Welfare Effects of the Use of a Combination of Local Anesthesia and NSAID for Disbudding Analgesia in Dairy Calves-Reviewed Across Different Welfare Concerns

Overview

Journal Front Vet Sci

Specialty Veterinary Medicine

Date 2018 Jun 21

PMID 29922684

Citations 17

Authors

Mette S Herskin

Bodil H Nielsen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Across the international dairy industry, the vast majority of dairy herds have dehorned cows. Farmers choose to dehorn calves for different reasons such as easier handling of non-horned cattle and reduced risk of injuries in animals and staff. This review focuses on disbudding by use of hot-iron cautery as is practiced by dairy farmers in calves <3 months of age. We examine welfare effects of the use of NSAIDs in combination with a local anesthetic including indicators relevant for the three major welfare concerns-affective states, basic health, and functioning as well as the possibility to behave naturally. Across indicators of animal welfare, the majority of available evidence suggest that the use of NSAIDs in combination with a local anesthetic is advantageous in terms of animal welfare, and no studies suggest that NSAIDs are a disadvantage to animal welfare. However, irrespective of the welfare concern, use of NSAIDs combined with a local anesthetic does not fully eliminate the welfare challenges from disbudding. Further research is needed in order to fully understand the effects of this medication protocol on calf welfare, including knowledge about the duration of healing and the presence of long-term pain. At present, this lack of knowledge challenges the precise formulation of adequate pain management-in terms of medication protocol, duration, dosage, and type of administration.

Citing Articles

An exploration of surface temperature asymmetries as potential markers of affective states in calves experiencing or observing disbudding.

Ramirez Montes de Oca M, Mendl M, Whay H, Held S, Lambton S, Telkanranta H Anim Welf. 2024; 33:e45.

PMID: 39600352 PMC: 11589073. DOI: 10.1017/awf.2024.47.

Cold therapy and pain relief after hot-iron disbudding in dairy calves.

Colston K, Ede T, Mendl M, Lecorps B PLoS One. 2024; 19(7):e0306889.

PMID: 38995898 PMC: 11244798. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306889.

A Clinical Trial on the Welfare Effects of Administering Meloxicam to 10 to 21 Day Dairy Calves Following Caustic Paste Disbudding.

Qi J, Fang J, Huang F, Li Z, Kumbhar M, Cui H J Anim Sci. 2023; 101.

PMID: 37549918 PMC: 10464511. DOI: 10.1093/jas/skad266.

Calves peak-end memory of pain.

Ede T, Woodroffe R, von Keyserlingk M, Weary D Sci Rep. 2023; 13(1):5679.

PMID: 37029265 PMC: 10082038. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32756-5.

Indication of social buffering in disbudded calves.

Buckova K, Moravcsikova A, Sarova R, Rajmon R, Spinka M Sci Rep. 2022; 12(1):13348.

PMID: 35922432 PMC: 9349216. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15919-8.

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