Farm Animal Welfare

Farm Cattle: Beef Cattle Pain Management

Pain management in beef cattle for routine procedures and disease treatment is improving but remains inconsistently applied across the industry.

Key Facts

NSAIDs including meloxicam are licensed for cattle and provide effective analgesia for multiple conditions
Local anaesthesia before castration and dehorning is required by law in many countries
Pain recognition in cattle has improved with development of the UPCL pain scale
Post-procedural pain lasts 24-72 hours and requires systemic analgesia for welfare
Treatment of lame cattle without NSAIDs leaves significant ongoing pain unaddressed

Welfare Considerations

Cattle experience pain from disease, injury, and routine procedures that can cause significant welfare compromise if unaddressed. NSAIDs are safe, effective, and affordable for cattle yet are still not routinely used for pain management in all situations. Every painful procedure or condition should prompt consideration of analgesia as a welfare requirement, not an optional add-on to antibiotic or surgical treatment.

What You Can Do

Include NSAIDs in treatment protocols for all painful conditions including mastitis and lameness
Use local anaesthesia for castration and dehorning procedures as a minimum standard
Train staff in cattle pain recognition using validated behavioural tools
Work with your vet to develop comprehensive pain management protocols for your herd
Monitor pain management as part of welfare audit requirements