Painful Procedures

Written protocols should be in place and reviewed annually with your veterinarian and employees to ensure that certain procedures are carried out appropriately.

Goal:

To minimize the amount of stress and pain associated with common painful procedures in cattle.

How to assess:

Review the painful procedures protocol to confirm that the following information is included and that appropriate criteria are being met: ​

Dairy Well

Evidence that the written protocol is being followed for these procedures on the farm will be checked during the audit.

  • Disbudding/Dehorning
    • Age and method must be noted
      • Paste or hot iron/cautery should be used
      • Should be completed before 8 weeks of age
    • Pain mitigation must be used and listed
      • Analgesia/anesthesia should always be provided and listed
        • Must be provided if dehorning (>8 weeks) is performed
    • Signed by the VOR
  • Additional painful procedures (e.g. castration, branding, extra teat removal)
    • Must list age and procedure/method
    • Pain mitigation must be used and listed if the animal is > 8 weeks
    • Signed by the VOR
 
Templates are provided as a guideline (disbudding and painful procedures); farms may write their own as long as minimum content is met.

National Dairy FARM Program

  • Disbudding/dehorning
    • Completed before 8 weeks of age
    • Use analgesia/anesthesia per veterinarian recommendation
  • Castration, branding, extra teat removal
    • Consult with veterinarian for recommended procedure
    • Completed at the earliest age possible
    • Use analgesia/anesthesia per veterinarian recommendation
  • Pain management
    • Employees should be trained to identify behavioral and physiological signs of pain in animals
    • Safely restrain animal an administer anesthesia or NSAIDs per veterinarian recommendation to manage pain
    • Record treatment

Validus

  • Disbudding/dehorning
    • Up to 4 days of age
    • If calf is older, anesthesia (lidocaine) and analgesia (e.g. meloxicam, aspirin) is used as recommended in herd health plan
  • Castration
    • Done according to AVMA recommendations
    • Use of banding or scalpel
    • Up to 4 days of age
  • Extra teat removal
    • Must be done by 4 months of age
    • If older, anesthesia is used
  • Pain management
    • Procedures for pain relief should be available for:
      • Illness: metritis, mastitis
      • Surgery: C-section, displaced abomasum, dystocia
      • Injury
      • Painful procedures
    • Minimizing animal discomfort and optimizing recovery post-surgery or injury
      • Therapeutic care, extra bedding, fly/pest control, isolation