Pain Relief in Livestock: Current Practice

Access to and use of effective pain relief for livestock is one of the most important and underutilised welfare improvements available in agricultural veterinary medicine.

Key Facts

Meloxicam (an NSAID) is safe, effective, and affordable for cattle, sheep, and pigs but is underused
Pain relief at dehorning reduces acute cortisol response and post-procedure restlessness significantly
Many farmers cite time pressure and cost as barriers to analgesic use, but welfare-cost analysis supports routine use
Ketoprofen and carprofen are additional NSAIDs available for veterinary use in livestock
Long-acting local anaesthetics can provide pain relief for several hours following surgical procedures

Welfare Considerations

Pain management in livestock is one of the most evidence-based and underutilised welfare interventions available. The medications exist, they work, they are safe, and they are affordable. The main barriers are cultural — pain management has not traditionally been part of routine farm animal husbandry — and logistical, where time pressures on farm limit treatment at the point of procedure. Building pain relief into standard operating protocols for dehorning, castration, lambing, and other procedures requires both veterinary leadership and farmer education. The welfare benefits for billions of animals are enormous.

What You Can Do

Advocate for mandatory pain relief requirements for painful livestock procedures
Support veterinary training programmes that emphasise livestock pain recognition and management
Choose meat and dairy from certified supply chains with documented analgesic use requirements
Support research into practical pain relief delivery methods that fit farm management routines
Engage with veterinary associations on developing livestock pain management guidelines