Castration Of Calves Research Articles

PSLBI-14 Assessment of the effective tissue concentrations of injectable lidocaine and a lidocaine-impregnated latex band for castration in calves and lambs

Abstract Tail docking in lambs and castration in lambs and calves are common husbandry practices, both of which cause pain and discomfort, for which many industries recommend or require pain management. The purpose of this study was to assess the effective tissue concentrations of the current standard of care for pain mitigation in calves and lambs during castration or tail docking (injectable lidocaine) and to assess the ability of a lidocaine-loaded elastration band (LLB) to deliver effective concentrations into the scrotal or tail tissues over time. This work comprised four different field trials (n = 50/trial): 1) effective concentrations of injectable lidocaine in the scrotal tissue of dairy calves; 2) the in vivo delivery of effective concentrations of lidocaine from LLBs placed on the calf scrotums; 3) effective concentrations of injectable lidocaine in the scrotal and tail tissue of lambs; and 4) the in vivo delivery of effective concentrations of lidocaine from LLBs placed on the lamb scrotums and tails. Sensation in the tissue of interest was assessed by electrocutaneous stimulation. Sensation was correlated to tissue concentrations of lidocaine by analyzing sampled tissue for lidocaine content by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Injectable lidocaine allowed for short-term anesthesia for up to 60 min calves, highlighting the importance of finding additional strategies to mitigate long-term pain. An effective concentration (EC) yielding 50% reduction in tissue sensation (EC50) of 0.635 (95% CI 0.462 to 0.829) mg/g was calculated for calf scrotal tissue. Based on HPLC data of processed biopsy samples taken over time, the LLBs yielded tissue concentartions of lidocaine that approached EC50 and exceeded EC95 at 2 and 72 h following application, respectively, and remained above those concentartions for at least 28 d after application. In lambs, injectable lidocaine allowed for short-term anesthesia for up to 180 min following injection. An EC50 of 0.174 (95% CI 0.125 to 0.248) mg/g was calculated for lamb scrotal tissue and an EC50 of 0.0765 (95% CI 0.0533 to 0.113) mg/g was calculated for lamb tail tissue. The use of the LLB provided tissue lidocaine concentrations that met or exceeded the EC50 for at least 21 to 28 d and, based on electrostimulation data, provided local anesthesia for at least 3 d when compared with a control band. The use of an LLB could provide a practical, long-duration alternative to injectable lidocaine for pain mitigation during castration and tail docking. Further studies are warranted to compare the use of LLBs to injectable local anesthetics.

479 Pain control for the castration of newborn bull calves by elastration

Abstract All methods of castration are known to cause pain regardless of the method, or age of the animal. Our objective was to explore providing pain control for bull calves castrated by elastration prior to 1 wk of age. Singleton, bull calves (n = 85) born at the Ontario Beef Research Centre were enrolled and randomly assigned to 1 of 5 treatment groups at birth: a single dose of oral meloxicam at castration (1ORAL), a dose of oral meloxicam at castration and a second oral dose 1 wk later (2ORAL), a dose of injectable meloxicam at castration (1INJECT), not castrated (SHAM), or castrated without pain control (PAINFUL). Calves were treated within 48 h of birth and followed until weaning. All calves were observed 2 h/d for 13 different pain-associated behaviors (e.g., tail flicks, kicking, licking the scrotum) on the day of castration (d 0), as well as d 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9. To record general activity, from d -1 to d 14 each calf wore an Onset HOBO Pendant G Data Logger attached to one of their hind legs. Calves were weighed weekly until they were turned-out to pasture and thereafter weighed bi-weekly until weaning. Five behaviors were statistically significant between treatment groups. PAINFUL calves had roughly three times the rate of licking (P > 0.05) compared with calves in 1ORAL, 2ORAL, and 1INJECT groups, and four times the rate of licking compared with SHAM calves. Additionally, PAINFUL calves had two times the rate of tail flicks (P < 0.05) compared with meloxicam-treated calves, and five times the rate of tail flicks compared with SHAM calves. A treatment effect (P < 0.05) was observed for standing time, with PAINFUL calves spending the least amount of time standing on average in a 24-h period. No statistical time differences were seen between the remaining treatment groups. No treatment or treatment*time interaction effects were observed for lying time. A tendency was seen for treatment effect on lying time (P = 0.0581), with PAINFUL calves spending the most time lying on average and having a significance difference compared with all other treatment groups (LSM > 0.05). No treatment effect was seen for average daily gain up to wk 8, and for final weaning weights. Weight at time of castration was significant (P < 0.05); however, calves were not blocked by BW when assigned to treatment. In conclusion, meloxicam-treated calves expressed decreased rates of pain-associated behaviors compared with PAINFUL calves, and BW did not differ at time of weaning. Our results provide evidence that calves castrated by elastration before 1 wk of age and received meloxicam, experience less pain.

Assessment of the Effective Tissue Concentrations of Injectable Lidocaine and a Lidocaine-Impregnated Latex Band for Castration in Calves.

This study aimed to assess the effective tissue concentrations of the current standard of care for pain mitigation in calves during castration (injectable lidocaine) and to assess the ability of a lidocaine-loaded elastration band (LLB) to deliver effective concentrations into the scrotal tissue over time. This study comprised two different trials: (1) effective concentrations of injectable lidocaine in the scrotal tissue; and (2) the in vivo delivery of effective concentrations of lidocaine from LLBs placed on the calf scrotums. Sensation in the scrotal tissue was assessed by electrocutaneous stimulation. Injectable lidocaine allowed for short-term anesthesia for up to 60 min, highlighting the importance of finding additional strategies to mitigate long-term pain. An elastomeric ligation band impregnated with lidocaine could provide a suitable alternative, as it yielded tissue levels of lidocaine that approached EC50 and exceeded EC95 at 2 and 72 h following application, respectively, and remained above those levels for at least 28 days after application. Further studies are warranted to compare the use of LLBs to injectable local anesthetics.

Pain in the hours following surgical and rubber ring castration in dairy calves: Evidence from conditioned place avoidance

Male cattle reared for beef are typically castrated. Male calves born on dairy farms are increasingly reared for beef, so a better understanding of how to humanely perform this procedure in dairy systems is now required. We studied the short-term affective responses of dairy calves to castration using a conditioned place aversion paradigm. Young Holstein bulls (16 d old, n = 30) were castrated by either rubber ring (n = 15) or surgery (n = 15), and then kept in a visually distinctive recovery pen for 6 h after the procedure. Calves acted as their own control and were sham castrated and allowed to recover for 6 h in another visually distinctive pen. During both castration and sham procedures, calves received a sedative (xylazine, 0.2 mg/kg), local anesthetic (lidocaine, 5 mL), and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (meloxicam, 0.5 mg/kg). After exposure to both treatments (castration and sham), calves were tested for place aversion by providing free access to the 2 pens where they experienced the different treatments. Calves were tested for aversion 48, 72, and 96 h after their last treatment. We recorded how much time they spent in each pen and where they chose to rest. We did not find differences in time spent resting or resting location, suggesting that calves did not form a more negative memory of castration in comparison to the sham procedure. The lack of treatment effects may be due to features of our testing paradigm, including effective multimodal pain control during the 6-h conditioning period and limiting testing to the first days after the procedure.

Role of Topical Anaesthesia in Pain Management of Farm Animals, a Changing Paradigm.

Simple SummaryImproved on-farm animal welfare is increasingly expected by consumers of livestock products, yet motivating farmers to adopt practice changes is challenging, with many presuming increased regulations are required. Husbandry procedures are routinely conducted in livestock production globally, mostly without analgesia, despite recognition they cause pain. Similarly, debilitating transboundary viral infections, including foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), occur in numerous countries, with affected animals often treated with antimicrobial preparations and infrequently with pain relief, despite obvious suffering. A commercially available, farmer-applied spray-on topical anaesthetic formulation (TAF), containing two topical anaesthetics, an antiseptic and adrenalin in a gel matrix (Tri-Solfen®, Medical Ethics, Australia), provides almost instant pain relief when applied to wounds and lesions incurred during husbandry procedures and FMD infections, respectively, with field trials demonstrating that pain and suffering are markedly reduced. Additional benefits occur when the TAF is used with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), with parenteral and oral applications increasingly available. As the TAF hastens healing rates, improves animal demeanour and provides antisepsis, the requirement for antimicrobials to manage risk of secondary bacterial infections is diminished, offering antimicrobial-resistance (AMR) stewardship. As pain management improves recovery rates, it enhances farmer animal health and welfare attitudes and increases livestock productivity and efficiency.Field evidence indicates that livestock producers are motivated by access to products that readily deliver pain management during husbandry interventions and, more recently, viral epidermal infectious diseases, including FMD. There has been impressive adoption in Australia of a farmer-applied spray-on topical anaesthetic wound formulation (TAF; Tri-Solfen®, Medical Ethics, Australia), initially for managing pain of the breech modification ‘mulesing’ procedure that reduces susceptibility of sheep to flystrike. Over 120 million lambs have now received pain relief and cattle producers have commenced using the TAF for a range of husbandry procedures. This product has demonstrated efficacy for surgical castration and tail docking of lambs, surgical castration and dehorning of calves, surgical castration of piglets, debridement of lesions of the hoof for lame cattle and, importantly, treatment of clinical FMD lesions, including decubitus ulcerations occurring from prolonged recumbency. Multimodal use of an NSAID for improved pain management is advocated, particularly meloxicam, available by prescription from veterinarians for injection and as an oral formulation (Ilium Buccalgesic®, Troy Laboratories, Australia), with current work assessing the potential for prolonged delivery in molasses blocks. Increased use of TAF with NSAIDs significantly reduces pain and suffering in livestock, with enhanced healing of FMD lesions, reduced viral loads from Orf infections in lambs and diminished necessity of ‘antibiotic cover’, assisting antimicrobial-resistance (AMR) stewardship.

Impact of ASCI Sponsored Skill Development Trainings on Dairy Farming Practices: An Empirical Analysis

Background: The present study assessed the impact of Agricultural Skill Council of India (ASCI) funded dairy training programme conducted at CSKHPKV Palampur, Himachal Pradesh. These skill development training programs of 200 contact hours trained 40 participants in two trainings conducted in 2018 and 2019. Impact of these trainings was understood by studying changes in adoption, herd size, milk production and capital investments made before and after the trainings. Methods: A semi-structured interview schedule was designed for the collection of data before the start of training programme to assess socio-economic profile, herd size, milk production and adoption of various dairy farming practices. Post training data in March 2021 was collected to study the impact of trainings. The adoption index was calculated by procedure laid out by Mande and Thombre (2009) and Godara et al. (2018). Result: Significant differences in adoption of various practices before and after training were observed with few notable practices such as silage making, castration of male calves, screening of animals for sub clinical mastitis, cattle insurance and biogas production which scored lower adoption even post training. Lack of proper financial support from the banks, poor milk marketing and other socio-psychological factors prevented farmers from reaping full benefits post training.

Behavioral and performance response associated with administration of intravenous flunixin meglumine or oral meloxicam immediately prior to surgical castration in bull calves.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of flunixin meglumine or meloxicam on behavioral response and performance characteristics associated with surgical castration in crossbred bulls. Intact male Bos taurus calves (n = 252; averaging 176 kg) were randomly allocated into one of three treatment groups within pen: control (CON), flunixin meglumine (FLU; 2.2 mg/kg intravenous injection), or meloxicam (MEL; 2.0 mg/kg per os). The individual animal was the experimental unit. Calves were individually weighed on days 0 and 14 of the trial to evaluate performance outcomes. On study day 0, treatments were administered, according to their random allocation, immediately prior to surgical castration using the Henderson tool method. Visual analog scale (VAS) assessment and categorical attitude score (CAS) were collected on days −1, 0 (6 h post-castration), 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the study. The VAS was assigned using a 100 mm horizontal line with “normal” labeled at one end of the line and “moribund” at the other end of the horizontal line. The masked observer assigned a mark on the horizontal line based upon the observed severity of pain exhibited by that individual animal. The CAS was assigned by the same observer using five different categories with a score of 0 being “normal”. Average daily gain tended (P = 0.09) to be associated with the treatment group, and MEL had a greater (P = 0.04) average daily gain through day 14 compared with CON. A significant (P < 0.01) treatment by day interaction was indicated for VAS score, and MEL had lower VAS scores on days 0, 1, 2, and 3 post-castration compared with CON; FLU had lower VAS scores on days 0 and 1 compared with CON. A significant treatment by day interaction was not present (P = 0.25) for CAS. The FLU had lesser percent CAS ≥1 (17.5%; P = 0.05) compared with CON (29.4%); MEL has lesser percent CAS ≥1 observations (14.9%; P = 0.01) compared with CON. The median VAS increased as CAS was more severe. Results indicated MEL and FLU calves temporally improved behavioral responses following surgical castration with positive numerical trends for a 14 d average daily gain (ADG). The VAS system appeared to be an effective method of subjective evaluation of pain in beef calves in this study. Route of administration, duration of therapy, and low relative cost make oral meloxicam a reasonable analgesic treatment in calves when administered at the time of surgical castration.

Comparative study of the analgesic efficiency of locoregional anesthetic protocols in obstetric interventions in calves

Surgical castration of calves is one of the most common surgeries performed on calves in order to improve carcass quality and growth efficiency. The pain associated with these surgeries is a major concern today, given the negative influence it can have on post-surgery recovery and animal welfare. Recognition of pain is difficult in calves and its intensity is entirely dependent on the type of surgery but especially on the complexity of the analgesia protocols used.

Effect of bupivacaine liposome suspension administered as a local anesthetic block on indicators of pain and distress during and after surgical castration in dairy calves

Castration is a routine procedure performed on beef and dairy operations in the United States. All methods of castration cause behavioral, physiologic, and neuroendocrine changes associated with pain. The American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners recommend that anesthesia and analgesia be administered during castration. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of bupivacaine liposome suspension, a novel, long-acting, local anesthetic formulation administered as a nerve block at castration. The authors chose to investigate this novel formulation as an alternative to the current industry standards using lidocaine nerve blocks alone or in combination with meloxicam. Thirty male Holstein calves, 16 to 20 wk of age, were enrolled and randomly assigned to one of the four treatment groups prior to surgical castration: 1) bupivacaine liposome suspension block + oral placebo (BUP), 2) lidocaine block + oral placebo (LID), 3) lidocaine block + oral meloxicam (1 mg/kg) (LID + MEL), and 4) saline block + oral placebo (CON). Biomarkers were collected at −24 h and from 0 to 120 h post-castration and included infrared thermography, pressure mat gait analysis, chute defense and behavior scoring (pain and activity), and blood sampling for serum cortisol and prostaglandin E2 metabolites (PGEMs). Responses were analyzed using repeated measures, with calf nested in treatment as a random effect, and treatment, time, and their interaction designated as fixed effects. The results from pressure mat gait analysis show that the CON had a shorter front limb stance time from baseline (−8.73%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −24.84% to 7.37%) compared with BUP and LID + MEL (>5.70%; 95% CI: −22.91% to 23.79%) (P < 0.03). The CON tended to have an increase in front limb force from baseline (6.31%; 95% CI: −1.79% to 14.41%) compared with BUP, LID, and LID + MEL (<−5.06%; 95% CI: −14.22% to 0.95%) (P < 0.04). The CON displayed higher counts of hunched standing (2.00; 95% CI: 1.68 to 2.32) compared with LID + MEL (1.43; 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.72) (P = 0.05). The CON had higher cortisol concentrations at 24 h (7.70 ng/mL; 95% CI: 1.52 to 13.87 ng/mL) relative to BUP (3.11 ng/mL; 95% CI: −2.56 to 8.79 ng/mL) (P = 0.002). At 4 and 24 h, LID + MEL had lower PGEM concentrations from baseline (−32.42% and −47.84%; 95% CI: −78.45% to −1.80%) compared with CON (27.86% and 47.63%; 95% CI: 7.49% to 82.98%) (P < 0.02). The administration of bupivacaine liposome suspension as a local anesthetic block at the time of castration was as effective at controlling pain as a multimodal approach of lidocaine and meloxicam.

Early Life Painful Procedures: Long-Term Consequences and Implications for Farm Animal Welfare

Farm animals routinely undergo painful husbandry procedures early in life, including disbudding and castration in calves and goat kids, tail docking and castration in piglets and lambs, and beak trimming in chicks. In rodents, inflammatory events soon after birth, when physiological systems are developing and sensitive to perturbation, can profoundly alter phenotypic outcomes later in life. This review summarizes the current state of research on long-term phenotypic consequences of neonatal painful procedures in rodents and farm animals, and discusses the implications for farm animal welfare. Rodents exposed to early life inflammation show a hypo-/hyper-responsive profile to pain-, fear-, and anxiety-inducing stimuli, manifesting as an initial attenuation in responses that transitions into hyperresponsivity with increasing age or cumulative stress. Neonatal inflammation also predisposes rodents to cognitive, social, and reproductive deficits, and there is some evidence that adverse effects may be passed to offspring. The outcomes of neonatal inflammation are modulated by injury etiology, age at the time of injury and time of testing, sex, pain management, and rearing environment. Equivalent research examining long-term phenotypic consequences of early life painful procedures in farm animals is greatly lacking, despite obvious implications for welfare and performance. Improved understanding of how these procedures shape phenotypes will inform efforts to mitigate negative outcomes through reduction, replacement, and refinement of current practices.

Which factors can influence the perception of pain by veterinarians and animal scientists from Brazil?

Society and animal professionals are increasingly concerned about the pain management during routine husbandry procedures in farm animals. In this paper, we aim to identify the factors that affect Brazilian veterinarians’ and animal scientists’ perceptions about the level of pain cattle experience during castration and horn removal. An online survey was conducted with these professionals, resulting in a sample size of 147 participants. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Chi-squares tests, Fisher exact tests, and Mann-Whitney U tests. The results of descriptive statistics showed that the most frequently, the most and the least painful technique quoted, for castration, was scalpel, burdizzo, and immunocastration, respectively; and for horn removal, hot iron (for newborn and suckled calves) and saw/wires (for adult cattle), knife, and caustic paste, respectively. Women assessed cattle pain higher than men professionals for castration in newborn calves. Higher mean scores for the pain perception were associated to painful indicators: heart and/or respiration rate during castration in newborn and suckled calves; and defensive movements during horn removal in adult cattle. Those respondents who were more likely to perceived high level of pain also scored higher pain for (i) newborn calves when toxic agent or immunocastration were used to castrate; (ii) suckled calves dehorned/disbudded with chemical methods or dehorners; and (iii) all cattle ages when surgical methods or burdizzo were used for castration and amputation techniques or hot iron, for horn removal. Professionals that perceived higher level of pain in both painful procedures agreed more with the statements “Farm animals are not as sensitive to pain as pets” and “If there are no defensive movements, there is no need for pain mitigation use” than those that perceived lower level of pain. The pain estimation is subjective, but our results illustrate the importance of the management and individual/professional aspects on pain perception. Finally, our study highlights that improvement in pain perception by veterinary and animal scientists regarding castration and horn removal in cattle is required.

Unmitigated Surgical Castration in Calves of Different Ages: Cortisol Concentrations, Heart Rate Variability, and Infrared Thermography Findings.

Simple SummaryIn the United States, castration is a common husbandry procedure utilized in the cattle industry. Despite castration being painful, it is commonly performed without the use of analgesia, one reason being the lack of available approved analgesics in the United States for use in alleviating pain associated with castration in cattle. Additionally, if pain mitigation is used, it is more often provided to older animals as there is a notion that younger animals experience pain to a lesser degree than older ones. The aim of this study was to characterize physiological responses to unmitigated surgical castration in calves of varying ages in terms of cortisol concentration, heart rate variability, and changes in eye temperature. Overall, our results indicate that the measured physiological responses to castration differed between age groups and changed over time post-castration. Younger calves showed a different response pattern than older calves for many of the variables measured suggesting that the response to castration-induced pain may be age-specific. For example, the youngest calves had lower cortisol and average eye temperature as compared to the oldest calves. Additionally, many variables showed a differential response to castration-induced pain, as compared with simulated castration, thus suggesting physiological indicators that could be targeted in future development and validation of analgesics for alleviation of pain associated with castration in cattle.The objective was to characterize physiological responses to unmitigated surgical castration in calves of varying ages. Thirty male Holstein calves of three ages [<6 w (6W); 3 m (3M); 6 m (6M); n = 10] underwent a simulated castration treatment (SHAM) followed 24 h later by castration (CAST). For both treatments, heart rate variability, eye temperature, and cortisol were measured over time from treatment to specified end points to capture the acute response period. Interactions between treatment and age (p = 0.035) and time and age (p < 0.001) were noted for cortisol. The 6W calves had lower cortisol compared to 6M calves at SHAM and CAST. Cortisol of 6W calves decreased from peak to pre-treatment levels faster than 6M calves. An interaction between time and age was reported in squared differences of inter-beat-intervals (RMSSD; p = 0.02) and high-frequency power (HFP; p = 0.05), whereby both responses decreased in 6W calves during the sampling period which was not seen in 3M and 6M calves. Average eye temperature (AET) differed by age (p = 0.0018) whereby 6W calves had lower AET than 6M calves (p = 0.0013) regardless of treatment and time. The findings suggest that responses to unmitigated surgical castration seem to be mediated by the autonomic nervous system in an age-related manner.

Pain in the weeks following surgical and rubber ring castration in dairy calves

Many male dairy calves are castrated when reared for beef production, but for dairy breeds the assessment of the longer-lasting pain associated with this procedure has received little scientific attention. In this study we assessed 2 methods: surgical (n = 10 calves) and rubber ring (n = 11). All calves were castrated at 28 d of age using multimodal pain control. During the 8 wk that followed, we recorded wound healing, local inflammation, body weight, milk and calf starter intake, lying time, and wound-directed behavior. Surgical wounds were fully healed on average 4 wk after the procedure, but only 1 calf in the rubber ring treatment fully healed within the 8-wk study. Inflammation was greater after rubber ring castration; skin temperature in the area around the lesion was 1.7 ± 0.35°C (mean ± standard deviation) higher than for the surgical treatment. Compared with surgically castrated calves, those castrated by rubber ring gained less weight over the study period (on average 11.9 ± 5.1 kg less), a difference due in part to lower intake of calf starter (on average 1.8 ± 0.6 kg less). Calves in the rubber ring treatment spent less time lying down (on average 4.2 ± 1.2% fewer scans per day) and licked their lesions more frequently (on average 16.0 ± 3.3 more licks per day). We conclude that the rubber ring calves experienced more pain in the weeks following the procedure and thus recommend that surgical castration be favored for preweaning dairy calves.

Unmitigated Surgical Castration in Calves of Different Ages: Electroencephalographic and Neurohormonal Findings.

Simple SummaryCastration is a painful procedure that is commonly performed on cattle without analgesia. Although castration is considered to be more painful in older calves, studies examining the effect of age on electrophysiological and neurohormonal responses to pain under the same experimental conditions are limited. There are several limitations to providing pain mitigation for castration, one being the lack of available approved analgesics for use in alleviating the pain associated with castration in the United States. It is necessary to validate methods of pain assessment in cattle to support the development of pain relief drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of unmitigated surgical castration on the electroencephalography (EEG) responses and plasma substance P (SP) concentrations in calves, without pain relief across different age groups. Age, time, and procedure (castration or a simulated castration) impacted outcomes. The findings suggest that surgical castration without pain relief causes variations in EEG responses and in SP concentrations and that these responses are age related.Castration is a common management procedure employed in North American cattle production and is known to cause a pain response. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of unmitigated surgical castration on the electroencephalography (EEG) responses and plasma substance P (SP) concentrations in calves of different ages under the same experimental conditions. Thirty male Holstein calves in three age categories [<6 weeks (6W); 3 months (3M); 6 months (6M); 10 calves per age group] were used in the study. Calves were subjected to a simulated castration session (SHAM) followed 24 h later by surgical castration (CAST) without analgesia. An EEG analysis was performed before the procedure (i.e., baseline), at treatment, and 0–5, 5–10, and 10–20 min post-treatment for both SHAM and CAST, respectively. Blood samples were collected immediately prior to both treatments (time 0) and again at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 h after both treatments. The EEG results showed a three-way interaction between treatment, age, and time for delta and beta absolute power, beta relative power, total power, and median frequency (p = 0.004, p = 0.04, p = 0.04, p = 0.03, and p = 0.008, respectively). Following CAST, EEG total power decreased, and median frequency increased relative to SHAM in 6W and 3M calves only following treatment. For 6W and 3M calves, delta and beta absolute power increased at CAST and at later time points relative to SHAM. Marginal evidence for two-way interactions was noted between time and treatment and between age and treatment on the concentration of SP (p = 0.068 and p = 0.066, respectively). Substance P concentrations decreased in CAST treatment compared to SHAM at the later times (8 h: p = 0.007; 12 h: p = 0.048); 6W calves showed lower SP concentration at CAST relative to SHAM (p = 0.017). These findings indicate variation in EEG responses and in SP concentrations following unmitigated surgical castration in calves and that these responses may be age specific. These EEG findings have implications for supporting the perception of the pain associated with surgical castration in young calves and emphasize the urgency of pain mitigation strategies during routine husbandry practices such as castration, as typically implemented in North American cattle management.

The Welfare of Beef Cattle in the Scientific Literature From 1990 to 2019: A Text Mining Approach.

Beef cattle are the third most numerous terrestrial farmed animals worldwide. Factors such as geographical region, animal category, breed, and rearing system pose specific animal welfare challenges that can have an impact on animal and public health. This article uses text mining (TM) and topic analysis (TA) to explore the scientific literature on beef cattle welfare published in English from 1990 to 2019. Our aim was to reveal the main research topics and their evolution over time. Our analysis showed that the three most relevant themes in research since 1990 have to do with calf behaviour and management, efficiency, and environmental sustainability, and the effects of transport and slaughter on meat quality. Topics showing the most marked increase in the number of papers published deal with stakeholders' perceptions and market opportunities for added-value beef products and risk factors for morbidity and mortality, especially in relation to calf health, antimicrobial use, and antimicrobial resistance. The results indicate a particular focus on the welfare of calves, especially in the veal industry. Pain relief during the castration of calves and bulls also featured prominently. Research is also increasingly assessing aspects of beef cattle welfare that are interlinked to meat quality, the social and environmental sustainability of the sector in relation to market opportunities, and public health. The identified topics represent a basic source of information that can be used for further and more detailed analyses (e.g., systematic reviews) focussed on specific research themes or geographical areas.

What we know that just ain’t so

It is well documented that castration, regardless of age or method (surgical or band) causes pain in beef cattle. At the same time, consumer concern and awareness regarding painful routine management procedures in livestock is at an all-time high. Developing pain mitigation strategies that are practical and cost effective for producers is also important to facilitate their adoption by the beef industry. The goal of this paper is to review current pain assessment and mitigation strategies for knife and band castration in pre-weaned calves with focus on the influence of the age and method of castration, including a summary of recent studies assessing the effects of meloxicam in controlling calf pain and improving calf comfort.

Effect of perioperative penicillin G procaine on bovine castration wound infection rate

Perioperative administration of B-lactam antimicrobials, including penicillin G procaine, is commonly performed at the time of bovine surgical castration despite a paucity of published evidence regarding rate of bovine castration wound infections and efficacy of single-dose perioperative antimicrobial therapy for bovine castration. The best data on frequency of bovine castration complications was generated from a survey of US bovine veterinarians, which reported wound infection, swelling, gait stiffness, and hemorrhage as the most common complications. This same survey identified that a narrow majority of bovine veterinarians routinely utilized perioperative antibiotics, most commonly β-lactams class drugs, including penicillin G procaine. Increasing public demand for antimicrobial stewardship is elevating professional and consumer scrutiny around veterinary antimicrobial use in food animals. In the current climate that increasingly emphasizes judicious use of antimicrobial drugs, it is imperative to base decisions to incorporate antimicrobial prophylaxis into routine protocols on quality evidence. Currently, there is no published data to suggest that perioperative use of PPG reduces scrotal wound or generalized tetanus infection following routine surgical castration of calves. The objective of the study is to establish whether perioperative administration of penicillin G procaine at the time of surgical castration with the Henderson castrating tool decreases the risk of postcastration surgical wound infections.

Attitudes of Bavarian bovine veterinarians towards pain and pain management in cattle

BackgroundPain recognition in cattle is difficult, but the control and treatment of pain are essential for animal welfare. Pain evaluation depends on the observer’s experience and opinion, resulting in different...

Topical wound anaesthesia: efficacy to mitigate piglet castration pain.

ObjectiveThere is a critical need for safe and effective analgesic treatments to address pain resulting from surgical husbandry procedures in livestock. Piglet castration results in acute pain and stress to the animal; however, it is performed globally on millions of piglets annually, often without any analgesia what‐so‐ever. Tri‐Solfen® (Animal Ethics Pty Ltd, Yarra Glen, Victoria, Australia) is a combination local anaesthetic and antiseptic formulation which, applied topically to wounds, has proven effective, and is registered for use to alleviate pain associated with castration (and other wounds) in lambs and calves in Australia and New Zealand. It is also reported to be effective to reduce pain in piglets following castration.DesignThis randomised, blinded, placebo‐controlled study examined the safety and efficacy of the formulation, administered via an adapted wound instillation method, to control pain both during and following piglet castration.MethodPiglets received Tri‐Solfen or placebo, instilled to the wound immediately following skin incision. A 30 s wait period was then observed prior to completing castration. Pain mitigation was assessed by grading nociceptive resistance movements and piglet vocal response during castration, as well as by grading response to mechanical sensory stimulation of the wound (von Frey and needlestick) following castration.ResultsThere was a significant reduction in nociceptive motor and vocal response during castration and in response to mechanical sensory wound stimulation up to and including 2 h following castration. There were no adverse events.ConclusionAdministered via this method, Tri‐Solfen is effective to mitigate acute peri‐operative castration pain in piglets.

Effect of Lignocaine and a Topical Vapocoolant Spray on Pain Response during Surgical Castration of Beef Calves.

Simple SummaryEnsuring a good state of welfare in farm animals is important for ethical reasons and sustainability of livestock industries. Addressing pain in farm animals during and following surgical husbandry procedures is a significant component of animal welfare. Until recently, practical constraints associated with delivery of traditional forms of analgesia have prevented widespread uptake by producers, especially in large, extensively managed animal production systems. In recent years, novel anaesthetic and analgesic products have been developed to facilitate practical delivery of post-operative pain relief to livestock. However, the issue of intra-operative pain during husbandry procedures remains unaddressed. Therefore, this study investigated the efficacy of pre-operative injected lignocaine and peri-operative topical vapocoolant spray, administered as most practical for incorporation into routine procedures, for pain relief during castration of calves. Results from this study provide no evidence that lignocaine or vapocoolant spray reduced pain during castration of calves. Pulling of the spermatic cords appeared to be the most painful component of the castration procedure. This finding may assist in clarifying what methods for relieving procedural pain associated with castration of calves merit future research.This study assessed the efficacy of pre-operative injected lignocaine and peri-operative topical vapocoolant spray, administered as most practical for incorporation into routine calf castration procedures. Calves were randomly allocated to: (1) sham castration (SHAM); (2) surgical castration (CAST); (3) surgical castration with lignocaine (LIG); and (4) surgical castration with vapocoolant spray (VAPO). Calf behavioural responses were scored at different stages of the sham castration or castration procedure. Maximum ocular temperatures were measured at three time-points relative to restraint and treatment. There were significant effects of treatment (p < 0.001) and stage of procedure (p < 0.001) on calf behavioural response. SHAM calves were more likely to display less severe responses compared to all other calves and LIG calves were more likely to display less severe responses compared to VAPO calves. Calves were more likely to display more severe responses to extrusion of the first spermatic cord compared to all other stages of castration, and to extrusion of the second spermatic cord compared to severing of the second spermatic cord. There was a significant effect of time (p < 0.001) on ocular temperature, with ocular temperature being greater following sham castration or castration. In this study, there was no evidence of pain reduction during castration of calves by either lignocaine or vapocoolant spray.