Follow the “4 S’s” for Dehorning Pain Management

Using pain mitigation techniques when disbudding or dehorning is now the standard of care for U.S. cattle veterinary and quality assurance organizations.
Using pain mitigation techniques when disbudding or dehorning is now the standard of care for U.S. cattle veterinary and quality assurance organizations.
(Adobe Stock)

Using pain management tools to support calves during dehorning has been shown to reduce stress, promote comfort, and – in some cases – support growth and weight gain for treated animals.

Dr. Hans Coetzee, Head of the Department of Anatomy and Physiology at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, has devoted extensive study and education to the subject of pain management in food animals.

In a recent podcast hosted by the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, Coetzee noted that dehorning is one of the major areas of consumer concern relative to the perceived humane treatment of cattle. And he said it has been well-established through research that dehorning is, indeed, a painful procedure.

He said when veterinarians and their dairy clients approach dehorning, they should consider the “4 S’s” of livestock pain management:

 

Suppress – Make changes so the painful procedure is no longer necessary. In the case of dehorning, adoption of polled genetics will eventually make dehorning obsolete.

Substitute – Refine the way the procedure is performed to reduce pain. For horn removal, use disbudding versus dehorning by performing the procedure at a younger age before the horn bud has attached to the underlying bone. Changing calf handling techniques and providing proper restraint also can reduce stress and pain.

Soothe – Use analgesics to reduce pain before the procedure starts. Administering a local cornual nerve block with lidocaine before dehorning will help reduce pain caused by the procedure.

Supplement – Back up the initial pain mitigation with a longer-acting analgesic. Veterinary-prescribed meloxicam given at the time of dehorning in addition to lidocaine will minimize the chronic inflammatory pain caused by the procedure for at least 48 hours. Together, they help control different parts of the pain pathway.

Coetzee noted there are extremely limited FDA-approved drug options for pain management available in the United States. Both lidocaine and meloxicam only can be administered on prescription by a licensed veterinarian, following guidelines allowed under Extra-Label Drug Use (ELDU) by the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act (AMDUCA). The prescribing veterinarian always should specify meat and milk withdrawal times for medications prescribed under ELDU.

This helpful bulletin from Michigan State University demonstrates administration of a lidocaine block prior to dehorning, which can be taught by an experienced veterinarian. Meloxicam is easily administered by dissolving a single table in the calf’s milk the day of the procedure. At a cost of less than 20 cents per calf, meloxicam also is highly affordable.

Providing analgesics in dehorning is considered a standard of care in the American Association of Bovine Practitioners’ Dehorning Guidelines, as well as Dehorning Recommendations in the National Dairy FARM program.

Coetzee credited veterinary schools for placing more focus on pain management in food animals over approximately the past decade. He said that emphasis has produced a generation of recent veterinary school graduates who are driving adoption of the practice throughout the industry.

“In addition to dehorning and castration, researchers now are exploring pain management in other standard aspects of cattle production, like calving,” said Coetzee. “It is fundamentally important to address pain for the animal’s benefit, production efficiency, and maintaining the confidence of the consumer.”

 

Latest News

APHIS Now Thinks Wild Birds Are to Blame for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza's Arrival on Four U.S. Dairies
APHIS Now Thinks Wild Birds Are to Blame for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza's Arrival on Four U.S. Dairies

The livestock industry continues to grapple with the first confirmed cases of HPAI in cattle, while federal and state agencies continue to assure consumers there's no concern about the safety of the U.S. milk supply.

AABP Creates 'Using Credentialed Veterinary Technicians  in Bovine Practice' Guidelines
AABP Creates 'Using Credentialed Veterinary Technicians in Bovine Practice' Guidelines

Utilizing credentialed veterinary technicians (CVTs) in bovine practice can assist veterinarians in providing additional and efficient services to their large animal clients.

Get the Facts Straight on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
Get the Facts Straight on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Now that the mystery illness impacting some dairy herds has been revealed as the same strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza that has been impacting the U.S. poultry flock, pork producers are asking questions.

New Guide Helps Producers Maximize Values of Cull Cows
New Guide Helps Producers Maximize Values of Cull Cows

A new resource developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and CattleFax helps cattle producers maximize profitability from their culling decisions.

"Boring" Technology Will Reshape Dairy Over the Next 10 Years
"Boring" Technology Will Reshape Dairy Over the Next 10 Years

Once a technology becomes a boring experience it means it has become proven, well-adopted, and easy to utilize. There are three "boring" technologies silently shaping the industry.

Meat Institute: Properly Prepared Beef is Safe to Eat; HPAI is not a Food Safety Threat
Meat Institute: Properly Prepared Beef is Safe to Eat; HPAI is not a Food Safety Threat

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and USDA food safety experts, properly prepared beef is safe to eat and is not a food safety risk to humans.