Farm animal pain management after routine procedures including disbudding, castration, and tail docking is essential - uptake remains incomplete despite strong evidence.
Post-procedural pain management in farm animals is a clear welfare need that remains inadequately addressed in many farming systems. Disbudding without analgesia, castration without local anaesthesia, and tail docking without pain management all cause preventable suffering. The evidence base for effective pain management is strong - local anaesthesia and NSAIDs substantially reduce pain indicators. Barriers include cost, time, and habit. Veterinary leadership in promoting analgesia use and farm assurance scheme requirements for pain management documentation are the most effective drivers of improvement. Farmers who are shown the pain indicators in their animals respond to the evidence.