Dehorning and disbudding of cattle is performed routinely but remains a significant source of preventable pain without adequate analgesic use across the industry.
Disbudding and dehorning without adequate analgesia causes acute and prolonged pain evidenced by vocalisation, reduced feeding, abnormal posture, and elevated cortisol. Combined local anaesthetic and NSAID protocols dramatically reduce pain burden. Breeding for polled genetics offers the welfare-optimal solution by eliminating the procedure entirely.