Dehorning of cattle is routinely performed without adequate pain relief despite causing significant acute and chronic pain in millions of animals annually.
Dehorning without pain relief is one of the most straightforward welfare improvements available to the cattle industry — the procedure causes significant, measurable pain that is easily and cheaply prevented. Local anesthetic blocks eliminate the acute pain of the procedure, and NSAIDs control post-procedure pain for the following day. Despite the low cost and clear welfare benefit, the majority of cattle are dehorned without any pain relief. Polled genetics that eliminate horns entirely represent the long-term solution that makes dehorning unnecessary.