Pain management in cattle has historically been underprovided relative to the evidence. Improving analgesic use for routine procedures and disease is a high-impact welfare intervention.
Cattle pain management is an area where the evidence base clearly supports much higher standards than current practice delivers. The gap between what is available — effective, affordable analgesics — and what is routinely used is primarily a gap in culture, training, and regulation. Mandatory pain management protocols for routine painful procedures, combined with veterinary education and farmer training, could rapidly improve welfare for hundreds of millions of cattle. Consumer expectations expressed through welfare certification provide an additional market lever.