Evidence-based pain management in cattle has advanced considerably, with validated tools for recognition and an expanding pharmacological toolkit for treatment.
Effective pain management in cattle requires recognition, assessment, and appropriate pharmacological intervention. The behavioral stoicism of cattle as prey animals makes pain recognition challenging, but validated scales using facial action units, posture, and activity provide objective assessment. NSAIDs provide effective analgesia for musculoskeletal, inflammatory, and post-surgical pain. Local anaesthetics are essential for procedural pain management including castration and disbudding. Opioid analgesics are available through veterinary prescription for severe acute pain. Combining analgesic classes provides better pain control than single drug approaches. Regulatory frameworks requiring analgesic provision for specific procedures have improved pain management but post-operative pain in the days following procedures remains inconsistently addressed.