Pain Management in Farmed Cattle: Closing the Gap

Pain from routine procedures and disease is widespread in cattle farming, yet access to effective analgesics and the will to use them remains inconsistent.

Key Facts

Dehorning, castration, and branding cause significant acute and chronic pain
Only around 17% of US beef calves receive pain relief during castration
Meloxicam and lidocaine are effective and inexpensive pain control options
Lameness affects 15-30% of dairy cows and is often undertreated on farm
Pain assessment tools like the Cow Pain Scale enable earlier intervention
EU regulations now require pain relief for surgical castration in calves over 8 weeks

Welfare Considerations

Cattle experience pain acutely and chronically, yet pain management on farm remains far below what veterinary standards would recommend. The combination of producer cost concerns, lack of veterinary oversight during routine procedures, and limited regulatory requirements creates a system where millions of cattle suffer unnecessarily. Effective, affordable analgesics exist for virtually all common painful procedures, and their use improves production outcomes alongside welfare, making the business case as well as the ethical case compelling.

What You Can Do

Ask beef and dairy producers about their pain management protocols
Support purchasing standards that require analgesia for dehorning and castration
Advocate for regulations mandating pain relief during common farm procedures
Support veterinary extension services that train producers in pain assessment
Reduce cattle product consumption to lower demand from systems lacking welfare oversight