The way in which most pigs are reared today results in veterinary attention being concentrated on infec­tious diseases and other matters affecting the herd rather than on conditions affecting the individual animal.

The short life span generally allowed to pigs makes many interventions uneconomic. For example, most pigs are slaughtered at 5 or 6 months, and even breeding stock is culled when only a few years old. In addition, clinical examination may be difficult because of the thick layer of subcutaneous fat (panniculus adipose) and possibly hazardous because of the fre­quently aggressive disposition of older animals. A wide knowledge of the anatomy is therefore less necessary than it is for those dealing with most other species. The employment of pigs, sometimes the “mini” variety, in biomedical research supplies exceptions to the previous statement, but the specialized requirements in such con­texts are beyond the scope of this book.