Page 185 - The Welfare of Cattle

162 the WeLfare of CattLe

formulation can fit into a multimodal analgesic plan is needed as this formulation of flunixin has an
FDA label for pain.
Ketoprofen administration in combination with a local anesthetic resulted in the amelioration
of the acute cortisol response, with effects lasting up to 5 hours compared to untreated controls. 48–51
When administered without local anesthesia, the typically observed cortisol plateau was attenuated;
48
however, peak cortisol concentrations were only mildly reduced. Carprofen has been shown to
lower cortisol levels following cautery dehorning. 52,53 Additionally, Stock et al. found when given
either orally or subcutaneously, carprofen-treated calves tended to tolerate more pressure around the
horn bud over the course of the study. 53
There are several studies supporting the use of meloxicam in cattle at the time of disbudding or
dehorning. When used following caustic paste, meloxicam alone did not provide substantial analge-
40
sia as compared to calves receiving a local anesthetic block. Meloxicam given by the intravenous
route did not show the same effects as intramuscularly injected meloxicam. 54,55
Oral (PO) meloxicam has been evaluated in 8- to 10-week-old calves at the time of cautery
dehorning demonstrating reduced cortisol and substance P compared to placebo-treated controls.
56
Furthermore, 6-month-old calves undergoing amputation dehorning demonstrated improved ADG
57
when treated with oral meloxicam compared with placebo-treated controls. Meloxicam had no
effect on pain sensitivity, ocular temperature, or haptoglobin. 56,57 When meloxicam was combined
with gabapentin in a dehorning trial, researchers found an increase in average daily gain but saw no
improvement in physiologic responses. 56
A clinical trial evaluating oral firocoxib administered in combination with a lidocaine corneal
nerve block administered 10 minutes before cautery dehorning was conducted on 4- to 6-week-old
58
calves. Although the acute effects of cautery dehorning as determined by physiologic and noci-
ception changes were unaffected by treatment, firocoxib calves had an overall reduced integrated
cortisol response compared to placebo-treated controls suggesting a role for firocoxib in the control
of the delayed distress response.

BraNDING

Branding, by either hot iron or freeze, is practiced on 44% of the beef operations, with distinct
regional differences. In western Canada, branding is practiced on 55% of farms, but analgesia is
37
provided only 4% of the time. In the dairy industry, branding is done on 4% of the farms, account-
45
ing for 13% of all dairy cattle. Freeze branding appears to cause less pain than hot-iron branding,
36
but both procedures cause pain and result in long-lasting pain afterwards. In fact, pain can last up
to 71 days when a hot iron is used. 59–61 Behavioral indicators of the pain associated with branding
include tail flicking, kicking and vocalization. 59,60
There are few studies investigating pharmaceutical intervention and analgesic strategies for
branding. Tucker et al. described the healing of hot-iron brands and found that a single dose of
flunixin did not provide substantial analgesia. This is likely due to the duration of healing and
61
relatively short half-life of flunixin given IV to cattle. The use of cooling gels has been proposed,
but their use has not proven beneficial. 62

taIL DOCKING

Tail docking, in which the tail is removed, is an elective procedure practiced in the dairy indus-
try. This practice gained prominence due to the convenience of dairy employees, especially milk-
ers. The switch, at the end of the tail, would often be a nuisance due to its penchant for picking up
dirt and fecal matter; furthermore cows were perceived to be cleaner without tails. This perceived