Dehorning is one of the most common painful procedures performed on cattle, and adequate pain management remains inconsistent despite clear evidence of its importance.
Dehorning without pain relief causes significant and measurable suffering. Cattle show classic pain behaviors — head shaking, rubbing, vocalizing — for hours after the procedure when no analgesia is provided. Yet surveys show that a majority of dehorning in many countries occurs without adequate pain management, despite veterinary guidelines recommending it. Local anesthetic eliminates acute procedural pain; NSAID administration addresses the post-procedural inflammation that causes hours of additional suffering. The combination of both provides the best welfare outcome. Genetic selection for polled cattle — those that naturally do not grow horns — offers a long-term solution that eliminates the welfare cost of dehorning entirely. CRISPR-based polled genetics are emerging as an accelerated pathway.