Dehorning is performed on millions of cattle annually to reduce injury risk, but is a painful procedure that can be managed effectively with local anesthetic and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Cattle dehorning is one of the most common painful husbandry procedures performed without adequate pain relief. Evidence clearly shows that local anesthetic and NSAID treatment significantly reduce both acute and post-operative pain, and the cost of these treatments is minimal relative to the welfare benefit. The primary barriers to adoption are habit, time, and lack of veterinary involvement in farm routines. Polled genetics offer the most elegant solution: breeding cattle that do not grow horns and therefore never need dehorning.