Dehorning and disbudding of cattle is one of the most common painful procedures in beef and dairy farming, routinely performed without adequate analgesia despite effective options being readily available.
Dehorning and disbudding represent one of the clearest examples of an unnecessary welfare harm in animal agriculture. The pain relief tools — local anesthetics and anti-inflammatory drugs — are inexpensive, widely available, and effective. The reason they are not used more routinely is primarily habit, perceived inconvenience, and lack of regulatory requirements. Transition to polled breeding programs would eliminate the need entirely over generations. In the interim, mandatory pain relief requirements represent a high-impact, low-cost welfare improvement that veterinary associations have increasingly endorsed.