Scoring shoulder ulcers in breeding sows – is a distinction between substantial and insubstantial animal welfare-related lesions possible on clinical examination?

Table 2 Clinical scoring systems for the classification of shoulder ulcers in sows

Stage	Lund 2006^a	Zurbrigg 2006	Baustad, Frederiksen 2006	Lund 2003, Jensen 2009^b	Bonde 2004	Welfare Quality® 2009	Stage	Grading system in Denmark^c
0	No skin lesion	No lesion/scarring	Normal skin or fresh fighting wounds	Intact skin, no ulceration	–	–	0	No lesion or lesion < 2 cm
1	Lesion limited to epidermis, moderate scab	No current lesion but previous scarring	Ulcer with skin merely affected	Ulcer limited to epidermis (necrotic or sloughed), covered with a scab	No lesion	No lesion	1	Small lesion 2–5 cm in diameter
2	Lesion involves dermis; extensive scab; little fibrosis/granulation	Skin reddening	Ulcer penetrating the skin	Ulcer including dermis; sometimes scab; bordering granulation tissue/fibrosis	Scratches	Old lesion, healing wound, reddening	1	Small lesion 2–5 cm in diameter
3	Lesion penetrates to subcutis; intense granulation	Broken skin < 2.3 cm	Ulcer extending to subcutis; granulation tissue possible	Ulcer including subcutis, sometimes scab; heavy formation of fibrosis/granulation tissue	Wounds	Lesion/open wound	2	Lesion > 5 cm; Thickened wound perimeter
4	Ulcer extending to bone; periosteal bony proliferation	Broken skin ≥2.3 cm	Ulcers with exposure of the scapula	Ulcer with exposed bone, proliferation of osseous tissue	–	–	2	Lesion > 5 cm; Thickened wound perimeter

ISSN: 2055-5660