Dehorning cattle is a common management practice that causes significant pain. Progress in pain management protocols is improving welfare, though adoption remains inconsistent across global cattle industries.
Dehorning without pain management causes unnecessary suffering that is entirely preventable. The pain of disbudding without local anesthesia is acute and measurable through behavioral and physiological indicators - calves show clear pain responses during and after the procedure. Local anesthesia combined with NSAIDs effectively manages this pain at modest cost. The welfare case for routine pain management in dehorning is therefore strong and widely accepted by the veterinary community, but adoption in practice remains variable. Regulatory requirements have been most effective at ensuring consistent pain management. The longer-term welfare solution - breeding polled genetics to eliminate the need for dehorning - is gaining momentum but faces transition challenges.