(10): 231-235
1972
ISSN/ISBN: 0341-6593 PMID: 4558314 Document Number: 44506
Respiratory sounds were listened for at both sides of the chest in 128 resting SPF and 127 non-SPF pigs of the German Landrace breed weighing 15-110 kg. Three sites were investigated: (a) just caudally to the elbow joint; (b) at the point where an imaginary line passing caudally from the shoulder joint crosses the thoracic wall; (c) just caudally to the shoulder blade. The sounds at sites (a) and (b) were generally louder during exhalation than inspiration, but tended to become fainter with increasing chest girth; in nearly all cases sounds were louder in non-SPF than in SPF pigs. In the latter, usually faint inspiratory and expiratory sounds were heard at site (a), but they were distinct in younger animals (less than 45 kg body wt). At site (b) there was a faint sound during inspiration, while at site (c) there was normally no sound at all, except in pigs of less than 25 kg body wt, which gave a slight inspiratory sound. Following a run of 800 to 1500 m over 20 min., however, a distinctly louder inspiratory (vesicular) sound was heard for 15 min. at site (c) and for 60 min. at the other two sites, as well as a faint expiratory bronchial sound for 30 min. at site (c).