Laboratory swine have become important animal models, although the number of swine used in research stands no comparison with the number of rodents used. Since the first edition of The Laboratory Swine was published, a further increase in the number of swine has occurred, and swine are replacing other non-rodent species, such as dogs and primates, more and more in toxicity studies.
This book in the Laboratory Animal Pocket Reference Series was written to provide a source of information on laboratory swine. It is aimed at animal caretakers, technicians, and investigators; the laboratory animal veterinarian may also want to use this book as a reference handbook. This book provides an overview, but not an  in-depth review, of the use of swine. Extensive references are given for further study.The second edition has been updated, and especially the section on anesthesia, in Chapter 4, has been largely revised. It is our hope that this book will contribute to the humane use of laboratory swine, with the housing, husbandry, veterinary care, and experimental techniques that are appropriate to the species-specific physiology and behavior of swine.
The authors wish to thank Niels-Christian Ganderup, of Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs, for providing the majority of the photographs for this book. Dr. Guy Bouchard of Sinclair Bio Resources is acknowl-edged for providing a photograph of Sinclair minipigs.