Dehorning of cattle causes significant pain and distress, and disbudding of calves with local anaesthesia is a welfare improvement but not elimination of harm.
Horn removal causes acute and post-operative pain that is only partially mitigated by current welfare standards. The breeding of polled cattle eliminates the need for the procedure entirely. Where dehorning is practised, sedation, local anaesthesia, and post-operative analgesia together represent the minimum acceptable welfare standard.