Pain Management for Ruminants During Common Farm Husbandry Procedures

Pain Management for Ruminants During Common Farm Husbandry Procedures, conference paper. pp 27–51. 

Pain in farm animals usually results from injury or disease and is sometimes caused by humans, particularly during husbandry procedures. Chronic pain, and to a lesser extent acute pain, are major causes of poor welfare in production animals. Ethical, economical and marketing reasons demand the best practices in pain management and for this scientific evidence is crucial. Alleviation of pain during and after common farm operations is challenging due to several constraints, including time, cost, safety and public health issues. For example, the most efficient drugs may not be allowed in food producing animals (e.g. opioids) and reduced practicality may exclude others (e.g. general anaesthesia).

Studies on disbudding, dehorning, castration, calving and lameness, have shown that topical or local anaesthesia, preferably accompanied by use of NSAID analgesia, will reduce pain during and after many of these procedures. CIISA and its research partners from many countries have conducted studies on these painful situations, contributing to the improvement of farm animal welfare. In order to ensure that they are fully observed, pain management protocols should be effective, practicable, affordable and safe. If they do not fulfil all of these criteria, the result is likely to be that farmers will undertake little pain management. On the other hand, animal producers need to recognize that consumer demands for improved animal welfare includes real pain control.

Print ISBN: 978-3-030-61980-0 & Online ISBN: 978-3-030-61981-7

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