Dehorning and disbudding of cattle causes significant pain, but appropriate analgesic protocols dramatically reduce suffering and are increasingly standard in welfare certification.
Dehorning and disbudding cause acute and post-procedural pain that is entirely preventable with appropriate analgesics. Studies clearly show that calves given sedation, local anaesthesia and anti-inflammatory medication show dramatically less pain behaviour during and after the procedure than untreated animals. Despite regulations requiring pain relief, compliance in practice is imperfect. Polling genetics offer the most complete solution by eliminating the procedure altogether, but breed transition takes time. Welfare certification schemes that verify analgesic use at disbudding, and support for farmers to access and administer appropriate pain relief, directly reduce preventable suffering.