Pain management in cattle has improved significantly but remains inadequate in many farm settings. Routine painful procedures are still performed without analgesia on many farms.
Cattle pain management has historically been poor. Routine procedures including castration, dehorning, disbudding, and branding cause significant acute pain that is frequently performed without analgesia due to cost, convenience, and lack of legislative requirement. Licensed NSAIDs and local anaesthetics are available, effective, and relatively inexpensive compared to the welfare benefit they provide. Evidence now shows that analgesia reduces stress responses, improves recovery, and may improve productive performance. The gap between available knowledge and farm practice represents a significant ongoing welfare failure for millions of cattle annually.