Cattle Pain Management: Evidence-Based Approaches for Farm Practice

Pain is underrecognised and undertreated in cattle. Evidence-based pain management using validated assessment tools and appropriate analgesia represents a major opportunity for farm animal welfare improvement.

Key Facts

Cattle show pain through the Bovine Pain Scale and grimace scale, but their stoic presentation often masks suffering
Lameness — affecting 20-40% of dairy cows — causes chronic pain that is frequently undertreated
Dehorning and disbudding without anaesthesia is legal in many jurisdictions but causes significant acute pain
NSAIDs including meloxicam and ketoprofen are the most commonly used analgesics in cattle practice
Local anaesthesia for dehorning reduces acute pain; combined with NSAIDs it also reduces post-procedural pain
Cattle with untreated pain show reduced feed intake, altered social behaviour, and impaired production
Stockperson training in pain recognition significantly increases analgesic use in farm practice

Welfare Considerations

Pain management in cattle has historically been poor, reflecting limited pharmaceutical options, cost concerns, and cultural attitudes that minimise animal pain. This is changing as evidence accumulates linking pain treatment to both animal welfare improvement and production performance. Lameness treatment is the highest-priority pain management intervention on most dairy and beef farms given its prevalence. Routine surgical and husbandry procedures — dehorning, castration, disbudding — should be performed with local anaesthesia as standard practice where local regulations permit. NSAID use is increasingly standard in progressive farm practice. Stockperson training in pain recognition using validated behavioural and physiological tools is a high-leverage welfare intervention that can shift farm culture toward earlier pain identification and treatment. Veterinarian-farmer relationships that actively discuss pain management protocols improve outcomes.

What You Can Do

Support farm assurance schemes that require pain relief for all husbandry procedures including disbudding
Advocate for regulatory requirements mandating local anaesthesia and post-procedural analgesia for cattle procedures
Ask farmers and veterinarians about their standard pain management protocols for routine procedures
Support research into cattle pain assessment tools that enable earlier identification of chronic pain conditions
Choose dairy and beef products from farms with demonstrated commitment to pain management standards