Cattle Pain Management: NSAIDs and Multimodal Analgesia

Routine use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for painful cattle procedures is evidence-based, humane and increasingly required by welfare regulations and standards.

Key Facts

Meloxicam is the most widely studied and used NSAID for cattle pain management in Europe and North America
NSAIDs reduce cortisol, acute phase proteins and behavioural pain indicators following painful procedures
Combining local anaesthesia with NSAID treatment addresses both acute and post-procedural pain components
Multimodal analgesia — combining multiple analgesic approaches — provides superior pain control to single drugs
Farmers report behaviour change indicating pain relief when NSAIDs are used for dehorning and castration
Regulatory barriers to NSAID availability vary — prescription requirements in some countries limit uptake

Welfare Considerations

The use of analgesics for painful cattle procedures is no longer a welfare aspiration — it is an evidence-based practice with well-characterised benefits and manageable practicalities. The research case for routine NSAID use for dehorning, castration and surgical procedures is overwhelming. Barriers including cost, availability and veterinary prescription requirements can be addressed through regulatory reform and industry incentive programmes. Treating cattle pain is both the right thing to do and increasingly what regulations, standards and consumers require.

What You Can Do

Advocate for mandatory pain relief requirements in cattle procedure regulations
Support vets who champion analgesic use and provide practical guidance to farmers
Choose beef and dairy from farms that document pain relief use for routine procedures
Encourage reducing prescription barriers to NSAID access for trained farmers
Support research expanding the evidence base for optimal cattle pain management protocols