Acute cortisol responses of calves to scoop dehorning using local anaesthesia and/or cautery of the wound

Objective To measure plasma cortisol responses in calves dehorned using a scoop after administration of local anaesthesia and/or cautery of the wounds.
Design A physiological study with controls.
Procedure There were six treatments: control handling with and without local anaesthesia, dehorning, dehorning after local anaesthesia, dehorning followed by wound cautery, and dehorning after local anaesthesia followed by wound cautery. Blood samples were taken before and after dehorning.
Results Dehorning caused an increase in plasma cortisol concentrations, which decreased a little to plateau values and then declined to pretreatment values 3 to 4 h after dehorning. The peak was smaller after local anaesthesia was administered but when its effects wore off, cortisol concentrations increased and thereafter were similar to those in the dehorned animals. The combination of local anaesthesia and cautery resulted in a plasma cortisol response similar to those in control calves with or without local anaesthesia.
Conclusions If plasma cortisol concentrations reflect the distress being experienced by the calves, then local anaesthesia reduces the acute distress for about 3 h after dehorning but not during the subsequent 3 to 4 h. Combining local anaesthetic and cautery prevented the significant increase in plasma cortisol following dehorning and may eliminate the acute distress caused by scoop dehorning.     

Effects of local anaesthesia of 4 to 8 hours duration on the acute cortisol response to scoop dehorning in calves

Objective To determine the effect of a long-acting local anaesthetic on the plasma cortisol response in calves dehorned using a scoop.
Design A physiological study with controls.
Procedure Seventy female calves, 3 to 4 months old, were divided into seven groups and dehorned by scoop with or without a long acting local anaesthetic (bupivacaine) which provides local anaesthesia for 3 to 4 h. In some treatment groups the local anaesthetic was given a second time, after 4 h, to give 8 h of anaesthesia. Blood samples were taken before and for 9 h after treatment and plasma cortisol concentrations were measured.
Results Scoop dehorning caused a marked rise in plasma cortisol concentration, which returned to pre-dehorning values after 7 h. The cortisol concentrations of calves given bupiva-caine were similar to those of control animals for 4 h after dehorning, but then a significant and protracted rise occurred, with concentrations returning to pretreatment values at about 9 h after dehorning. In calves given a second treatment of bupivacaine 4 h after dehorning, the plasma cortisol concentration remained similar to control values for 8 h after dehorning but then increased sharply.
Conclusions During its period of activity long-acting local anaesthetic prevented the rise usually seen after scoop dehorning in plasma cortisol concentrations; by inference it also alleviated the pain-induced distress caused by this procedure. However, when its effects had worn off the plasma cortisol values rose sharply indicating that animals still experienced pain-induced distress despite local anaesthetic being administered.     

Dehorning and disbudding distress and its alleviation in calves

Dehorning and disbudding are routine painful procedures carried out on cattle to facilitate management. The pain caused by these procedures and its alleviation may be evaluated by monitoring behaviour and physiological responses, and by measuring their effects on weight gain. The cortisol response to cautery disbudding is significantly smaller than that to amputation dehorning which infers that the latter is more painful. Amputation dehorning stimulates a defined cortisol response with a rapid rise to a peak value within 30 min followed by a decline to a plateau which then declines to pre-treatment values after about 8 h. A cornual nerve blockade using lignocaine virtually eliminates the escape behaviour seen during disbudding and dehorning and reduces the plasma cortisol response to dehorning for about 2 h. Thereafter there is an increase in the plasma cortisol concentration, a delayed response, which lasts for about 6 h. A cornual nerve blockade, using lignocaine combined with cauterizing the wound caused by amputation dehorning, virtually eliminates the cortisol response as does combining a lignocaine blockade with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) ketoprofen. When xylazine is combined with a cornual nerve blockade using lignocaine before dehorning, the cortisol response is virtually eliminated for about 3 h. When this regime is used before cautery disbudding and includes a NSAID given before and after disbudding the behaviour of calves so treated suggests that pain may be alleviated for 24 h. Cautery disbudding is preferable to amputation dehorning, but for optimal pain relief xylazine sedation, local anaesthesia and a NSAID should be used with both procedures.     

Effects of shallow scoop and deep scoop dehorning on plasma cortisol concentrations in calves

Scoop dehorning is one method of horn amputation. Plasma cortisol concentrations were used to investigate the effects of wound depth caused by shallow scoop and deep scoop dehorning on the acute pain-induced distress experienced by 15 week-old calves during the first 9 hours following horn amputation. Shallow scoop and deep scoop dehorning caused a prolonged cortisol elevation which returned to control values within 8 hours and 6 hours, respectively. There were no significant differences between shallow and deep dehorning with regard to mean plasma cortisol concentrations and integrated cortisol responses during the 9 hours after dehorning. Linear regression analysis revealed no significant correlation between wound depth and integrated cortisol response. Hence, at the investigated scoop wound depths, there was no detectable benefit in implementing a shallow scoop strategy in order to reduce acute pain-induced distress caused by scoop dehorning in 15 week-old calves.     

Effect of local anaesthetic combined with wound cauterisation on the cortisol response to dehorning in calves

OBJECTIVE: To reassess whether local anaesthesia before dehorning and wound cauterisation after dehorning eliminates the cortisol response to dehorning. METHODS: A control group was compared with three dehorned groups (dehorned alone, dehorned after local anaesthesia, dehorned after local anaesthesia then cautery of the amputation wounds). The local anaesthetic regimen used produced nerve blockade for about 5 h. Blood samples were taken before and after dehorning and plasma cortisol concentrations were determined. RESULTS: Dehorning caused a marked cortisol response lasting for about 7 h. Local anaesthetic reduced the plasma cortisol concentrations to control values for 5 h, after which they increased for a further 5 h. Subsequently in both groups, cortisol concentrations remained at control values until at least 24 h after treatment. Local anaesthetic combined with wound cautery virtually abolished the cortisol response until at least 24 h after dehorning. CONCLUSION: Combining local anaesthesia with cautery of the amputation wounds substantially reduced the cortisol response until at least 24 h after dehorning.     

Additive effects of L-carnitine and chromium picolinate on sow reproductive performance

Caustic paste is frequently used for disbudding young female dairy calves. Nerve blocking may not be completely effective after such chemical tissue damage. Regional anaesthesia, together with a non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), was shown to reduce plasma cortisol in calves disbudded using caustic paste. To find out whether pre-emptive NSAID alone could control pain or whether NSAID reduces cortisol response by a mechanism other than by pain control, we compared cortisol levels and behaviour of 10 chemically disbudded calves treated with IV flunixin-meglumine, five of which were injected at 5 min (F0) and five injected at 60 min before dehorning (F1), with 5 sham-dehorned (ND) and 5 non-treated chemically disbudded animals (CD). There was a higher (p < 0.001) cortisol level in both NSAID-treated groups compared with ND at 1 h after disbudding, but no differences from control animals (CD). Non-treated disbudded animals showed higher cortisol at + 3 h compared with ND. A higher incidence of pain-related behaviours was shown in disbudded animals up to 3 h post-disbudding.We conclude that pre-emptive analgesia treatment by itself is not effective in controlling pain and does not prevent blood cortisol increase after disbudding of calves with caustic paste.     

Acute cortisol responses of calves to four methods of dehorning by amputation

Objective To measure the plasma cortisol response in calves dehorned by four different methods (scoop, guillotine shears, saw, embryotomy wire) for 9 h after dehorning.
Design A physiological study with controls.
Procedure Horn amputation was carried out on calves restrained manually in a race.
Results The four methods of dehorning provoked similarly increased cortisol responses which lasted for 6 h. During the first hour after dehorning the plasma cortisol concentrations were similar to those following ACTH injection. The overall cortisol response to control handling was about 30% of the responses to dehorning.
Conclusions The similarity of the cortisol responses produced by the four methods of dehorning suggests that the distress experienced by calves following dehorning by amputation is similar regardless of method used.     

A comparison of catecholamine and cortisol responses of young lambs and calves to painful husbandry procedures

AIM: To compare the changes in plasma concentrations of noradrenaline, adrenaline and cortisol in lambs after ring castration plus tailing and in calves after dehorning with or without prior local anaesthesia. METHODS: Male lambs were castrated and tailed with rings and calves were dehorned by amputation using a scoop with or without prior local anaesthesia. Blood samples were taken before and after treatment and plasma concentrations of noradrenaline, adrenaline and cortisol were determined. RESULTS: Castration plus tailing of lambs resulted in a rapid increase in noradrenaline concentrations, a lack of an adrenaline response and a marked increase in cortisol concentration. There were similar changes in catecholamine concentrations in calves that were dehorned both with and without local anaesthetic, with adrenaline being elevated within 5 min of treatment and noradrenaline exhibiting a more protracted response. Dehorning caused a marked cortisol increase which was reduced to control concentrations by local anaesthesia for as long as the associated nerve blockade lasted. CONCLUSIONS: The very short-lived adrenaline responses in calves were attributed to dehorning-induced nociceptor input leading to sympathetic stimulation of the adrenal medulla. The longer lasting noradrenaline responses in lambs and calves were thought be due to 'wash-out' of noradrenaline from damaged tissue associated with rings and amputation wounds, respectively.     

Cortisol responses of calves to two methods of tail docking used with or without local anaesthetic

Tail docking of dairy cows to facilitate milking is carried out on calves or on heifers before calving. By monitoring changes in plasma cortisol concentrations, this study evaluated the distress in calves when docked by a rubber ring or docking iron (cautery) with or without local anaesthetic. The cortisol responses indicated that in most calves docking using a rubber ring or docking iron was no more distressing than control handling and simulated docking. A small proportion of calves in control and tail docked groups exhibited larger cortisol responses, the magnitudes of which suggested that they experienced some mild distress. There was no detectable benefit with either method of docking when local anaesthetic was used. The rubber ring is the preferable method, as there was some haemorrhage after docking with the docking iron.     

The effect of different combinations of lignocaine, ketoprofen, xylazine and tolazoline on the acute cortisol response to dehorning in calves

AIMS: The aims of this study were (a) to evaluate the effect of xylazine and tolazoline, with and without lignocaine, on the cortisol response of calves following amputation dehorning and (b) to assess the effect of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (ketoprofen) and local anaesthesia on the cortisol response of calves to amputation dehorning. METHODS: Plasma cortisol concentrations were measured in 100 dehorned or non-dehorned 3-month-old calves over an 8-h period following five different sedative/analgesic or control treatments. Sedative/analgesic treatments were: control (no anaesthesia); local anaesthesia and ketoprofen; local anaesthesia and xylazine; local anaesthesia, xylazine and tolazoline; and xylazine only. Within each sedative/analgesic treatment group, half the calves (n=10 per group) were amputation dehorned and half were not dehorned. RESULTS: The change in plasma cortisol concentrations in calves dehorned after being given ketoprofen and local anaesthesia did not differ significantly from that of non-dehorned control calves for at least 8 h. In contrast, the cortisol response of dehorned calves not given analgesic drugs peaked 30 min after dehorning and lasted >4 h. Xylazine injected before dehorning significantly reduced but did not eliminate the peak of the cortisol response. When both xylazine and local anaesthesia were administered before dehorning the peak in the cortisol response was virtually eliminated. In the dehorned calves that received xylazine with or without local anaesthesia, cortisol concentration increased significantly 3 h after dehorning and did not return to baseline until at least 5 h later. When tolazoline was administered shortly after xylazine, it caused a marked cortisol response, higher than the response to any other treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Combining ketoprofen and local anaesthesia minimised the cortisol response, and by inference the pain-induced distress, following amputation dehorning in calves. Xylazine reduced the initial cortisol response to dehorning but not as much as when local anaesthesia was also given. The increase in cortisol concentration from 3-8 h after dehorning in calves given xylazine alone or in combination with local anaesthesia suggests that calves experienced pain-induced distress during this time and that xylazine had no long-term analgesic effect. Tolazoline, used to reverse the sedative effects of xylazine, caused a marked cortisol response in calves via a mechanism which remains unclear.     

The effect of different combinations of lignocaine,ketoprofen, xylazine and tolazoline on the acute cortisol response to dehorning in calves

AIMS: The aims of this study were (a) to evaluate the effect of xylazine and tolazoline, with and without lignocaine, on the cortisol response of calves following amputation dehorning and (b) to assess the effect of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (ketoprofen) and local anaesthesia on the cortisol response of calves to amputation dehorning.

METHODS: Plasma cortisol concentrations were measured in 100 dehorned or non-dehorned 3-month-old calves over an 8-h period following five different sedative/analgesic or control treatments. Sedative/analgesic treatments were: control (no anaesthesia); local anaesthesia and ketoprofen; local anaesthesia and xylazine; local anaesthesia, xylazine and tolazoline; and xylazine only. Within each sedative/analgesic treatment group, half the calves (n=10 per group) were amputation dehorned and half were not dehorned.

RESULTS: The change in plasma cortisol concentrations in calves dehorned after being given ketoprofen and local anaesthesia did not differ significantly from that of non-dehorned control calves for at least 8 h. In contrast, the cortisol response of dehorned calves not given analgesic drugs peaked 30 min after dehorning and lasted >4 h. Xylazine injected before dehorning significantly reduced but did not eliminate the peak of the cortisol response. When both xylazine and local anaesthesia were administered before dehorning the peak in the cortisol response was virtually eliminated. In the dehorned calves that received xylazine with or without local anaesthesia, cortisol concentration increased significantly 3 h after dehorning and did not return to baseline until at least 5 h later. When tolazoline was administered shortly after xylazine, it caused a marked cortisol response, higher than the response to any other treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: Combining ketoprofen and local anaesthesia minimised the cortisol response, and by inference the pain- induced distress, following amputation dehorning in calves. Xylazine reduced the initial cortisol response to dehorning but not as much as when local anaesthesia was also given. The increase in cortisol concentration from 3–8 h after dehorning in calves given xylazine alone or in combination with local anaesthesia suggests that calves experienced pain-induced distress during this time and that xylazine had no long-term analgesic effect. Tolazoline, used to reverse the sedative effects of xylazine, caused a marked cortisol response in calves via a mechanism which remains unclear.     

Cortisol responses to dehorning of calves given a 5-h local anaesthetic regimen plus phenylbutazone,ketoprofen, or adrenocorticotropic hormone prior to dehorning

The purpose of this work was to assess whether the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) phenylbutazone and ketoprofen, and an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) induced cortisol surge, reduce the cortisol response which occurs when the local anaesthetic wears off in calves following dehorning. There were four control groups and one dehorned group; also four groups were given local anaesthetic lasting 5h and were dehorned without or with phenylbutazone, ketoprofen or an ACTH injection, one group was injected with ACTH twice (at 0 and 6h) and another received ACTH and 6h later was dehorned. Blood samples were taken before and after dehorning and plasma cortisol concentrations were determined by radio-immunoassay. Dehorning increased the mean plasma cortisol concentrations [max 137 (11)nmoll(-1)] above control values [38 (5)nmoll(-1)] for about 7h, whereas local anaesthesia maintained concentrations at control values until about 5h after dehorning, and then they became elevated until about 10h. The maximum rise in mean concentration which occurred when the local anaesthetic wore off [128 (32)nmoll(-1)] was not affected when phenylbutazone was given before dehorning [141 (28)nmoll(-1)], but was reduced significantly when ketoprofen [65 (17)nmoll(-1)] or ACTH [61 (19)nmoll(-1)] were injected before or at the time of dehorning, respectively. Marked cortisol responses to ACTH injected at 0 and 6h were similar, but the early part of the cortisol response to dehorning 6h after an ACTH injection was reduced. It is suggested that the delayed cortisol response, which began 5h after dehorning, arose both from ketoprofen-sensitive and cortisol-sensitive sensory input as well as from other factors. Phenylbutazone did not affect the sensory input from the amputation wounds in the present calves.     

Comparison of two topical treatments on wound healing 7 days after disbudding of calves using thermocautery

ABSTRACT

Aims To compare wound healing 7 days after cautery disbudding of dairy calves treated immediately after disbudding with a traditional antimicrobial spray (OXY) or with a topical anaesthetic gel containing cetrimide, adrenaline and two local anaesthetics, lignocaine and bupivacaine (TA).

Method Eighty-one female dairy calves between 6–8 weeks of age were disbudded using a standard cautery disbudding protocol (sedation, cornual block, and analgesia), with complete removal of the horn bud. After disbudding, the wound on the right and left horn buds within each animal were randomly allocated to receive either OXY or TA. One week after disbudding, wounds were visually assessed for the presence of exudate, necrotic tissue, crust, or granulation tissue which were each assigned a grade from 1–3, where 1?=?no evidence, 2?=?moderate presence; and 3?=?marked presence.

Results At 7 days after disbudding, the prevalence of wounds with exudate or necrotic tissue was very low, and independent of treatment. The odds of a disbudding wound treated with TA being scored as having granulation tissue and was 5.2 (95% CI?=?1.72–15.7) times that of a wound treated with OXY. Conversely, the odds of wounds treated with TA being scored as having crusts was 0.18 (95% CI?=?0.06–0.57) that of a wound treated with OXY. No sign of infection was seen in any calves.

Conclusion and clinical relevance The greater prevalence of granulation tissue and reduction in crusting in disbudding wounds treated with topical anaesthetic gel compared to those treated with the antimicrobial spray suggests that use of the topical anaesthetic gel may speed wound healing compared to using antimicrobial spray. This should be further tested in a larger study undertaken over a longer period.     

Effects of a local anaesthetic and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic on the behavioural responses of calves to dehorning

AIMS: To evaluate the use of local anaesthesia and systemic analgesia for alleviating the distress associated with dehorning by monitoring stimulated behaviours in calves. METHODS: Eight behaviours were monitored in 3-4 month-old calves dehorned with and without local anaesthesia and/or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, from 2 hours after treatment. RESULTS: Four of the behaviours, lying, grazing or ruminating, tail shaking and ear flicking, were significantly different during the first 4-6 hours of observation in control calves, which were not dehorned, compared to calves dehorned without anaesthesia or analgesia, which suggests that these behaviours are useful indices of the acute pain experienced by calves after dehorning. The behaviour of calves dehorned after both a local anaesthetic and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent had been administered was similar to control calves. The behaviour of calves given only local anaesthesia or systemic analgesia prior to dehorning was similar to that of calves dehorned without any pain relief. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that calves should be given both a local anaesthetic and a systemic analgesic before dehorning to alleviate the pain associated with this procedure.     

Effects of a local anaesthetic and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatlory analgesic on the behavioural responses of calves to dehorning

Aims. To evaluate the use of local anaesthesia and systemic analgesia for alleviating the distress associated with dehorning by monitoring stimulated behaviours in calves.

Methods. Eight behaviours were monitored in 3-4 month-old calves dehorned with and without local anaesthesia and/or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, from 2 hours after treatment.

Results. Four of the behaviours, lying, grazing or ruminating, tail shaking and ear flicking, were significantly different during the first 4-6 hours of observation in control calves, which were not dehorned, compared to calves dehorned without anaesthesia or analgesia, which suggests that these behaviours are useful indices of the acute pain experienced by calves after dehorning. The behaviour of calves dehorned after both a local anaesthetic and a non-steroidal anti- inflammatory agent had been administered was similar to control calves. The behaviour of calves given only local anaesthesia or systemic analgesia prior to dehorning was similar to that of calves dehorned without any pain relief.

Conclusion. These results suggest that calves should be given both a local anaesthetic and a systemic analgesic before dehorning to alleviate the pain associated with this procedure.     

The utility of ketoprofen for alleviating pain following dehorning in young dairy calves

To determine if ketoprofen, in addition to local anaesthesia, reduces pain following dehorning, we experimentally dehorned dairy calves, less than 2 weeks of age, with (20 calves) or without (20 calves) intramuscular injections of ketoprofen. All calves received a local anesthetic (lidocaine) prior to dehorning and were dehorned with heat cauterization. Cortisol concentration was measured via jugular blood samples taken immediately before dehorning and at 3 and 6 hours following dehorning. Calf behavior was recorded between 0 and 2, 3 and 5, and 6 and 8 hours following dehorning. There was no significant (P > 0.10) effect on creep feed consumption, cortisol concentration, or any of the behavioral measures during the time periods studied. However, the difference in cortisol concentrations from the time of dehorning until 3 hours later was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the ketoprofen-treated group. These results suggest that ketoprofen, in addition to local anesthesia, may alleviate short-term pain following dehorning with a butane dehorning device in dairy calves less than 2 weeks of age.     

Effects of local anaesthesia or local anaesthesia plus a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug on the acute cortisol response of calves to five different methods of castration

The cortisol response of calves to different methods of castration (ring, band, surgical, clamp) with or without local anaesthetic, or local anaesthetic plus a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug were recorded. All methods of castration caused a significant cortisol response and by inference pain and distress. Band castration caused a greater cortisol response than ring castration but the responses were eliminated by local anaesthetic. The cortisol response to surgical castration, by traction on the spermatic cords or by cutting across them with an emasculator, was not diminished by local anaesthetic but when ketoprofen was given with local anaesthetic the cortisol response was eliminated. Local anaesthetic did reduce the behavioural response to cutting the scrotum and handling the testes. Clamp castration caused the smallest cortisol response which was reduced or eliminated by local anaesthetic or local anesthetic plus ketoprofen respectively, but this method of castration was not always successful.     

Effects of hot-iron disbudding, using regional anaesthesia with and without carprofen, on cortisol and behaviour of calves

The objective of this study was to assess cortisol and behaviour changes in calves hot-iron disbudded after different analgesic protocols. We assessed the response of 27 calves at 1, 3, 6 and 24 h after disbudding with regional anaesthesia (DA), regional anaesthesia plus carprofen (DAC), disbudded only (D) or sham-disbudded (ND). At 1h cortisol was higher in D compared with all other groups. At 3h DA showed higher cortisol than ND but did not differ from baseline. At 15 min and 1h pain-related behaviours were more frequent in the D group than in all other groups. Group D (3 h) and DA (3 and 6 h) showed more ear flicks and head rubs compared with DAC and ND. We concluded that head rubbing, head shaking and ear flicking are useful behaviours for evaluating pain after hot-iron disbudding. Disbudding causes severe pain in calves and only the association of regional anaesthesia with carprofen assures good welfare for 24 h.     

Behavioural, endocrine and cardiac responses in young calves undergoing dehorning without and with use of sedation and analgesia.

Behaviour, plasma cortisol and heart rate were measured in 4-6-week-old calves during and after dehorning with and without the use of sedation and analgesia. Six groups of eight Friesian male and female calves were studied; four groups were dehorned using an electrical cauterizing dehorner, heated to approximately 600 degrees C. In group 1, a cornual nerve block was performed and the animals were sham-dehorned using a cold dehorner. Group 2 was treated similarly but dehorned with the heated dehorner. Group 3 received a mixture of xylazine and butorphanol intramuscularly, and were hot dehorned 20 min after the injection. Group 4 received the same sedatives-analgesics as group 3, and after 5 min also had a cornual nerve block, followed by hot dehorning 15 min later. Group 5 was hot dehorned without any form of sedation or analgesia. A sixth group of calves without any treatment or handling was used as controls for the behavioural observations.Head and leg movements during dehorning were significantly reduced when the cornual nerve was blocked. During the 4 h after dehorning, the behaviour of calves having a cornual block continued to differ from those in group 5. The cornual block prevented short-term increases in plasma cortisol concentrations and the long-term increases in heart rate seen in group 5. It was concluded that routine field use of local analgesia using a cornual nerve block improved the welfare of young calves subjected to dehorning with a hot iron.     

The effect of different combinations of local anaesthesia,sedative and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on daily growth rates of dairy calves after disbudding

AIM: To assess the effect of sedation and local anaesthesia (LA) at disbudding, and the addition of meloxicam or ketoprofen treatment, on weight gain in dairy calves following disbudding.

METHODS: Friesian-Jersey cross calves, from four dairy farms, were enrolled when 3–6 weeks old. All calves (n=271) were disbudded by veterinary personnel and randomly assigned to six groups: 136 were disbudded without sedation or LA, of which 31 received 20 mg meloxicam S/C and 75 received 150 mg ketoprofen I/M. A further 135 were disbudded with sedation (0.25 mg/kg xylazine I/M) and LA, of which 30 also received meloxicam and 75 received ketoprofen. Calves were weighed 3 days before, and 15 and 30 days after, disbudding (Day 0). Daily weight gain was analysed using mixed models and ANOVA.

RESULTS: Complete results were obtained from 263 calves. From Day ?3 to Day 15, the growth rate of calves disbudded without pain relief (0.53 (95% CI=0.47–0.60) kg/day) was less that of calves disbudded with some form of pain relief (0.65 (95% CI=0.62–0.68) kg/d; p=0.004). There was no difference between the effect of meloxicam or ketoprofen (p=1.00). An interaction between use of sedation and LA and additional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) meant that NSAID treatment did not increase growth rates in calves disbudded with sedation and LA but did increase growth rates for calves disbudded without pain relief (p<0.05). From Day 16 to Day 30 there was no effect of NSAID treatment on growth rate, but calves receiving LA and sedation grew faster (0.74 (95% CI=0.69–0.80) kg/day) than calves disbudded without LA and sedation (0.66 (95% CI=0.61–0.71) kg/day; p=0.018). From Day ?3 to Day 30, calves disbudded with sedation and LA grew faster (0.71 (95%CI=0.64–0.77) kg/day) than calves disbudded without sedation and LA (0.60 (95% CI=0.55–0.65) kg/day; p=0.011). However, addition of NSAID to sedation and LA made no further difference to growth rates (p=0.69).

CONCLUSIONS: Dairy calves disbudded with no pain relief had slower growth rates than calves receiving pain relief. From Day 15 to 30 calves given no pain relief, or NSAID alone, grew more slowly than those receiving sedation and LA at disbudding. The addition of NSAID treatment to sedation and LA did not further increase growth rates.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study adds to the evidence that pain management when disbudding is beneficial for calf productivity as well as calf welfare.