TUGAS MATA KULIAH

ILMU BEDAH KHUSUS VETERINER

TEKNIK OPERASI DEHORNING

Disusun Oleh :
Kelompok 5

1. Luh Made Maha Cahyani 1509005010

2. Ni Luh Putu Diah Septianingsih 1509005017
3. I Wayan Dika Hendrawan 1509005018

LABORATORIUM BEDAH VETERINER

FAKULTAS KEDOKTERAN HEWAN
UNIVERSITAS UDAYANA
TAHUN 2018

i
 RINGKASAN
Dehorning adalah penghilangan atau pemotongan tanduk. Bangsa sapi perah kebanyakan
dipotong tanduknya. Karena tanda tidak menguntungkan peternak sapi perah, meskipun
peternak ingin mempertahankan pada anak sapi jantan yang dipelihara untuk kerja atau untuk
sapi dara atau dua atau tiga kegunaan. Pemotongan tanduk paling baik dilaksanakan dengan
membakar pucuk tanduk ketika anak sapi berumur satu atau dua minggu, bisa juga dengan
menggosok pucuk tanduk dengan tongkat soda api (cautik) sampai hampir berdarah dengan
menggunakan collodion atau dengan menggunakan silinder yang panas ditekankan untuk satu
atau dua menit disekitar cincin kuncup tanduk.
Sapi yang lebih tua pemotongan tanduknya harus dengan gergaji atau dengan alat
pemotongan Barnes. Suatu cara yang akan dipakai sangat tergantung pada umur sapi yang akan
dihilangkan tanduknya serta pengalaman yang dipunyai oleh mereka yang akan melaksanakan
pekerjaan itu. Sapi muda sering dihilangkan tanduknya dengan menggunakan pasta kimia yang
keras (Kalium atau Hidrokside), pasta kimia tersebut dioleskan diseputar pangkal tanduk ketika
anak sapi berumur kurang dari satu minggu, sehingga mematikan pertumbuhan dan
perkembangan tanduk tersebut.
Kata kunci : Dehorning, Anastesi

SUMMARY
Dehorning is the removal or cutting of horns. Dairy nations mostly cut their horns.
Because of the unfavorable signs of dairy farmers, although breeders want to keep on calves
that are kept for work or for a virgin or two or three uses. The cutting of the horn is best
accomplished by burning the horns when the calf is one or two weeks old, either by rubbing
the horn shoots with a caustic soda stick until almost bleeding by using a collodion or by using
a hot cylinder emphasized for a minute or two around horn bud rings.
An older cow cutting its horns should be with a saw or with a Barnes cutting tool.
Actually many ways are practiced for the cutting of cow horns. A way to be used depends
greatly on the age of the cow that will be removed its horns and the experience of those who
will carry out the work. Young cattle are often removed by horns using harsh chemical pastes
(Potassium or Hydroxide), the chemical paste is applied around the base of the horn when the
calf is less than a week old, thus shutting down the growth and development of the horn.
Key Word : Dehorning, Anesthesia

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 KATA PENGANTAR

Puji syukur penulis panjatkan kepada Tuhan Yang Maha Esa karena berkat rahmat-Nya
lah penulis dapat menyelesaikan paper pada mata kuliah Ilmu Bedah Khusus Veteriner
semester VII yang berjudul “ Teknik Operasi Dehorning ” dengan tepat waktu.
Tidak lupa penulis ucapkan terima kasih kepada pihak-pihak yang telah turut membantu
dalam penyelesaian paper ini. Penulis sadari pula bahwa paper ini masih sangat jauh dari
kesempurnaan, maka dari itu penulis mengharapkan kritik dan saran yang membangun serta
bantuan dari semua pihak demi tersusunnya paper yang jauh lebih baik, akhir kata penulis
ucapkan terima kasih.

Denpasar, 09 September 2018

Hormat Kami,

Penulis

iii
 DAFTAR ISI

HALAMAN JUDUL ............................................................................................... i

RINGKASAN/SUMMARY ...................................................................................ii
KATA PENGANTAR .......................................................................................... iii
DAFTAR ISI.......................................................................................................... iv
DAFTAR GAMBAR .............................................................................................. v
DAFTAR LAMPIRAN ......................................................................................... vi
BAB I PENDAHULUAN
1.1 Latar Belakang ............................................................................................. 1
1.2 Rumusan Masalah ........................................................................................ 1
1.3 Tujuan Penulisan .......................................................................................... 2
1.4 Manfaat Penulisan ........................................................................................ 2
BAB II TINJAUAN PUSTAKA
2.1 Definisi Dehorning ...................................................................................... 3
2.2 Teknik Operasi Dehorning .......................................................................... 3
BAB III PEMBAHASAN
3.1 Preoperasi.................................................................................................... 4
3.1.1 Persiapan Hewan yang akan Dioperasi ............................................... 4
3.1.2 Persiapan Alat dan Bahan ................................................................... 4
3.1.3 Persiapan Operator .............................................................................. 4
3.1.4 Premedikasi dan Anastesi ................................................................... 5
3.2 Teknik Operasi ............................................................................................. 5
3.2.1 Elektrik Dehorner................................................................................ 5
3.2.2 Manual Dehorner ................................................................................ 7
3.2.3 Dehorner Pasta .................................................................................... 7
3.3 Pasca Operasi .............................................................................................. 8
BAB IV PENUTUP
4.1 Simpulan ...................................................................................................... 9
4.2 Saran ............................................................................................................ 9
DAFTAR PUSTAKA ........................................................................................... 10

iv
 DAFTAR GAMBAR

Gambar 1. Peralatan Pemotongan Tanduk (Dehorning).......................................... 4

Gambar 2. Pemotongan Tanduk dengan Elektrik Dehorner .................................... 6
Gambar 3. Pemotongan Tanduk dengan Besi Panas ............................................... 6
Gambar 4. Pemotongan Tanduk dengan Metode Manual Dehorner ....................... 7
Gambar 5. Pemotongan Tanduk dengan Metode Dehorner Paste ........................... 8

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 DAFTAR LAMPIRAN

Lampiran 1. Dehorning and Disbudding Distress and Its Alleviation in Calves.

Lampiran 2. Evaluation of Analgesic Protocol Effect on Calf Behavior after Concurrent
Castration and Dehorning.
Lampiran 3. Pharmacokinetics and Effect of Intravenous Meloxicam in Weaned Holstein
Calves Following Scoop Dehorning Without Local Anesthesia.
Lampiran 4. Dehorning of Cattle.

vi
 BAB I

PENDAHULUAN

1.1 Latar Belakang

Secara alami, baik sapi jantan maupun sapi betina pada dasarnya memiliki tanduk yang
ukurannya bervariasi, ada yang pendek, sedang sampai panjang sekali, ada yang melengkung,
melebar ke sampaing atau lurus ke atas. Tanduk memiliki fungsi salah satunya adalah sebagai
alat pertahanan diri hewan yang bersangkutan dari pemangsa. Tetapi untuk dipelihara secara
intensif, tanduk ternak perlu dipotong dengan pertimbangan untuk keamanan peternak saat
handling sapi juga untuk keamanan sapi sendiri. Perawatan tanduk pada ternak memang
merupakan hal sepele, namun apabila tidak dilakukan dengan baik akan berakibat fatal.

Pada beberapa ternak terkadang ditemukan tanduk yang tumbuh secara abnormal,
contohnya tanduk yang tumbuh melingkar menutupi kedua mata sehingga menghalangi
penglihatan, tanduk yang tumbuh menekan bagian belakang kepala ataupun telinga sehingga
menimbulkan perlukaan. Ternak yang mengalami pertumbuhan tanduk yang abnormal seperti
ini memerlukan perawatan khusus karena apabila tidak ditangani dengan serius maka tanduk
akan terus tumbuh dan semakin melukai bagian tubuh lain yang terkena. Pertumbuhan tanduk
yang terlalu panjang dan tajam juga dapat melukai ternak lain yang berada dalam satu kandang,
karena salah satu sifat ternak ruminansia dewasa adalah suka berkelahi, akibatnya sering terjadi
luka akibat tandukan.

Tanduk yang dibiarkan berkembang liar memanjang biasanya akan patah karena
mengenai dinding kandang. Jika hal ini terjadi diluar pengawasan biasanya bagian tanduk yang
patah akan membusuk dan segera dimasuki larva yang akan menggerogoti tanduk hingga
masuk ke kepala bagian dalam. Untuk mencegah terjadinya hal-hal buruk seperti diatas
sebaiknya tanduk ternak yang masih muda dipotong atau dihilangkan (dehorning).
Pemotongan ini akan berlangsung mudah dan aman, jika umur ternak di bawah satu bulan.
Dehorning dapat dilakukan dengan menggunakan alat yang disebut dehorner, baik electric
dehorner (pemotong tanduk elektrik), manual dehorner (pemotong tanduk manual), atau
dehorner paste (pasta untuk merapuhkan tanduk).

1.2 Rumusan Masalah

1.2.1 Apa saja persiapan operasi dehorning ?
1.2.2 Bagaimana teknik operasi dehorning ?

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 1.2.3 Bagaimana perawatan pasca operasi dehorning ?
1.3 Tujuan Penulisan
1.3.1 Untuk mengetahui apa saja yang perlu dipersiapkan pada saat operasi dehorning.
1.3.2 Untuk mengetahui bagaimana teknik operasi dehorning.
1.3.3 Untuk mengetahui bagaimana perawatan pasca operasi dehorning.
1.4 Manfaat Penulisan

Setelah membaca paper ini diharapkan mahasiswa dapat mengetahui dan mengerti
manfaat dan kegunaan dehorning. Selain itu mahasiswa diharapakan mengetahui bagaimana
cara pelaksanaan operasi dehorning serta perawatan pasca operasi.

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 BAB II

TINJAUAN PUSTAKA

2.1 Definisi Dehorning

Dehorning adalah penghilangan atau pemotongan tanduk pada ternak. Tujuan

dilakukan operasi Dehorning untuk menghindari bahaya penandukan terhadap peternak
ataupun sesama ternak. Selain itu tujuan dilakukannya operasi adalah mengurangi cedera organ
akibat terjadinya penandukan. Menghilangkan tanduk adalah salah satu prosedur zootechnical
pada peternakan sapi diseluruh Indonesia, tetapi pemotongan tanduk ini merupakan masalah
penting dalam hal kesejahteraan hewan karena melanggar integritas hewan dan menyebabkan
stres dan rasa sakit (USDA, 2007).

2.2 Teknik Operasi Dehorning

Tanduk pada ternak sapi berfungsi sebagai alat pertahanan atau bela diri. Namun
demikian tanduk sering melukai peternak dan sapi yang lainnya. Untuk mencegah hal tersebut
alangkah baiknya tanduk ternak yang masih muda dipotong atau dihilangkan. Proses
penghilangan tanduk dikenal dengan dehorning. Pemotongan ini akan berlangsung mudah dan
aman jika umur ternak berada di bawah satu bulan. Pemotongan tanduk paling baik dapat
dilakukan dengan membakar pucuk tanduk ketika anak sapi berumur satu atau dua minggu,
bisa juga dengan menggosok pucuk tanduk dengan tongkat soda api (cautik) sampai hampir
berdarah (Blakely,1991).

Pemotongan tanduk dengan arus listrik dapat juga digunakan pada sapi muda. Suatu
cincin baja yang dipanaskan dengan listrik ditekankan pada dasar tanduk sehingga membakar
jaringan disekitarnya dan menahan pertumbuhan tanduk. Mereka yang berpengalaman apabila
melakukan cara ini hanya mematikan sebagian saja dari dasar tanduk itu dan kemudian tanduk
masih tumbuh dalam wujud deformasi yang disebut scur. Sapi yang lebih tua pemotongan
tanduknya biasanya dilakukan dengan gergaji. Cara ini akan menyebabkan timbulnya
pendarahan. Sebenarnya banyak cara yang dapat dilakukan untuk pemotongan tanduk sapi.
Cara yang akan digunakan tergantung pada umur sapi yang akan dihilangkan tanduknya serta
pengalaman yang dimiliki oleh operator (Blakely,1991).

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 BAB III

PEMBAHASAN

3.1 Preoperasi

3.1.1 Persiapan Hewan yang akan Dioperasi

Sebelum melakukan pemotongan tanduk (dehorning) pada sapi sebaiknya

persiapan hewan perlu diperhatikan. Adapun langkah-langkah persiapan pemotongan
tanduk (dehorning) yang harus dilakukan yaitu :

a. Memasukkan sapi ke kandang jepit.

b. Memasang tali halter.
c. Mengikat tali halter dengan tambang yang dikaitkan pada kandang jepit.
Diusahan terikat dengan kuat. Untuk mencegah sapi berontak.

3.1.2 Persiapan Alat dan Bahan

Beberapa hal yang perlu diperhatikan selama penggunaan alat-alat dalam

pemotongan tanduk (dehorning) adalah kebersihan, sterilitas dan kondisi alat. Alat-alat
yang digunakan dalam pemotongan tanduk (dehorning) ini harus dipertahankan
sterilitasnya sampai pemotongan tanduk ini selesai dan segera dibersihkan setelah selesai
digunakan.

Gambar 1. Peralatan pemotongan tanduk (dehorning).

(Sumber : Buku Pembibitan Ternak Ruminansia, 2013)

3.1.3 Persiapan Operator

Adapun kompetensi yang harus dimiliki operator yaitu :

a. Memahami prosedure pemotongan tanduk (dehorning).

b. Personal hygiene.
c. Siap fisik dan mental.

4
 d. Memiliki ketrampilan.
e. Menentukan alat-alat dan obat yang digunakan selama operasi.
f. Dapat mengerjakan dengan teknik atau metode yang benar.

3.1.4 Premedikasi dan Anastesi

Pemberian anestesi regional bertujuan untuk menghambat atau memblokade saraf

sensoris atau saraf-saraf yang menginervasi daerah-daerah yang akan dioperasi. Anestesi
dilakukan pada nervus cornualis yang lokasinya sedikit ke lateral dan ventral dari batas
akhir os frontalis dengan pangkal tanduk atau tepat pada 1/3 bagian atas crista temporalis
dan kurang lebih 2 cm di bawah tanduk. Pada pedet (anak sapi), jarum dimasukkan pada
titik dibelakang crista temporalis yang berjarak 1 cm, sedalam ¾ inci, sedangkan pada sapi
dewasa sedalam 11,5 inci. Disamping itu dilakukan juga anestesi pada titik berjarak 2 cm
di belakang crista temporalis untuk memblokir cabang nervus cornualis yang berjalan
melingkar di belakang pangkal tanduk. Anestesi infiltrasi dapat juga dilakukan disekeliling
pangkal tanduk dengan menggunakan procain-HCl 2%. Pelaksanaan operasi diusahakan
tidak lebih dari 10 menit dan harus hati-hati terhadap arteria cornualis yang berjalan
disebelah lateral dari pangkal tanduk.

Untuk potong tanduk pada domba atau kambing, anestesinya dilakukan kurang
lebih pada pertengahan batas akhir orbita mata dengan pangkal tanduk. Disamping itu
dilakukan juga anestesi infiltrasi disekeliling pangkal tanduk dengan procain-HCl 2 %.

3.2 Operasi

Dehorning dapat dilakukan dengan menggunakan alat yang disebut dehorner. Jenis-
jenis dehorner antara lain pemotong tanduk elektrik (electric dehorner), manual dehorner
(pemotong tanduk manual), dan dehorner paste (pasta untuk merapuhkan tanduk).

3.2.1 Elektrik Dehorner

Metode ini menggunakan listrik atau sumber panas lain yang dipakai untuk
mematikan atau menghilangkan tanduk, terutama untuk pedet muda yang berumur 1 bulan.
Adapun langkah-langkah dalam pemotongan tanduk (dehorning) menggunakan metode
ini yaitu :

a. Bulu disekitar tanduk digunting bersih, dan cuci daerah tersebut dengan sabun,
lalu keringkan dengan kapas bersih.

5
b. Pipa besi dibakar dalam tungku lalu tempelkan bagian yang merah membara
itu sehingga membakar kulit disekitar tunas tanduk. Perlakuan ini sangat cepat
, hanya berlangsung sekitar 2 detik saja, jangan berlangsung lebih lama, karena
bisa merusak sel otak. Tunas tanduk yang benar-benar terbakar, mudah sekali
terkelupas, luka akibat pengelupasan, diobati dengan bubuk antibiotika.
c. Pemotongan tanduk dengan arus listrik dapat juga digunakan pada sapi muda.
Suatu cincin baja yang dipanaskan dengan listrik ditekankan pada dasar tanduk
sehingga membakar jaringan disekitarnya dan menahan pertumbuhan tanduk.
cara ini hanya mematikan sebagian saja dari dasar tanduk itu dan kemudian
tanduk masih tumbuh dalam wujud deformasi yang disebut scur.

Gambar 2. Pemotongan tanduk dengan teknik elektrik dehorner.

(Sumber : Buku Pembibitan Ternak Ruminansia, 2013)

Gambar 3. Pemotongan tanduk dengan besi panas.

(Sumber : Buku Pembibitan Ternak Ruminansia, 2013)

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3.2.2 Manual Dehorner

Penghilangan atau pemotongan tanduk dengan metode manual adalah dengan cara
memotong tanduk dengan gunting atau gergaji. Biasanya metode ini dilakukan pada sapi
yang berumur 6-10 bulan, dimana tanduknya sudah keras dan panjang. Adapun langkah-
langkah dalam pemotongan tanduk (dehorning) menggunakan metode ini yaitu :

a. Sapi yang akan dipotong tanduknya dijepit dengan kandang jepit.

b. Bulu disekitar tanduk digunting bersih, dan cuci daerah tersebut dengan sabun,
lalu keringkan dengan kapas bersih.
c. Gergaji tanduk dengan hati-hati, usahan hasilnya halus.
d. Pemotongan dilakukan dengan menyisakan pangkal tanduk 1-2 cm.

Gambar 4. Pemotongan tanduk dengan metode manual dehorner.

(Sumber : Buku Pembibitan Ternak Ruminansia, 2013)

3.2.3 Dehorner Paste

Tanduk sapi dapat dihilangkan dengan cara membunuh sel tumbuh pada ujung
tanduk dengan bahan kimia. Bahan kimia yang sering digunakan adalah soda api (cautic)
dalam bentuk pasta atau batangan seperti lilin. Bahan kimia ini mencegah pertumbuhan
tanduk pada tanduk baru lahir, yaitu kurang dari 1-3 minggu usia anak sapi. Adapun
langkah-langkah dalam pemotongan tanduk (dehorning) menggunakan metode ini yaitu :

a. Untuk melindungi diri, kenakan sarung tangan ketika mengoleskan bahan

kimia tersebut.
b. Bulu disekitar tanduk digunting bersih, dan cuci daerah tersebut dengan sabun,
lalu keringkan dengan kapas bersih.

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 c. Kulit pada sekitar ujung tanduk diolesi dengan vaselin untuk mencegah bagian
lain terkena soda api (cautic) tersebut.
d. Oleskan atau gosokkan soda api (cautic) pada dasar calon tanduk hingga
muncul bintik-bintik darah.

Gambar 5. Pemotongan tanduk dengan metode dehorner paste

(Sumber : Buku Pembibitan Ternak Ruminansia, 2013)

3.3 Pasca Operasi

a. Amati pendarahan dengan cermat selama 30-60 menit setelah dehorning.

b. Bila pendarahan terjadi, cauterize dengan besi panas untuk menghentikan pendarahan.
c. Luka biasanya sembuh dengan baik tanpa pengobatan.
d. Sebuah repellant dan pembalutan luka bisa diberikan.
e. Selama 10-14 hari setelah dehorning. Jika ditemukan tanda-tanda infeksi segera
dilakukan pengobatan terhadap penyebab infeksi.

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 BAB IV

PENUTUP

4.1 Simpulan

Dehorning adalah penghilangan atau pemotongan tanduk pada ternak. Tujuan

dilakukannya operasi Dehorning pada ternak untuk menghindari bahaya penandukan terhadap
peternak ataupun sesama ternak. Selain itu tujuan dilakukannya operasi adalah mengurangi
cedera organ akibat terjadinya penandukan. Pemotongan tanduk paling baik dilaksanakan
ketika anak sapi berumur satu atau dua minggu.
Sapi muda maupun dewasa memiliki metode dan teknik yang berbeda. Namun secara
garis besar, metode yang digunakan pada operasi dehorning ada 3 jenis. Cara atau metode yang
pertama dalah dengan menggunakan metode elektrik dehorner, manual dehorner, dan dehorner
paste.
4.2 Saran

Sebelum melakukan operasi dehorning disarankan untuk memperhatikan hal-hal

berikut yaitu : umur hewan ternak, metode atau teknik disesuaikan dengan umur ternak,
pemilihan alat yang sesuai ukuran tanduk untuk mengurangi cidera dan infeksi pasca
pembedahan.

9
 DAFTAR PUSTAKA

Blakely, J and D.H. Bade. 1991. Ilmu Peternakan, edisi ke- 4. Gadjah Mada University Press.
Jogjakarta
Buitrago, Jose Armando Garcia. 2016. Dehorning of Catle. New Mexico State
University
Coetzee, Johann F. 2012. Pharmacokinetics and Effect of Intravenous Meloxicam in Weaned
Holstein Calves Following Scoop Dehorning Without Local Anesthesia. Department
of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, 66506-
5601 Manhattan, KS, USA.
P.M. Faulkner, D.M.Weary. 2000. Reducing Pain After Dehorning in Dairy Calves Vol 83 n0
9. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Pauly, C, B. J White, et all,.2012. Evaluation of Analgesic Protocol Effect on Calf Behavior
after Concurrent Castration and Dehorning. Vol 10, no 1.
Putri, Yohana, Skh. 2013. Pemotongan Tanduk (Dehorning) pada Kambing di LOka penelitian
Kambing Potong, Sungai Putih. Litbang Departemen Pertanian. Indonesia
Stafford, K.J. 2005. Dehorning and Disbudding Distress and Its Alleviation in Calves. New
Zealand. The Veterinary Journal 169 (2005) 337–349.
Sudisma, I.G.N Dkk. 2006. Ilmu Bedah Veteriner dan Teknik Operasi. Universitas Udayana
press. Denpasar.
Williamson and Payne. 1993. Pengantar Peternakan di Daerah Tropis. Gadjah Mada University
Press. Jogjakarta

10
LAMPIRAN
JURNAL

11
 The
Veterinary Journal
The Veterinary Journal 169 (2005) 337–349
www.elsevier.com/locate/tvjl

Review

Dehorning and disbudding distress and its alleviation in calves

a,* b
K.J. Stafford , D.J. Mellor
a
Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre, Institute of Veterinary Animal and Biomedical Sciences,
College of Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
b
Institute of Food Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Accepted 15 February 2004

Abstract

Dehorning and disbudding are routine painful procedures carried out on cattle to facilitate management. The pain caused by
these procedures and its alleviation may be evaluated by monitoring behaviour and physiological responses, and by measuring their
effects on weight gain.
The cortisol response to cautery disbudding is significantly smaller than that to amputation dehorning which infers that the latter
is more painful. Amputation dehorning stimulates a defined cortisol response with a rapid rise to a peak value within 30 min
followed by a decline to a plateau which then declines to pre-treatment values after about 8 h. A cornual nerve blockade using
lignocaine virtually eliminates the escape behaviour seen during disbudding and dehorning and reduces the plasma cortisol response
to dehorning for about 2 h. Thereafter there is an increase in the plasma cortisol concentration, a delayed response, which lasts for
about 6 h. A cornual nerve blockade, using lignocaine combined with cauterizing the wound caused by amputation dehorning,
virtually eliminates the cortisol response as does combining a lignocaine blockade with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug
(NSAID) ketoprofen. When xylazine is combined with a cornual nerve blockade using lignocaine before dehorning, the cortisol
response is virtually eliminated for about 3 h. When this regime is used before cautery disbudding and includes a NSAID given
before and after disbudding the behaviour of calves so treated suggests that pain may be alleviated for 24 h.
Cautery disbudding is preferable to amputation dehorning, but for optimal pain relief xylazine sedation, local anaesthesia and a
NSAID should be used with both procedures.
Ó 2004 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords: Calves; Dehorning; Disbudding; Pain-induced distress; Cortisol responses; Behavioural responses; Local anaesthetics; NSAIDs; Cautery;
Ranking methods

1. Introduction vival or fertility between polled and horned strains of

Dehorned cattle are safer to handle and cause fewer
injuries to other cattle, horses and dogs than horned
animals. Horns damage hides and cause bruising, espe-
cially during transport and lairage (Marshall, 1977;
Vowles, 1976). Bruise trim from carcasses of horned
cattle is about twice that from hornless cattle (Meischke
et al., 1974). The breeding of polled cattle eliminates the
need for dehorning and because horns are inherited as
an autosomal recessive with polledness being dominant
(Long and Gregory, 1978), it is not difficult to do. There
are apparently no differences in weight gain, calf sur-
*
Corresponding author. Tel.: +64-6350-4807; fax: +64-6356-9099.
E-mail address: k.j.stafford@massey.ac.nz (K.J. Stafford).
various breeds in Australia (Frisch et al., 1980) and
Canada (Stookey and Goonewardene, 1996). In feed-
lots, hornless cattle take up less trough space and need
less room (Stookey and Goonewardene, 1996), and de-
horned and polled calves exhibit similar behaviour
during restraint (Goonewardene et al., 1999).
Disbudding is carried out when horn buds are 5–10
mm long, easily palpable and a heated disbudding iron
can be used alone usually on calves up to around 8
weeks of age. When the horns become longer and a
disbudding iron is not effective, horns have to be re-
moved by amputation (Weaver, 1986). The age at which
horn buds become palpable varies between breeds as
does the age at which disbudding becomes impossible
and dehorning is necessary.

1090-0233/$ - see front matter Ó 2004 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2004.02.005
338 K.J. Stafford, D.J. Mellor / The Veterinary Journal 169 (2005) 337–349

The legislation pertaining to dehorning and disbud- this work are reviewed here by addressing three main
ding differs between countries. In Sweden, disbudding issues: first, the pain-induced distress caused by dehor-
without local anaesthesia and sedation was banned in ning and disbudding; second, the efficacy of different
the 1992 Animal Rights Act (Bengtsson et al., 1996), but ways of alleviating that distress; and, third, the practical
calves may be dehorned in Denmark without local an- advice which can be given to minimise animal welfare
aesthesia until they are 4 weeks of age (Grondahl-Niel- compromise in this area.
sen et al., 1999). In the UK, disbudding using a caustic
paste is permitted if the calf is less than 1 week old, but
the Protection of Animals (Anaesthetics) Act 1954/1964 2. Pain-induced distress
requires that local anaesthesia be used if cautery or
amputation disbudding or dehorning is to be carried out The pain-induced distress caused by different
(Kent, 1999). In Australia, it is recommended that de- methods of dehorning and disbudding has been eval-
horning without local anaesthesia be limited to animals uated using physiological, behavioural and production
under 6 months of age (Anon, 1992) and whereas in responses before, during and after the procedure with
Canada it is recommended that local anaesthetic be or without local anaesthesia or systemic analgesia.
used, in North America it is common practice to disbud These responses are interpreted to estimate the pain-
and dehorn without anaesthesia (Faulkner and Weary, induced distress caused by different techniques and
2000). The situation in New Zealand is under review at give an indirect indication of how cattle experience
present as the previous voluntary codes of recommen- disbudding or dehorning. Although the variables used
dations and minimum standards are revised under the are objective measurements, any conclusions about
Animal Welfare Act 1999. what the changes actually represent in terms of the
During the last 10 years the pain-induced distress subjective experiences that cattle may have during and
caused by amputation dehorning and cautery disbud- after dehorning and disbudding remain interpretative
ding, and different strategies for its alleviation, have judgements (Mellor and Stafford, 2000; Mellor et al.,
been investigated extensively (Table 1). The outcomes of 2000).
Table 1
Method of disbudding/dehorning, age of animals treated, analgesic protocol used and parameters reported in the publications noted
Method Age/Weight Analgesia Parameter Reference
Cautery disbudding (weeks, kg)
12 weeks PC, WG Laden et al. (1985)
7–16 weeks LA PC Boandl et al. (1989)
PC Wohlt et al. (1994)
4–6 weeks LA B, PC Graf and Senn (1999)
4–6 weeks LA, xylazine B, PC, HR Grondahl-Nielsen et al. (1999)
4–8 weeks LA, xylazine, B Faulkner and Weary (2000)
NSAID
+ Caustic stick (KOH) 4–8 weeks LA B Morisse et al. (1995)
+ Amputation dehorning 3–8 weeks B+SC Taschke and Folsch (1993)
+ Amputation dehorning 5–6 weeks LA PC Petrie et al. (1996a)
Amputation dehorning
20 weeks PC Johnston and Buckland (1996)
360–410 kg WG Winks et al. (1977)
20–120 weeks WG Loxton et al. (1982)
24 weeks PP, PE Cooper et al. (1995)
319 kg WG Goonewardene and Hand (1991)
14–16 weeks PC McMeekan et al. (1997)
12–16 weeks LA PC McMeekan et al. (1998a)
12–16 weeks LA, NSAIDs PC McMeekan et al. (1998b)
20–24 weeks PC Sylvester et al. (1998a)
20–24 weeks LA, cautery PC Sylvester et al. (1998b)
20–24 weeks LA B Sylvester et al. (in press)
12–16 weeks LA, NSAID B McMeekan et al. (1999)
6 weeks LA B Stafford et al. (2000)
12 weeks LA, NSAID, xyla- PC Stafford et al. (2003)
zine
12–16 weeks LA, cautery PC Sutherland et al. (2002b)
12–16 weeks LA, NSAIDs PC Sutherland et al. (2002a)
Cryosurgery 1–4 weeks B Bengtsson et al. (1996)
B: behaviour; HR: heart rate; LA: local anaesthetic; NSAID: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; PC: plasma cortisol; PE: plasma b-endor-
phin; PP: plasma progesterone; SC: salivary cortisol; WG: weight gain.
 K.J. Stafford, D.J. Mellor / The Veterinary Journal 169 (2005) 337–349
Changes in plasma cortisol concentrations over time
have been used more frequently than any other single
parameter to measure the pain-induced distress caused
by dehorning or disbudding (Boandl et al., 1989; Taschke
and Folsch, 1993; Wohlt et al., 1994; Cooper et al., 1995;
Morisse et al., 1995; Petrie et al., 1996a; Sylvester et al.,
1998a,b ; McMeekan et al., 1997, 1998a,b; Graf and
Senn, 1999; Grondahl-Nielsen et al., 1999; Sutherland
et al., 2002a,b). There has been debate about the validity
of using cortisol responses (Mellor and Stafford, 1997),
but there are few effective alternatives. One possibility is
the change in plasma catecholamine concentrations
which may be useful for comparing the experience of
cattle in the minutes immediately after dehorning as de-
scribed by Mellor et al. (2002). The analysis of responses
to dehorning and disbudding provided here is based
primarily on the acute cortisol response; the strengths
and weaknesses of this approach have been explored in
detail elsewhere (Stafford and Mellor, 1993; Mellor and
Stafford, 1997; Mellor et al., 2000).
Behaviour is commonly used to recognise and assess
pain and distress in animals (Sandford et al., 1986) and
the behaviour of calves during and following dehorning
and disbudding has been monitored (Taschke and Fol-
sch, 1993; Grondahl-Nielsen et al., 1999; Graf and Senn,
1999; McMeekan et al., 1999; Stafford et al., 2000; Syl-
vester et al., in press). Pain-related behaviours can be
good indices of the duration and the different phases of a
painful experience.
Fig. 1. Changes in the plasma cortisol concentrations of 20–24 week old calves after scoop (amputation) dehorning without or with prior injection of
lignocaine, and in control calves injected with lignocaine (derived from Sylvester et al., 1998b). The horizontal two-headed arrow indicates the
duration of cornual nerve blockade with lignocaine.
339
3. Amputation dehorning
3.1. Pain-induced distress following amputation dehorning
Amputation dehorning stimulates a marked cortisol
response that lasts 7–9 h (Fig. 1). The pattern of this
response is similar in calves aged 6 weeks, 3–4 or 6
months (Cooper et al., 1995; Petrie et al., 1996a;
McMeekan et al., 1997, 1998a,b; Sylvester et al.,
1998a,b). After dehorning, the plasma cortisol concen-
trations rapidly increase to reach maximum values after
about 30 min. During the next 30–60 min the concen-
trations decrease to a plateau and this persists for 5–6 h
before decreasing to pre-treatment levels (Sylvester et al.,
1998a). Amputation dehorning also caused a significant
increase in plasma progesterone concentrations between
5 and 60 min after dehorning, with a decrease in con-
centration evident by 60 min when observations stopped
(Cooper et al., 1995).
The cortisol response suggests that amputation de-
horning causes marked pain-induced distress for at least
7–9 h and this conclusion is supported by the behaviour
of calves. During the 6–8 h following dehorning calves
did more tail-shaking, head-shaking and ear-flicking,
and ruminated less (Sylvester et al., in press); they
grazed and ruminated less, lay down more, groomed less
and scratched more against pen fittings than calves
which were not dehorned (McMeekan et al., 1999;
Stafford et al., 2000).
340 K.J. Stafford, D.J. Mellor / The Veterinary Journal 169 (2005) 337–349
The initial peak in plasma cortisol concentrations is
probably due to the nociceptor impulse barrage caused
by horn amputation and the plateau and decline to
pre-treatment levels may represent a phase where in-
flammation-related pain and its resolution dominate the
response (McMeekan et al., 1998b).
The cortisol responses of 5–6 month old male Frie-
sian calves, during the 8 h after amputation dehorning
by embryotomy wire, guillotine shears, saw or scoop (an
implement consisting of interlocking semi-circular
blades), were similar (Sylvester et al., 1998a), which
suggests that the pain and distress caused by the differ-
ent methods of amputation dehorning are similar
(Fig. 1). Moreover, the depth of wound caused by scoop
dehorning did not influence the pattern or level of
plasma cortisol response (McMeekan et al., 1997).
Although the cortisol responses of calves to tail
docking revealed a high and a low responding popula-
tion (Petrie et al., 1996b), similar populations have not
been seen in calves after dehorning and the individual
responses were remarkably similar with small variances
in most studies.
Plasma cortisol concentrations return to pre-treat-
ment levels by 9 h after dehorning, and remain at or
below those levels until at least 24 h in 3–4 month old
calves (Sutherland et al., 2002a) and 36 h in 5–6 month
old calves (Sylvester et al., 1998a), which suggests that
any pain-induced distress still present after 9 h is not
sufficient to cause elevations in plasma cortisol concen-
tration. However, the plasma cortisol concentrations in
4-month old calves after castration and dehorning may
still be significantly elevated 24 and 48 h later (Johnston
and Buckland, 1996). There are apparently no obvious
differences in the behaviour of control calves and calves
dehorned, with or without local anaesthetic and sys-
temic analgesia, 24 and 48 h after dehorning (McMee-
kan et al., 1999), but dehorned calves graze and
ruminate less between 24 and 48 h after dehorning than
they do either before dehorning or between 48 and 72 h
afterwards (K. J. Stafford, unpublished data). These
observations suggest that there is some chronic pain, but
it is not sufficient to stimulate a significant rise in plasma
cortisol concentration or to change behaviours such as
head shaking, ear flicking and tail shaking, which are
associated with the acute pain caused by dehorning.
The presence of chronic pain is supported by the time
taken for the amputation wounds to heal and by re-
ductions in weight gain after dehorning. The frontal si-
nus wound of weaners and yearlings may heal in about 4
weeks but in adult cattle healing takes 6 weeks (Loxton
et al., 1982). Indeed, healing can take 3 months or more
(Kihurani et al., 1989). Moreover, dehorning mature
Brahman steers with shears opens the frontal sinus and
the size of the opening is inversely related to their live-
weight gains in the month following dehorning (Winks
et al., 1977). Steers with suppurating wounds and small
sinus openings also gain less weight than steers with
small openings that have healed (Winks et al., 1977).
Weight gain is reduced especially during the first 2–6
weeks after dehorning in Brahman crossbred steers aged
4, 9, 19 and 30 months (Loxton et al., 1982), in mature
steers (Winks et al., 1977), and in Canadian feedlot
cattle in winter, in which negative weight effects were
still evident after 106 days (Goonewardene and Hand,
1991).
3.2. Effects of local anaesthetic
A cornual nerve blockade (Weaver, 1986) virtually
eliminates the escape behaviour of calves during the
process of dehorning (Sylvester et al., in press). When
lignocaine is applied 15–20 min before horn amputation
this cornual blockade virtually abolishes the cortisol
response during the first 2 h after dehorning (Petrie
et al., 1996a; Sylvester et al., 1998b). During that period
the plasma cortisol concentrations in dehorned and
control calves are similar (Fig. 1). When the effect of
lignocaine ends there is a marked increase in plasma
cortisol concentrations which lasts for about 6 h (Petrie
et al., 1996a; Sylvester et al., 1998b). Thus, lignocaine
virtually abolishes the pain-induced distress for the first
2 h or so after horn amputation, but when the nerve
blockade wears off the calves experience pain of some
sort for at least 6 h. The delayed cortisol response
probably indicates another phase to the experience of
dehorning, namely inflammation-related pain (McMee-
kan et al., 1998b).
When local anaesthesia lasts for 2 h (lignocaine), 4 h
(bupivacaine), 6 h (lignocaine followed by bupivacaine)
or 8 h (bupivacaine given twice) it virtually eliminates
the cortisol response to dehorning during these periods
of nerve blockade (Fig. 2) but, except in one case
(Fig. 1; Sylvester et al., 1998a), the overall cortisol
response to dehorning, i.e. the area under the cortisol
curve, was not affected (Petrie et al., 1996a; McMeekan
et al., 1998a,b; Sutherland et al., 2002a). Thus, as
judged by changes in cortisol concentrations, local
anaesthesia delays the onset of the pain-induced dis-
tress caused by horn amputation, but does not reduce
its overall magnitude.
This conclusion is supported by the observation that
local anaesthesia virtually abolishes for about 2 h the
behavioural response usually seen after amputation de-
horning, but between 2 and 6 h, restlessness increases to
levels similar to those seen in calves dehorned without
local anaesthesia (Sylvester et al., in press). During the 2
h of nerve blockade the behaviour of calves dehorned
after local anaesthesia is not apparently different from
that of non-dehorned control calves (McMeekan et al.,
1999; Stafford et al., 2000).
The delayed cortisol response may occur because
local anaesthesia blocks the normal cortisol response
 K.J. Stafford, D.J. Mellor / The Veterinary Journal 169 (2005) 337–349
Fig. 2. Changes in the plasma cortisol concentrations of 12–16 week old calves after amputation dehorning without or with prior injection of bu-
pivacaine, and in control calves (derived from McMeekan et al., 1998a). The horizontal two-headed arrow indicates the duration of cornual nerve
blockade with bupivacaine.
and its anti-inflammatory effects (McMeekan et al.,
1998b). Thus, although local anaesthesia does prevent
the behavioural response and the initial cortisol re-
sponse to amputation dehorning, and by inference
protects the calf from the acute pain experienced dur-
ing the amputation and for a variable period after-
wards depending on the type of local anaesthetic used,
it does not prevent the delayed cortisol response
and the pain associated with inflammation and its
resolution.
3.3. Effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
The cortisol response following dehorning not only
reflects pain-induced distress but is also part of the
physiological mechanisms that resolve inflammation
and promote healing. The anti-inflammatory actions of
cortisol associated with this response may contribute to
resolution of inflammation in the amputation wounds,
and the absence of elevated cortisol concentrations while
local anaesthetic is acting may therefore remove the
beneficial effects that cortisol has on inflammation dur-
ing that period.
Giving ketoprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drug (NSAID), intravenously 15–20 min before horn
amputation does not significantly affect the initial peak
in plasma cortisol concentration, but it prevents the
establishment of the plateau and the plasma cortisol
levels returned to pre-treatment values at about 2 h ra-
ther than 8 h after dehorning (Fig. 3; McMeekan et al.,
1998b). It is probable that those features of inflamma-
tion-related pain, which are reduced by ketoprofen, do
341
not become significant until about 1 h after horn am-
putation. This suggests that the initial cortisol peak is
primarily a response to pain impulses associated with
horn amputation and that the rest of the response is
primarily associated with inflammation-related pain.
The initial cortisol peak and the observation that the
behaviour of calves dehorned without analgesia is sim-
ilar to that of calves dehorned following ketoprofen
(McMeekan et al., 1999), together suggest that calves
given ketoprofen experience some pain during and for
about 2 h after dehorning.
NSAIDs produce analgesia through their anti-
inflammatory action by preventing prostaglandin pro-
duction and preventing the associated nociceptor
stimulation within injured tissues (Higgins and Lees,
1984; Raja et al., 1988; Dahl and Kehlet, 1991). In
addition to these peripheral actions, some NSAIDs
may have central analgesic effects. These evidently vary
with the different drugs (McCormack and Brune, 1991;
Dart, 1992; McCormack, 1994a,b), and may include
inhibition of the synthesis of neurotransmitters in
central pain pathways, increasing nerve membrane
potentials and reducing synaptic output (Liles and
Flecknell, 1992). The effect of ketoprofen in preventing
the establishment of the cortisol response associated
with inflammation-related pain may be due to either its
peripheral or central effects, or both. When phenylbu-
tazone is given rather than ketoprofen it is ineffective
in preventing the inflammation-related cortisol re-
sponse, suggesting that the effect of ketoprofen may
be more central than peripheral in action (Sutherland
et al., 2002a).
342 K.J. Stafford, D.J. Mellor / The Veterinary Journal 169 (2005) 337–349

Fig. 3. Changes in plasma cortisol concentrations in 12–16 week old calves after amputation dehorning without or with prior injection of NSAID
(ketoprofen) and in NSAID control calves (derived from McMeekan et al., 1998b).

3.4. Effects of a NSAID plus local anaesthetic
The prior administration of a NSAID (ketoprofen)
and lignocaine together virtually eliminates the cortisol
response to dehorning (Fig. 4; McMeekan et al., 1998b),
which suggests that such calves experience little or no
acute pain and distress. Moreover, the behaviour of
calves given a NSAID (ketoprofen) and lignocaine be-
fore dehorning is similar to that of control animals in
the short- and long-term, suggesting that this analgesia
regime alleviates both acute and chronic pain and dis-
tress (McMeekan et al., 1999).
However, the effectiveness of giving a NSAID plus
local anaesthetic before dehorning in reducing the acute
cortisol response may depend on the duration of nerve
blockade, as the longer the blockade is the less effective
ketoprofen appears to be in reducing the delayed corti-
sol response once the blockade wears off. Ketoprofen
plus lignocaine (2-h action) virtually eliminates the
cortisol response to dehorning (McMeekan et al.,

Fig. 4. Changes in plasma cortisol concentrations in calves 12–16 weeks of age after amputation dehorning without or with prior injection of local
anaesthetic (bupivacaine) plus a NSAID (ketoprofen), and in local anaesthetic-NSAID control calves (derived from McMeekan et al., 1998b). The
horizontal two-headed arrow indicates the duration of cornual nerve blockade with bupivacaine.
 K.J. Stafford, D.J. Mellor / The Veterinary Journal 169 (2005) 337–349
1998b), whereas with ketoprofen plus bupivacaine (4-h
action) there is a non-significant delayed cortisol re-
sponse once the effect of bupivacaine wears off (Fig. 4;
McMeekan et al., 1998b), and with ketoprofen plus
lignocaine followed by bupivacaine (5-h action) there is
only a marginal, but significant, reduction in the delayed
cortisol response once the nerve blockade wears off
(Sutherland et al., 2002a). It is not clear why the keto-
profen plus 2-h nerve blockade is successful and the
longer periods of blockade are less so, but the mecha-
nism may in some way involve combined effects of the
peripheral anti-inflammatory actions and central anal-
gesic actions of ketoprofen (Sutherland et al., 2002a).
This idea is supported by the observation that treatment
with phenylbutazone (a NSAID with no apparent cen-
tral analgesic actions; McCormack, 1994a) plus ligno-
caine followed by bupivacaine has no effect on the
delayed cortisol response once the nerve blockade wears
off (Sutherland et al., 2002a).
If it is true that the marked cortisol response elicited
by dehorning with no analgesia helps to resolve in-
flammation-related pain (McMeekan et al., 1998b), then
injecting adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) to stimulate a
maximum cortisol response during a period of local
anaesthetic nerve blockade should reduce the delayed
cortisol response once the local anaesthetic wears off
(Sutherland et al., 2002a). Indeed, such a reduction does
occur, but it is no greater than the marginal, but sig-
nificant, effect of ketoprofen given together with a 5-h
nerve blockade (Sutherland et al., 2002a). Although the
interpretation of this observation is not straightforward,
the marginal reduction in the delayed cortisol response
may be due at least partly to anti-inflammatory actions
Fig. 5. Changes in plasma cortisol concentrations in 20–24 week old calves after amputation dehorning without or with wound cautery, and with
prior injection of lignocaine plus subsequent wound cautery, and in control calves (derived from Sylvester et al., 1998b). The horizontal two-headed
arrow indicates the duration of cornual nerve blockade with lignocaine.
343
of the ACTH-induced cortisol response (Sutherland
et al., 2002a).
3.5. Effects of cautery
Tail docking of lambs with a knife causes a large
acute cortisol response which may last about 8 h,
whereas tailing with a heated docking iron elicits a much
smaller and less protracted response (Lester et al.,
1991a,b). This difference can be explained by the ca-
uterising action of the docking iron, as it transects the
tail, destroying nociceptors adjacent to the wound, a
mitigating effect which is absent when the tail is tran-
sected with a sharp knife. The cortisol response to
cautery disbudding is significantly smaller than the
response to amputation disbudding in similar calves
(Petrie et al., 1996a). When the amputation dehorning
wounds of older calves are cauterised immediately after
horn removal (Sylvester et al., 1998b) the acute cortisol
response is numerically lower than that without cautery,
but not significantly so (Fig. 5). Thus, some pain re-
ceptors are apparently destroyed by this method, but
there is insufficient reduction in the acute cortisol re-
sponse to recommend it for general use. Moreover,
struggling and other escape behaviours during the cau-
tery indicate that it is itself a noxious experience.
Injecting lignocaine 15–20 min before and cauterising
the amputation wounds immediately after horn removal
virtually eliminates the acute cortisol response
throughout the first 24 h after dehorning (Fig. 5; Syl-
vester et al., 1998b; Sutherland et al., 2002b). The use of
lignocaine appears to minimise pain by blocking the
pain impulse barrage which otherwise accompanies and
344 K.J. Stafford, D.J. Mellor / The Veterinary Journal 169 (2005) 337–349
follows horn amputation plus cautery. The cautery may
destroy sufficient nociceptors in the wounds to keep the
nociceptor impulse input below the pain threshold once
the local anaesthetic wears off, so that the animal does
not apparently experience a significant amount of pain
(Sylvester et al., 1998b ; Sutherland et al., 2002b).
3.6. Effects of xylazine
Xylazine given to sedate calves reduces but does not
eliminate the first 3 h or so of the usual cortisol response
to dehorning (Stafford et al., 2003). However, when
xylazine and lignocaine are given together prior to de-
horning the cortisol response is virtually eliminated
during the first 3 h (Stafford et al., 2003). Both with
xylazine alone and xylazine plus lignocaine there is a
delayed cortisol response which begins about 3 h after
dehorning and lasts for about 5 h (Stafford et al., 2003).
These increases in cortisol concentrations between 3 and
8 h after dehorning suggest that calves experience pain
during this time and that xylazine has limited long-term
analgesic effects. If tolazoline is used to reverse the
sedative effect of xylazine there is a marked cortisol re-
sponse following its administration, but the cause of this
remains unclear (Stafford et al., 2003).
4. Disbudding by cautery
4.1. Pain-induced distress following cautery disbudding
During cautery disbudding, calves show distinct es-
cape behaviours, including rearing, falling down, push-
Fig. 6. Changes in the plasma cortisol concentrations in 6–8 week old calves after amputation dehorning or cautery disbudding, and in control calves
(derived from Petrie et al., 1996a).
ing, head jerking and moving, which are indicative of
severe pain (Taschke and Folsch, 1993; Graf and Senn,
1999; Grondahl-Nielsen et al., 1999). It causes a signif-
icant but short-lived cortisol response which peaks at
about 30 min and is largely complete within 2 h (Fig. 6;
Petrie et al., 1996a). The cortisol response in calves
during the first hour after cautery disbudding is signifi-
cantly greater than the response in control calves but is
thereafter similar to the control values. This suggests
that for the first hour after cautery disbudding calves
experienced pain or distress greater than that experi-
enced by the control calves, but that after 1 h this pain
or distress had gone or been reduced greatly (Laden
et al., 1985; Petrie et al., 1996a). Salivary cortisol levels
also peak 30 min after cautery disbudding (Taschke and
Folsch, 1993). Disbudding by cautery apparently has no
effect on the levels of several other blood constituents
including glucose, albumin, haemoglobin or the hae-
matocrit in the hour following treatment (Laden et al.,
1985).
On the other hand, the heart rate of calves disbudded
by cautery remains higher for about 215 min than in
control calves receiving a local anaesthetic or in calves
disbudded after receiving local anaesthetic (Grondahl-
Nielsen et al., 1999). This suggests that the pain caused
by the process lasts for more than 3 h. During the 2 h
following cautery disbudding calves engage in head-
shaking (Graf and Senn, 1999). These observations
suggest that low-grade pain and/or wound sensitivity
persist for longer than the major peak in the cortisol
response that immediately follows disbudding (Petrie
et al., 1996a). Such low-grade pain and sensitivity may
continue until at least 24 h after disbudding, as signifi-
 K.J. Stafford, D.J. Mellor / The Veterinary Journal 169 (2005) 337–349
cantly higher plasma cortisol concentrations are evident
24 h after cautery disbudding (Morisse et al., 1995).
Nevertheless, the ratios of standing to lying are similar
during the 24 h before and the 24 h after disbudding by
cautery (Morisse et al., 1995), and there appear to be no
short- or long-term effects of disbudding on food intake
and growth rate of 4–6 and 8-week old calves (Laden
et al., 1985; Grondahl-Nielsen et al., 1999).
4.2. Effects of local anaesthetic
When calves are disbudded by cautery after a cornual
blockade with lignocaine there is a small transient in-
crease in plasma cortisol levels which returns to pre-
treatment levels 60 min after disbudding (Petrie et al.,
1996a) and there is no difference in the plasma cortisol
concentrations of calves disbudded by cautery with or
without local anaesthesia 30 min after treatment (Bo-
andl et al., 1989). Cornual blockade combined with a
ring block around the base of each horn virtually
abolish the cortisol response to cautery disbudding
(Graf and Senn, 1999). Cautery disbudding causes an
immediate and large increase in plasma ACTH and
vasopressin concentrations which peak 5 min after
treatment and remain higher for 20 and 60 min, re-
spectively, than in calves disbudded with prior local
anaesthesia (Graf and Senn, 1999).
These observations, together with the vigorous escape
and other behaviours which occur during cautery dis-
budding (Taschke and Folsch, 1993; Graf and Senn,
1999; Grondahl-Nielsen et al., 1999), suggest that there
is severe pain during the cautery itself and immediately
afterwards which is eliminated by local anaesthesia.
Behavioural changes indicating pain or distress, which
include higher incidences of head shaking, grooming,
rubbing, standing up/lying down actions and hind-leg
kicks, and fewer head jerks and less rumination, are
evident during the first 4 h after disbudding by cautery,
but are markedly reduced or abolished by effective local
anaesthesia (Morisse et al., 1995; Grondahl-Nielsen
et al., 1999; Graf and Senn, 1999). These observations
indicate that administration of local anaesthetic prior to
disbudding is beneficial.
4.3. Effects of xylazine
The effects of xylazine in sedating calves makes the
administration of local anaesthetic easier and prevents
or markedly reduces the physical activity seen during
disbudding in calves not given local anaesthetic. Calves
given xylazine and butorphanol, with local anaesthesia,
showed similar numbers of head jerks during cautery
disbudding as did control calves, but those not given
local anaesthesia had no more head jerks than calves
disbudded without sedation or analgesia (Grondahl-
Nielsen et al., 1999).
345
4.4. Effects of xylazine, local anaesthetic and ketoprofen
Calves given ketoprofen before and after being
disbudded by cautery under xylazine sedation and
with local anaesthetic showed much fewer behavioural
signs of pain (head shaking, ear flicking, head rub-
bing) than calves treated similarly but not given ke-
toprofen (Faulkner and Weary, 2000). The ketoprofen
was given in milk 2 h before and 2 and 7 h after
disbudding.
5. Chemical disbudding
Chemical disbudding is carried out by rubbing or
covering the horn bud with a caustic substance such as
KOH, NaOH or colloidon (Weaver, 1986). It is a time
consuming method as the area surrounding the horn bud
should be defatted with surgical spirit and the treatment
may have to be repeated over several days (Miller, 1935).
The bud may be scarified before the caustic is applied
(Miller and Robertson, 1959). The caustic material may
leak onto surrounding skin, the eyes or even the udder of
suckling cows and cause damage.
There was a significant increase in plasma cortisol
concentration in 4-week-old calves within 1 h of dis-
budding with a KOH stick which returned to pre-
treatment levels between 4 and 24 h (Morisse et al.,
1995). This response was greater than the response of 8-
week-old calves to cautery disbudding suggesting that
the former is more painful. This is supported by the
observation that the calves disbudded by KOH groomed
less and lay down and stood up more in the 4 h fol-
lowing disbudding than those disbudded by cautery.
There is a need for some direct comparisons in the
physiological and behavioural response of similar calves
to chemical and cautery disbudding and some quantifi-
cation of the success and side effects of the former under
various conditions.
6. Ranking the different approaches
The different methods of horn removal can be ranked
on the basis of the acute cortisol and behavioural re-
sponses and the production effects. Methods that elicit
less struggling during the procedure and lower overall
distress responses are preferred (Table 2). We recom-
mend that of those methods which are practically fea-
sible for farmers to use, they choose those that cause the
lowest levels of pain-induced distress (Mellor and Staf-
ford, 1999, 2000).
The ranking scale in Table 2 is not linear. The pro-
cedures ranked 4, 5 and 6 cause different amounts of
struggling (none/very low, marked and very marked,
346 K.J. Stafford, D.J. Mellor / The Veterinary Journal 169 (2005) 337–349

Table 2
Ranking dehorning and disbudding procedures from most to least severe
Rank Procedure Struggling Behaviour afterwards Acute cortisol response
6. Amputation dehorning + During amputation Marked (75%)a
wound cautery and cautery
5. Amputation dehorning During amputation 6–8 h Increased EF, TS,HS Marked (100%)
only
Decreased rumination
24–48 h Decreased feeding
Decreased rumination
4. Prior local anaestheticb None/little 2–4 h As controls Marked (100%)a and
delayed
2–6 h Increased restlessness Marked (105%) and
delayed
4. Prior xylazine + amputation None
dehorning
3. Prior xylazine and local None Marked (105%) and
anaesthetic + amputation delayed
dehorning
3. Caustic disbudding During disbudding 0–4 h Reduced grooming Greater than
Increased headshaking Cautery
Increased restlessness
3. Cautery disbudding During disbudding 0–2 h Increased head shaking Moderate (55%)a
2. Prior local anaesthetic + caustic None/little 0–4 h More than after a cautery Less than after cautery
disbudding disbudding + LA disbudding + LA
2. Prior local anaestheticb + None/little 0–2 h Similar to control Moderate (55%)a
cautery disbudding
2. Prior NSAID + amputation During amputation Mild (35%)a
dehorning
1. Prior local anaestheticb and None/little 0–6 h Similar to controls Very mild (25%)a
NSAID + amputation dehorning
1. Prior local anaestheticb + None/little Very mild (25%)a
amputation dehorning +
wound cautery
1. Prior local anaestheticc + None/little 0–4 h Similar to controls Very mild (?%)
cautery disbudding
1. Prior xylazine sedation, local None 0–24 h Low incidence of head
anaesthetic and ketoprofen shaking, ear flicking
given before and after
1. Non-treated controls None/little Very mild (20%)a
EF, earflicks; TS, tail shakes; HS, head shakes; LA, local anaesthetic.
a
Percentage of the acute cortisol response to amputation dehorning in each study.
b
Injected near the cornual nerve supplying each horn bud.
c
Injected near the cornual nerve and around the base of each horn bud (Graf and Senn, 1999). (?%) Percentage not known.

respectively), but evoke similar (i.e. not significantly
different) marked overall cortisol responses, so that the
distinction between them has been made primarily on
the basis of how much struggling they cause. Cautery
disbudding without or with local anaesthetic (ranked 3
and 2, respectively) both cause moderate overall cortisol
responses, but the latter procedure is ranked lower be-
cause other features of the cortisol response it elicits are
similar to those of non-treated controls and because
struggling is virtually absent during the cautery.
Cautery disbudding with prior local anaesthetic and
amputation dehorning with prior NSAID are both in-
cluded in rank 2, despite the overall cortisol response of
the former apparently being higher than with the latter
(55% cf. 35%), because the higher cortisol response is
offset by a virtual absence of struggling during the
cautery and the lower response is offset by the presence
of struggling during and immediately after the ampu-
tations. Rank 1 procedures cause little or no struggling
and elicit overall cortisol responses which are very sim-
ilar to those in non-treated controls. However, other
factors must be considered in decision making. Clos-
tridial infection of the wound after dehorning does oc-
cur. Severe haemorrhage is seen after amputation
dehorning. Bovine leukaemia virus may be spread dur-
ing dehorning by amputation, so that disbudding by
cautery may be important in reducing intra-herd spread
of this disease (Darlington et al., 1984).
Sedation with xylazine and its reversal may cause
unpleasant experiences (Stafford et al., 2003). Although
xylazine provides some analgesia and sedation, overall,
the dehorning-induced cortisol response is similar to
that caused by dehorning alone; likewise with prior
xylazine plus local anaesthetic (Stafford et al., 2003).
 K.J. Stafford, D.J. Mellor / The Veterinary Journal 169 (2005) 337–349
Assigning a rank to sedation-assisted dehorning without
or with local anaesthesia (Table 2) is difficult, but 4 and
3 are suggested as the latter involves sedation plus cor-
nual nerve blockade.
7. Discussion
It is important to balance the pain and distress ex-
perienced by cattle during dehorning with or without
local anaesthesia and/or analgesia against the practi-
calities of an ideal technique for pain alleviation and
animal and human safety. The preferred method must
be simple, easy to execute, safe for people and animals,
be cost effective, and be acceptable to the personnel in-
volved (Stafford and Mellor, 1993). Although disbud-
ding and dehorning without local anaesthesia, sedation
or systemic analgesia is painful and distressing to cattle,
the long-term consequences of not having horns are
probably more beneficial than having them. Disbudding
and dehorning will therefore probably be necessary until
all cattle are polled.
The plasma cortisol response to cautery disbudding is
different from that following amputation dehorning in
that there is a sharp rise followed by a rapid decline to
near pre-treatment levels and no plateau (Petrie et al.,
1996a). In 6–8 week old calves the acute cortisol re-
sponse to cautery disbudding is much smaller than that
caused by amputation dehorning, both because the peak
concentration is significantly lower 30 min after treat-
ment and because the response is shorter, being about 2
h compared to 7–9 h (Fig. 6; Petrie et al., 1996a). The
different wounds caused by disbudding and dehorning
are the likely reason for the different cortisol responses.
Cautery of the skin around the horn buds, with no
major involvement of bone, results in relatively super-
ficial wounds, whereas with dehorning the gouge
wounds in the skull, some penetrating to the frontal si-
nuses, are much more invasive and potentially painful.
Local anaesthetic prevents the obvious behavioural
responses seen during cautery disbudding and amputa-
tion dehorning, but calves resist its administration.
Lignocaine, the most common local anaesthetic used, is
effective for only about 2 h. Accordingly it prevents pain
during that period and there appears to be a resurgence of
pain and distress when its effects wear off, as shown by an
increase in plasma cortisol concentration. This resurgence
in pain can be alleviated or prevented by a systemic an-
algesic such as ketoprofen, or interestingly by cauterising
the wounds after amputation, provided that both the
amputation and cautery are preceded by lignocaine.
There are two main ways in which this information
can be used to guide advice on disbudding and dehor-
ning procedures (Mellor and Stafford, 2001). We can
either select rank 1 procedures and ban all others, or
draw attention to the ranking of the different procedures
347
and recommend the use of the lowest ranked procedure
that is practically feasible in each particular circum-
stance. It is possible to carry out cautery disbudding on
dairy calves that are weaned early and/or are accessible
for disbudding during the first 6 weeks after birth.
However, beef calves, especially on extensive properties,
are not handled early in life and are often dehorned at
weaning when they may be branded, castrated and
vaccinated as well.
The unequivocal banning approach has three main
disadvantages (Mellor and Stafford, 2001). First, further
study may reveal a need to revise the ranking, thereby
calling into question the wisdom of the original ban and
reducing the credibility of subsequent bans. Second, in
being inflexible, a ban may alienate those who actually
want to make improvements but cannot meet fully the
new higher standard. Third, a ban becomes discredited if
it is ignored and cannot be enforced.
We recommend the alternative approach (Mellor and
Stafford, 2001). Thus, making strong recommendations
for or against the use of particular procedures, and
recommending that farmers make the greatest im-
provement that is economically and practically feasible
for them, is likely to recruit more farmers into making
some welfare improvements. When farmers cannot meet
the highest standard immediately, this approach engages
them directly in thinking about the welfare implications
of disbudding and dehorning. Their initially small steps
are recognised as a good start and they feel good about
them; that makes them more open to take further steps
in the future as their own circumstances change and if
consumers demand higher welfare standard.
The use of polled beef cattle breeds and disbudding
by cautery following local anaesthetic of all dairy calves
will improve the welfare of cattle. It is important that
local anaesthetic be used at all times when cattle are
disbudded or dehorned by amputation and that systemic
analgesia be used whenever possible if wounds are not
cauterised. The development of longer lasting and cheap
systemic analgesics for use in farm animals will improve
the experience of cattle significantly in the near future.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Dr ACD Bayvel, Ministry of Ag-
riculture and Forestry (MAF) Director of Animal
Welfare, for helpful discussion and to MAF Science
Policy for financially supporting the New Zealand-based
studies referred to here.
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Evaluation of Analgesic Protocol Effect on
Calf Behavior after Concurrent Castration
and Dehorning
C. Pauly1
B.J. White DVM, MS1*
J.F Coetzee, BVSc, Cert CHP, PhD, DACVCP 1
B. Robért1
S. Baldridge1
D. G. Renter, DVM, PhD2
Department of Clinical Sciences,
1.
Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology,
2.
Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine
KEY WORDS: Analgesic protocols, calves,
dehorning, castration
ABSTRACT
Castration and dehorning are common
procedures in the US cattle industry, but
the impact of analgesic programs on post-
surgical behavior is not well documented.
The research objective was to determine the
impact of three different analgesic proto-
cols: (sodium salicylate; a combination of
xylazine, ketamine and butorphanol; and
both treatments together) compared to the
absence of analgesia on cattle behavior after
concurrent castration and dehorning.
Accelerometers recorded activity on
40 calves for three periods of time: prior
to sham surgery, between sham and actual
surgery, and 4 days post-surgery. Significant
interactions (P < 0.05) were found between
treatment and time relative to surgery. Cat-
tle treated with a combination of ketamine,
butorphanol, xylazine, and sodium salicylate
54
spent more time lying after the procedures
compared to cattle receiving only xylazine,
ketamine, and butorphanol.
INTRODUCTION
Surgical removal of the horns and testicles
are common husbandry practices in the US
cattle industry. Recent findings in 2007-
2008 by the National Animal Health Moni-
toring System (NAHMS) stated that 77.1%
of bulls are castrated prior to sale.1 Castra-
tion facilitates easier and safer cattle han-
dling through decreased aggression, prevents
unwanted pregnancies, and improves carcass
characteristics relative to bull calves.2,3 De-
horning also has management and welfare
advantages, including decreased carcass
bruising and decreased wounds inflicted by
the horns. Cattle without horns also re-
quire less room at the feed bunk and during
transport.4 According to the NAHMS, 82.6%
of cattle going into the slaughter market
came from a feedlot environment, and in this
Vol. 10, No. 1, 2012 • Intern J Appl Res Vet Med.
close-proximity environment the advantages
for dehorning are pronounced.1 Although
castration and dehorning are known to inflict
pain,4,5 the benefits to the animal and the
producer outweigh the adverse effects.6
The perceived pain associated with
castration and dehorning has led to legis-
lation or recommendations for the use of
analgesics during castration and dehorning
(depending on age and procedure method)
in several countries, including the United
Kingdom, Switzerland, and Canada.6 Cur-
rently, the US has no legislation for the use
of analgesics, but public awareness of ani-
mal welfare issues has increased.7 Mitigation
of pain associated with these procedures is
important to animal care providers. How-
ever, little research exists documenting the
effects of analgesic drug protocols on animal
behavior. There is also a paucity of studies
examining the combined effect of concurrent
dehorning and castration procedures.
Pain assessment in cattle is cumbersome
and lacks validity.8 Perception of animal
pain is often subjectively measured us-
ing visual parameters to assess changes in
behavior associated with pain.8-10 Validation
of video recording using certain scan video
collection techniques has been performed.11
However, video monitoring is labor inten-
sive, expensive, and can be a somewhat
subjective observation. Accelerometers
have been shown to accurately predict cattle
behaviors (standing, lying, walking),12,13
and have been used in previous research to
characterize behavioral differences in cattle
following castration.14
Research has illustrated cattle display
varied lying behavior patterns throughout
the day, with differences observed between
calves as well.15 Documenting changes in
the lying behaviors of individual calves
may prove useful for determining efficacy
of treatment following a painful procedure.
Castration and dehorning are commonly
performed at the same time to reduce vet-
erinary costs, decrease stress on the animals
due to chute procedures, and minimize
handling times.16 Published work exists that
Intern J Appl Res Vet Med • Vol. 10, No. 1, 2012.
investigates the pain of castration 4,8,14,16 and
dehorning,9, 10, 16, 17 separately.However, few
studies have evaluated both procedures at
the same time with the addition of analge-
sics.
The objective of this trial was to deter-
mine the impact of three different analgesic
protocols and no analgesia on cattle behav-
ior after castration and dehorning. The four
pre-operative treatments were: negative con-
trols (CON, no analgesia); sodium salicylate
(SS) free-choice in the drinking water, a
combination of xylazine, ketamine, and bu-
torphanol (XKB); and a combination of the
last two treatments (XKBSS). Behavioral
changes measured in this experiment may
be indicative of differences related to pain
or stress responses and the ability of the in-
cluded treatments to mitigate that response.
This work is unique as it provides an objec-
tive measure of behavior (accelerometers) to
evaluate potential changes associated with
analgesic protocol when applied to calves
dehorned and castrated concurrently.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Animals and Treatment Allocation
All animals were handled in accordance
with a protocol approved by the Kansas
State University Institutional Animal Care
and Use Committee (IACUC #2694).
Calves were weighed upon arrival, and the
following measurements were also recorded:
horn-base diameter, horn length, and scrotal
circumference. The calves were then pro-
cessed with an eight-way clostridial vac-
cine (Covexin 8, Schering Plough, Summit,
NJ), a modified-live viral vaccine (Bovi-
Shield Gold 4, Pfizer, New York, NY), a
metaphylactic dose of antibiotic (Draxxin,
Pfizer, New York, NY), and given a pour-on
anti-parasitic (Dectomax Pour-on, Pfizer,
New York, NY). Amprolium (Corid, Me-
rial, Duluth, GA) was added to the drinking
water to provide 10 mg/kg per os (PO) for
5 days. Enrolled calves (n=40) had a mean
(±SE) body weight of 153.6 ± 11.50 kg and
were approximately 16 to 20 weeks old at
the time of enrollment in the trial.
Calves were blocked by arrival weight,
55
scrotal circumference, horn base diameter,
and horn length, then randomly assigned
to one of four treatment groups: nega-
tive controls (CON); sodium salicylate in
the drinking water (Sodium Salicylate,
Fisher Scientific, Fair Lawn, NY) (SS); a
combination of xylazine (AnaSed ,Lloyd
Laboratories, Shenandoah, IA), ketamine
(Ketaset, Fort Dodge, Fort Dodge, IA) and
butorphanol (Torbugesic, Fort Dodge, Fort
Dodge, IA) (XKB); and a combination of
the last two treatments (XKBSS). Negative
controls received no analgesic treatments
at any time point during the study, but did
receive an isotonic saline given IM 1 minute
before the procedure. As the study objec-
tive was to evaluate analgesic protocols and
not differences between specific agents,
each protocol was administered in a manner
consistent with potential field application of
that analgesic protocol. The cattle in the SS
group were administered sodium salicylate
via the drinking water 24 hrs at 2.5 to 5 mg/
mL and continued to receive this dose ad li-
bitum until 48 hrs after the actual procedure.
Cattle in the XKB group received 0.05 mg/
kg xylazine, 0.1 mg/kg ketamine, 0.025 mg/
kg butorphanol via IM injection one minute
before both sham and actual castration and
dehorning. The final treatment group (XK-
BSS) received both SS and XKB treatments
in the administered in the same manner and
at the same dosages as described above.
Experimental Procedures
The trial was completed in five replicates
consisting of eight animals (n= 2 per treat-
ment) in each replicate. The trial consisted
of three basic phases: before the sham
(mock) surgery (day 0 to day 3, PRE);
between the sham and actual surgery (day
4 to day 5, SHAM); and post-surgery (day
6 to day 9, POST). On day 0, 4 days prior
to sham, castration cattle were individually
housed in randomly allocated pens (3.5m
x 3.5m) within a completely roofed facil-
ity with side doors that could be opened to
regulate temperature. Throughout the study
all calves were fed the same grain diet with
free choice prairie hay. A concurrent project
56
was conducted evaluating pharmacokinetics
of selected analgesic protocols. Therefore,
blood sampling occurred on individual
calves periodically during the trial phase
with the majority of samples occurring dur-
ing daytime hours. A catheter was placed in
the jugular vein to facilitate frequent sample
collection.
All calves went through the same sham
and surgical procedures with the same ex-
perienced individual performing all proce-
dures. For the sham procedure, the calves
were restrained by a halter in a squeeze
chute along with the administration of tail
elevation when the scrotum was approached
and manipulated. The sham procedure
consisted of palpating the scrotum with a
rag soaked in dilute chlorhexidine solution
(Chlorhexidine Solution, MWI, Meridian,
ID). The horn bases were stimulated by
removing the hair around the horn bud with
electronic clippers (Oster Golden A5 Single
Speed Vet Clipper, Jarden Corp., Rye, NY).
The sham procedure was performed 2 days
before the actual castration and dehorn-
ing, allowing for a washout period for the
xylazine, ketamine, and butorphanol.18,19
Sodium salicylate was continuously admin-
istered 24 hours before the sham to 48 hours
after the actual procedure.
For the castration procedure, calves were
restrained in the same manner as described
for the sham castration. The calves were
castrated by removal of the bottom third of
the scrotum with a #21 scalpel blade and the
removal of testicles by gloved hand using
traction in accordance with standard indus-
try practices. The removal of horns was
accomplished with a Barnes-type dehorner
(Stone Precision Barnes Dehorner, Stone
Mfg., Kansas City, MO) and cauterization of
the horn base after horn removal was done
with an electronic hot-iron (Stone Electric
Dehorner Model 24210, Stone Mfg., Kansas
City, MO). Blood stop powder (Blood Stop
Powder, Agri Laboratories Ltd., St. Joseph,
MO) was then applied to the horn base to
help ensure clotting. The lesions of the horns
and scrotum were sprayed with a fly insec-
Vol. 10, No. 1, 2012 • Intern J Appl Res Vet Med.
ticide (Prozap Screw Table 1. Model adjusted1 proportion (SE) of time lying and walking
Worm Aerosol, Chem by analgesic treatment group2 through the three study periods.3
Tech Ltd., Pleasant-
ville, IA). Calves Analgesic Time Period
were monitored four Activity Treatment PRE SHAM POST
times daily for illness Lying down
or potential sequea-
CON 58.0 c 68.4 b 77 (3.6) a
lea from the surgical
(3.7) (3.9)
procedures.
SS 59.5 c 66.2 b 76.7 a
Behavioral Moni-
(3.6) (4.1) (3.7)
toring
XKB 61.6 c 69.3 b 74.5 a
Each calf was outfit-
(3.6) (3.9) (3.9)
ted with a tri-axial
capacitive acceler- XKBSS 68.5 a 71.3 a 77.8 b
ometer (Sensr GP1 (3.3) (3.7) (3.6)
Programmable Accel- Walking
erometer, Reference CON 0.5 a 0.3 b 0.10 c
LLC., Elkader, IA) (0.1) (0.1) (0.0)
attached to the right
SS 0.5 a 0.5 a 0.2 b
rear leg just proxi-
(0.1) (0.1) (0.0)
mal the fetlock at
initiation of each trial XKB 0.4 a 0.4 a 0.1 b
phase (day 0.) The (0.0) (0.1) (0.0)
accelerometers were XKBSS 0.3 a 0.3 a 0.1 b
placed inside a pad- (0.0) (0.1) (0.0)
ded waterproof case 1
Model included effects for repeated measures on individual calves, trial replicate
before attachment to and hour of the day data was collected. Differences (P < 0.05) between time periods
within analgesic treatment group are represented by differing superscripts within rows.
the calf’s leg. The 2
The four pre-operative treatments were: negative controls (CON, no analgesia),
sham castration was sodium salicylate (SS), a combination of xylazine, ketamine and butorphanol (XKB),
performed on day 4, and a combination of the last two treatments (XKBSS).
followed by castra- 3
Time periods relative to surgical event are defined as: PRE = trial days 0-4 (trial
initiation to sham surgery); SHAM = trial days 5-6 (sham to actual surgery); POST =
tion and dehorning
trial days 6-10 (surgery to trial end).
on day 6. Calves
were monitored for a
through a previously described classification
total of 10 days for each phase of the trial.
system12 to categorize the activity of the
Accelerometers were downloaded animal at each time point into standing, ly-
chute-side three times for each trial: at sham ing, or walking.
surgery, at the actual surgery, and at the
Statistics
end of the trial. During each download, the
accelerometer was removed from the case, Classified accelerometer data was summa-
connected to a laptop by USB for download- rized to calculate the percent of time each
ing, disconnected, put back in the case and calf spent lying for each hour in the trial.
reattached the calf’s leg. Accelerometers Calves participated in a concurrent study
were set to record five variables including where blood samples were procured during
average acceleration in each of the three the daytime hours. To remove potential
axes (X, Y, Z) and the average and maxi- bias of human interaction, only the hours
mum vector magnitude. Each variable was between 6 pm and 6 am were included in
aggregated over a 5 second epoch as previ- the statistical analysis. The accelerometer
ously described.12 Data were processed data were exported to a statistical software
program (SAS 9.1, SAS Institute Inc., Cary,

Intern J Appl Res Vet Med • Vol. 10, No. 1, 2012. 57

NC) for analysis. Logistic Figure 1. Model adjusted1 proportion of time lying by analgesic
regression was used to de- treatment group2 and study period.3
termine potential associa-
tions between the amount
of time spent lying and
walking with analgesic
treatment (CON, SS,
XKB, XKBSS), time rela-
tive to surgical procedure
(PRE, SHAM, POST),
and the interaction be-
tween analgesic treatment
and time relative to sur-
gery. The unit of analysis
was the percent of each
hour a calf spent lying 1
Model included effects for repeated measures on individual calves, trial
during each trial phase replicate and hour of the day data was collected. Differences (P < 0.05) be-
with calf identification in- tween analgesic treatments within each time point are represented by differing
superscripts.
cluded as a random effect 2
The four pre-operative treatments were: negative controls (CON, no analgesia),
in the models to account sodium salicylate (SS), a combination of xylazine, ketamine and butorphanol
for repeated measures on (XKB), and a combination of the last two treatments (XKBSS).
individuals. Trial repli-
3
Time periods relative to surgical event are defined as: PRE = trial days 0-4
(trial initiation to sham surgery); SHAM = trial days 5-6 (sham to actual sur-
cate and hour of the study gery); POST = trial days 6-10 (surgery to trial end).
were included as random
effects in all models to ac- only the interactive estimates are discussed.
count for the lack of independence between Calves in all treatment groups spent more
animals within each replicate and each hour time lying POST when compared to PRE.
relative to treatment application. Cattle in all analgesic treatments, except
RESULTS XKBSS, spent more time lying in the POST
Forty Holstein bull calves were enrolled in period compared to MID (Table 1). When
the trial (mean weight 153.6 kg / SE 11.50 comparing within a time period, XKBSS
kg) that had scrotal circumference (mean calves spent more time lying PRE compared
16.76cm / SE 1.10cm), horn base diameter to all other treatment groups (Figure 1). In
(mean 34.73mm / SE 2.56mm), and horn the POST period, XKBSS calves spent more
length (mean 42.12 mm / SE 4.93mm) mea- time lying relative to XKB calves, yet CON
surements recorded. No cattle were removed or SS did not differ from either group.
in any replicate during the trial phase. Evaluation of the proportion of time
After the trial period, some calves acquired walking also identified a significant interac-
phlebitis at the catheter site and required tion (P < 0.01) between analgesic treatment
antibiotic treatment. All accelerometer data and time relative to surgery. Therefore, only
points recorded during the time between interactive model results are described.
6pm and 6am were analyzed, with none Calves in all treatment groups spent less
being discarded. Analgesic treatment group, time walking POST compared to PRE
time relative to surgery, and the interaction readings (Table 1). Only the CON calves
between treatment group and time period spent less time walking in the SHAM period
were all significantly (P < 0.02) associated compared to the PRE time frame. Compar-
with the proportion of time calves spent ing within study time frames, CON and SS
lying down. As the interaction between calves spent more time walking compared to
time and treatment group was significant, XKB and XKBSS calves in PRE time frame.

58 Vol. 10, No. 1, 2012 • Intern J Appl Res Vet Med.

However, CON calves spent less time walk- for four evenings after the surgery. The dif-
ing post-surgery compared to SS and XKB ference noted in the 4- day post-operative
calves in POST (Figure 2). period may be meaningful, and indicate
that the recovery period to return to normal
DISCUSSION
behavior is longer than the time period we
The experimental model of castration and monitored.
dehorning concurrently performed induced
The potential sedative effect of anal-
a behavioral change exhibited by the control
gesic agents utilized may have influenced
group that walked less and spent more time
lying behaviors after procedures.However,
lying compared to the previous time frame
previous work illustrates that more calves
following both sham and actual surgi-
treated with xylazine and ketamine exhibit
cal procedures. The measurable change in
unchanged attitude following castration
behavior may be indicative of stress in the
compared to non-treated controls.19 In the
SHAM period and stress with the addition
current study, calves treated with analgesic
of pain in the POST period. Cattle in each of
protocols with potential sedative effects
the analgesic groups also followed the same
(XKB, XKBSS) did not differ from CON
behavioral trends as control cattle when
calves at any time point. These findings
comparing the PRE to POST time frames.
indicate that although the analgesic agents
Therefore, administration of the analgesic
may have transient sedative properties, the
protocols selected for this research did not
method and length of behavioral analysis did
mitigate the behavioral changes associated
with castration and dehorning at the same not elucidate these differences.
time. Previous research by Morisse (1995)
Our finding of increased lying behavior showed there were no differences in the
post-surgery (in all treatment time spent lying down after young calves
groups) contradicts previous
Figure 2. Model adjusted1 proportion of time walking by
research indicating cattle spend
analgesic treatment group2 and study period.3
higher percent of time standing
immediately following castra-
tion.8,14 These differences may
be due to procedures performed
and both the timing and length
of behavioral measurements.
In the aforementioned stud-
ies, calves were only castrated,
while in the current study both
castration and dehorning were
performed concurrently. The
increase in standing behavior
has been noted at 38 and 2414
hours following castration.How-
ever, our current study had only 1 Model included effects for repeated measures on individual calves, trial
replicate and hour of the day data was collected. Differences (P < 0.05)
limited data available for evalu- between analgesic treatments within each time point are represented by
ation during this time period due differing superscripts.
to exclusion of hours between 6 2 The four pre-operative treatments were: negative controls (CON, no
am and 6 pm related to intensive analgesia), sodium salicylate (SS), a combination of xylazine, ketamine
and butorphanol (XKB), and a combination of the last two treatments
cattle handling. Our data also (XKBSS).
covered a longer observational 3 Time periods relative to surgical event are defined as: PRE = trial days
period of time post-surgery as 0-4 (trial initiation to sham surgery); SHAM = trial days 5-6 (sham to
measurements were recorded actual surgery); POST = trial days 6-10 (surgery to trial end).

Intern J Appl Res Vet Med • Vol. 10, No. 1, 2012. 59

were dehorned chemically or by cauter-
ization with and without anesthesia when
compared 24 hours before and after dehorn-
ing. Morisse (1995) used a video sampling
technique in which a 1 minute video record-
ing was taken every 15 minutes for 24 hours
resulting in 96 observations per calf for
which results were interpreted. The lack of
a behavioral difference post-dehorning was
also displayed by Doherty (2007) in calves
dehorned by hot-iron and followed 72 hours
afterward using a video scan sampling tech-
nique. During our experiment, the calves
were larger and dehorned by scoop dehorn-
ing so comparisons between our results and
these must take this into consideration along
with the use of different analgesics and a dif-
ferent behavioral monitoring technique.
Cattle spent less time walking after
the castration and dehorning than in pre-
treatment measurement period. The percent
of time cattle spent walking in our study
was very low, and this is likely due to study
constraints that restricted our data to night-
time hours when cattle normally spend most
time resting.15 The fact that the calves were
in smaller pens with water and feed read-
ily available also might have contributed
to reduced walking behavior. Other studies
document that cattle under similar hus-
bandry conditions spend less time walking
than standing or lying.11,14 Although walking
as a percent of the total time period was
very low, the finding of decreased walking
behavior post-surgery may be an indica-
tor of calf attitude or responsiveness to the
environment. One interesting note was that
the CON calves decreased walking behavior
after the sham procedure.However, none
of the treated calves (SS, XKB, XKBSS)
displayed different walking behavior in the
SHAM period. This finding may indicate
that the pharmaceutical agents decreased
animal stress during this time period, but
walking behavior of these treated cattle
decreased POST in a similar fashion as the
CON group.
In this study, the experimental model
induced a behavioral change in CON cattle.
60
However, the analgesic agents selected did
not mitigate these changes in the treated
groups. The total analgesic protocol was
evaluated. Therefore, agents (SS and XKB)
were not administered at the same time rela-
tive to the surgical procedure. The advan-
tage of this design is external validity of
findings relative to how the protocols would
be applied in field settings. Yet, the disad-
vantage is the inability to directly compare
analgesic properties of the pharmaceutical
agents used in this project. The only behav-
iors analyzed in this study were time spent
lying down and walking. This is because
time spent lying down is very close to the
inverse of standing due to the low percent-
age of time walking throughout the time
periods and also because similar behaviors
have been recorded in previous research
allowing comparisons.8,10,14 Control cattle
spent less time walking and more time lying
following the procedures. However the level
of association between these measurements
and pain in cattle should be explored with
further research.
Potential limitations of this work include
the sole use of accelerometers to monitor
behavior, the evaluation of only nighttime
hours, and the length of time cattle were
monitored after the procedures. Other
work has utilized subjective observations
of animal behavior (eg, tail movement, ear
twitches) to evaluate potential changes in
animal attitude. Our work relied on accel-
erometer measures of calf activity, and the
correlation between subjective and objective
measures of animal behavior is unknown at
this time and should be an area of further
research. Due to participation in a concur-
rent trial and high level of human interaction
during the daytime hours, our study focused
on behavioral changes during the nighttime
hours. Previous work14 illustrates differenc-
es in lying behavior occurring immediately
following castration during the night time
hours. Further, our objective was to evalu-
ate potential differences between treatment
groups and the same hours of the day were
used to compare behavior between analgesic
protocol groups. Our study only monitored
Vol. 10, No. 1, 2012 • Intern J Appl Res Vet Med.
cattle for less than a week after the proce-
dure, and behavioral changes may have been
present beyond the trial period. However,
our hypothesis was that the analgesic proto-
cols utilized in this project would have the
most profound behavioral effects relatively
soon following the surgical procedures.
Further work should be done to evaluate the
long-term implications of analgesic protocol
administration at the time of dehorning and
castration.
CONCLUSION
This research describes behavioral trends
following the concurrent procedures of
castration and dehorning. Although the an-
algesic treatments may have contributed to
changes in other parameters following cas-
tration and dehorning they did not mitigate
the post-surgical lying and walking behavior
changes when compared to controls. This
research illustrates the use of objective
behavioral measures to evaluate the ability
of analgesic agents to minimize behavioral
changes after a painful procedure.
REFERENCES
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castration of cattle. The Veterinary Journal, 2007.
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3. Faulkner, D.B., et al., Performance and health of
weanling bulls after butorphanol and xylazine
administration at castration. J. Anim Sci., 1992.
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4. Faulkner, P.M. and D.M. Weary, Reducing Pain
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sessment of acute and chronic pain after different
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9. Doherty, T.J., et al., Effects of a concentrated lido-
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11. Mitlohner, F.M., et al., Behavioral sampling tech-
niques for feedlot cattle. J. Anim Sci., 2001. 79(5):
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12. Robert, B., et al., Evaluation of three dimensional
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effects of weaning beef calves in two stages on
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17. Stewart, M., et al., Effects of local anesthetic and
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61
BMC Veterinary Research

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Pharmacokinetics and effect of intravenous meloxicam in weaned Holstein

calves following scoop dehorning without local anesthesia
BMC Veterinary Research 2012, 8:153 doi:10.1186/1746-6148-8-153

Johann F Coetzee (hcoetzee@iastate.edu)

Ruby A Mosher (mosherru@k-state.edu)
Butch KuKanich (kukanich@ksu.edu)
Ronette Gehring (rgehring@vet.ksu.edu)
Brad Robert (brobert@ksu.edu)
Brandon Reinbold (reinboldja@elanco.com)
Brad J White (bwhite@vet.k-state.edu)

ISSN 1746-6148

Article type Research article

Submission date 22 May 2012

Acceptance date 15 August 2012

Publication date 1 September 2012

Article URL http://www.biomedcentral.com/1746-6148/8/153

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which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Pharmacokinetics and effect of intravenous
meloxicam in weaned Holstein calves following
scoop dehorning without local anesthesia
Johann F Coetzee1,3,*
Email: hcoetzee@iastate.edu

Ruby A Mosher1
Email: mosherru@k-state.edu

Butch KuKanich2
Email: kukanich@ksu.edu

Ronette Gehring1
Email: rgehring@vet.ksu.edu

Brad Robert1
Email: brobert@ksu.edu

J Brandon Reinbold1
Email: reinboldja@elanco.com

Brad J White1
Email: bwhite@vet.k-state.edu
1
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State
University, 66506-5601 Manhattan, KS, USA
2
Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Kansas State University, 66506-5601
Manhattan, KS, USA
3
Present address: Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine,
College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, 50014 Ames, IA, USA
*
Corresponding author. Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine,
College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, 50014 Ames, IA, USA

Abstract
Background

Dehorning is a common practice involving calves on dairy operations in the United States.
However, less than 20% of producers report using analgesics or anesthetics during dehorning.
Administration of a systemic analgesic drug at the time of dehorning may be attractive to
dairy producers since cornual nerve blocks require 10 – 15 min to take effect and only
provide pain relief for a few hours. The primary objectives of this trial were to (1) describe
the compartmental pharmacokinetics of meloxicam in calves after IV administration at 0.5
mg/kg and (2) to determine the effect of meloxicam (n = 6) or placebo (n = 6) treatment on
serum cortisol response, plasma substance P (SP) concentrations, heart rate (HR), activity and
weight gain in calves after scoop dehorning and thermocautery without local anesthesia.

Results

Plasma meloxicam concentrations were detectable for 50 h post-administration and fit a 2-

compartment model with a rapid distribution phase (mean T½α = 0.22 ± 0.087 h) and a slower
elimination phase (mean T½β = 21.86 ± 3.03 h). Dehorning caused a significant increase in
serum cortisol concentrations and HR (P < 0.05). HR was significantly lower in the
meloxicam-treated calves compared with placebo-treated calves at 8 h (P = 0.039) and 10 h
(P = 0.044) after dehorning. Mean plasma SP concentrations were lower in meloxicam treated
calves (71.36 ± 20.84 pg/mL) compared with control calves (114.70 ± 20.84 pg/mL)
(P = 0.038). Furthermore, the change in plasma SP from baseline was inversely proportional
to corresponding plasma meloxicam concentrations (P = 0.008). The effect of dehorning on
laying behavior was less significant in meloxicam-treated calves (p = 0.40) compared to the
placebo-treated calves (P < 0.01). Calves receiving meloxicam prior to dehorning gained on
average 1.05 ± 0.13 kg bodyweight/day over 10 days post-dehorning compared with
0.40 ± 0.25 kg bodyweight/day in the placebo-treated calves (p = 0.042).

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first published report examining the effects of meloxicam
without local anesthesia on SP, activity and performance of calves post-dehorning. These
findings suggest that administration of meloxicam alone immediately prior to dehorning does
not mitigate signs of acute distress but may have long term physiological, behavior and
performance effects.

Keywords
Analgesia, Meloxicam, Dehorning, Substance P, Cortisol, Heart rate, Accelerometers,
Performance

Background
Dehorning is one of the most common practices involving calves on dairy operations in the
United States [1]. Although the American Veterinary Medical Association recommends the
use of practices which reduce pain associated with dehorning, there are currently no drugs
approved for analgesia in cattle in the United States [2]. Meloxicam is a non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory drug (NSAID) of the oxicam class that is approved in the European Union for
adjunctive therapy in the treatment of cattle for acute respiratory disease; diarrhea and acute
mastitis when administered at 0.5 mg/kg IV or SC [3]. Meloxicam has recently been
approved in Canada for improving appetite and weight gains at the onset of diarrhea (calves >
1 w of age) and relief of pain following de-budding of horn buds in calves less than 3 months
of age. Heinrich et al. (2009) demonstrated that 0.5 mg/kg meloxicam IM combined with a
cornual nerve block reduced serum cortisol response for 6 hours in 6-12 wk old calves
compared with calves receiving only local anesthesia prior to cautery dehorning [4].
Furthermore, calves receiving meloxicam had lower heart rates and respiratory rates than
placebo treated control calves over 24 hours post-dehorning. Stewart et al. (2009) found that
meloxicam administered IV at 0.5 mg/kg mitigated the onset of pain responses associated
with hot-iron dehorning in 33 ± 3 day-old calves compared with administration of a cornual
nerve block alone as measured by heart rate variability and eye temperature [5]. Heinrich et
al. (2010) reported that meloxicam treated calves were less active than controls for 5 hours
after dehorning and displayed less sensitivity to pressure algometry 4 h after dehorning
compared with administration of a cornual nerve block alone [6]. Ingvast-Larsson et al.
described the pharmacokinetics of meloxicam in goats and observed fewer signs of distress in
treated kids compared with controls after dehorning [7]. These findings indicate that
administration of meloxicam at 0.5 mg/kg IV or IM decreases behavioral and physiological
responses linked to pain and distress associated with cautery dehorning.

In previous studies, a reduction in signs of distress following systemic meloxicam

administration prior to dehorning was achieved in combination with local anesthesia provided
with a cornual nerve block [4-6]. However, a survey of North-Central and North-Eastern
United States dairy producers found that only 12.4% of dairy owners use local anesthetic
nerve blocks and only 1.8% provide systemic analgesia at the time of dehorning [8].
Similarly, only 18% of Wisconsin dairy producers report using local anesthetics prior to
dehorning [9]. These data are consistent with the results of the recent National Animal Health
Monitoring System (NAHMS) survey that reported that only 13.8 percent of U.S operations
report using analgesics or anesthetics during hot iron dehorning [1]. Administration of
effective systemic analgesia at the time of dehorning instead of local anesthesia may be
attractive to dairy producers since cornual nerve blocks delay cattle processing because these
require 10 – 15 minutes to take effect [10].

The effects of meloxicam administration without local anesthesia on post-surgical behavior

and performance in older calves (> 16 weeks of age) have not been described. In addition, the
compartmental pharmacokinetics of meloxicam administered intravenously to calves
subjected to dehorning procedures has not been reported. If meloxicam administration alone
mitigates pain and distress and is associated with quantifiable performance benefits when
administered prior to dehorning, this would provide producers and veterinarians with a
practical and cost-effective way to reduce pain and distress after dehorning. The primary
objectives of this trial were to (1) describe the compartmental pharmacokinetics of
meloxicam in calves after IV administration at 0.5 mg/kg and (2) to determine the effect of
meloxicam on cortisol response, substance P (SP) concentrations, heart rate (HR), activity
and weight gain in calves after scoop dehorning and thermocautery without local anesthesia.

Results
No calves were determined to require rescue analgesia during the course of the study.

Meloxicam pharmacokinetics

The average observed and predicted plasma time-concentration curve of meloxicam

following IV administration at 0.5 mg/kg bodyweight in calves is presented in Figure 1. The
data fit a 2-compartment model characterized by rapid distribution of meloxicam from the
central to the peripheral compartment followed by a slower decline in mean plasma
meloxicam concentrations governed by metabolism and excretion processes. The mean
pharmacokinetic parameters calculated after fitting this model to the data are summarized in
Table 1.

Figure 1 Average predicted time-concentration curve compared to observed data (±

standard deviation; n = 6 calves) after administration of meloxicam at 0.5 mg/kg IV.
Linear and semi-log scale (inset) plots

Table 1 Mean plasma pharmacokinetic parameters for meloxicam after IV

administration at 0.5 mg/kg bodyweight determined using a two- compartment model
Parameter Units Mean Standard error
Vc mL/kg 94.88 9.04
V2 mL/kg 99.07 7.85
Vss mL/kg 193.94 10.34
CL mL/h/kg 6.64 0.76
CLD2 mL/h/kg 225.18 47.43
T½α hr 0.22 0.087
T½β hr 21.86 3.03
AUC hr*ug/mL 81.02 10.58
MRT hr 31.24 4.37
K10 1/h 0.075 0.012
K12 1/h 2.70 0.78
K21 1/h 2.20 0.39
Vc, - volume of the central compartment; V2 - volume of the peripheral compartment; Vss-
apparent volume of distribution at steady-state; CL - total body clearance; CLD2: -
distributional clearance from the central compartment to the peripheral compartment; T½α and
T½β half-lives for the distribution phases; AUC- area under the time-concentration curve;
MRT- mean residence time of the drug in the body; k12 and k21 - μ-rate constants for the
drug’s movement between the central and peripheral compartments; and k10 - elimination rate
constant.

Cortisol

Mean serum cortisol concentrations over time for the meloxicam and placebo treated groups
are presented in Figure 2. There were no significant differences in cortisol concentrations
noted between treatment groups at any time point. Mean cortisol concentrations were 57.62 ±
11.62 nmol/L in the control group and 42.10 ± 11.62 nmol/L in the meloxicam treated group
(P= 0.35). Cortisol concentrations in both treatment groups were significantly higher at 10,
15, 20 and 30 minutes after dehorning compared the other time points (P< 0.01). However,
there was no evidence of a time by treatment interaction (P=0.85). Mean non-compartmental
analysis parameters for cortisol are summarized in Table 2. There was no significant
difference between Cmax, Tmax and AUEC between treatment groups (P>0.05). There was
also no association between the log transformed percent change in cortisol concentrations and
the corresponding plasma meloxicam concentrations at each timepoint (P=0.45).

Figure 2 Mean (± SEM) serum cortisol concentrations (nmol/L) in calves receiving 0.5
mg/kg meloxicam or placebo IV immediately (< 30 s) prior to dehorning. There were no
significant differences between treatments at any timepoints
Table 2 Mean peak serum cortisol concentrations (Cmax), time to peak concentration
(Tmax) and area under the time-effect curve (AUEC) for cortisol determined using non-
compartmental analysis
Cortisol parameters Control Meloxicam P value
Tmax (min) 15.83 ± 4.92 19.17 ± 9.17 0.68
Cmax (nmol/L) 159.17 ± 11.032 165.00 ± 14.84 0.76
AUEC minute●nmol/L 133,584 ± 18,039 122,961 ± 20,441 0.70
Cmax Peak cortisol concentrations
Tmax time to peak cortisol concentration
AUEC area under the time-effect curve for cortisol determined using non-compartmental
analysis

Substance P (SP)

Mean (± SEM) SP concentrations were 114.70 ± 20.84 pg/mL in the control calves and 71.36
± 20.84 pg/mL in the meloxicam treated calves (P=0.038) (Figure 3). There was no evidence
of an effect of time (P=0.29) or a time by treatment interaction (P=0.16) on log-transformed
plasma SP concentrations. The back transformed estimate of the difference between average
SP concentration in meloxicam and placebo-treated calves was 0.50 (95% Confidence
interval: 0.26 to 0.96). Therefore, the plasma SP concentration is estimated to be 0.5 times
less in the presence of meloxicam treatment than in the absence of treatment in calves after
dehorning (95% Confidence interval: 0.26 to 0.96 times). Furthermore, there was an inverse
relationship between log-transformed meloxicam concentrations and log-transformed SP
percent change from baseline (P=0.008) with the regression curve described by the equation
Log SP % Change = 3.4475533 - 0.9440988*Log Meloxicam (Figure 4).

Figure 3 Mean (± SEM) plasma Substance P concentrations (nmol/L) in calves receiving

0.5 mg/kg meloxicam or placebo IV immediately (< 30 s) prior to dehorning. Columns
not connected by a symbol of the same shape and color are significantly different (P < 0.05)

Figure 4 Linear regression fit (solid line) and 95% confidence interval (dotted line) of
log transformed plasma substance P (SP) percent change from baseline concentrations
compared with log meloxicam concentrations. There was a negative correlation between
log meloxicam concentrations and% change in SP (P = 0.008) described by the equation Log
SP% Change = 3.4475533 - 0.9440988*Log Meloxicam

Activity and behavior

Data from one calf (calf number 7, meloxicam group) was not available for analysis due to
accelerometer malfunction resulting in loss of data. The effect of dehorning on lying behavior
was modified by meloxicam administration, as evidenced by the significant (p< 0.01)
interaction between time relative to dehorning (pre vs. post) and treatment group (meloxicam
vs. control). Calves in the control group spent a lower proportion (42.7%) of time lying post-
dehorning compared to pre-dehorning (46.1%); however, there were no significant
differences (p=0.40) in the proportion of time the meloxicam calves spent lying pre- or post-
dehorning (43.1%, 43.0%, respectively) (Figure 5).
Figure 5 Model estimated proportion of time calves spent lying by treatment group and
time relative to dehorning (pre = 48 h, post = 168 h). Model included random effects for
calf identification and trial replicate. Columns not connected by a symbol of the same shape
and color are significantly different (P < 0.05)

Heart rate (HR)

After periods of missing data were removed there were 156,398 data points available for
analysis. The comparison of mean heart rate in the period before and after dehorning in
meloxicam and placebo treated calves is presented in Figure 6. The mean HR was not
significantly different between calves assigned to the control group (91.85 ± 3.82
beats/minute) and the meloxicam treated group (90.27 ± 4.19 beats/minute) prior to
dehorning (p= 0.79). However, after dehorning, the mean HR in calves in the placebo treated
control group increasing to 94.83 ± 3.82 beats/minute (p < 0.0001) and in the meloxicam
treated calves increased to 97.72 ± 4.19 beats/minute (p< 0.0001). There was however no
difference in overall HR between the two treatment groups during the entire post-dehorning
period (p=0.62).

Figure 6 Mean (± SEM) heart rate (beats/min) in calves over 48 h before and after
receiving 0.5 mg/kg meloxicam or placebo IV immediately (< 30 s) prior to dehorning.
Columns not connected by a symbol of the same shape and color are significantly different
(P < 0.05)

In order to address issues with model stability and convergence when examining hourly
changes in HR after treatment, data were truncated to 20,000 data points collected at 15 sec
intervals over 12 h after dehorning (Figure 7). This allowed evaluation of the effect of
meloxicam treatment on hourly HR during the period immediately following dehorning.
There was evidence of an effect of time (P <0.0001) and a time by treatment interaction (P
<0.0001) on HR over this period. Mean HR was significantly elevated over the first 6 hours
after dehorning (Range: 99.85 – 106.13 beats/minute) (P < 0.05) compared with the heart rate
from 7 to 12 h after dehorning (Range: 86.79 to 97.30 beats/minute). The difference in mean
HR in calves treated with meloxicam compared to placebo-treated calves approached
significance at 7 h after dehorning (P=0.0639) and was significantly lower at 8 h (P=0.034)
and 10 h (P=0.045) after dehorning.

Figure 7 Mean (± SEM) heart rate (beats/min) in calves collected every 15 s over 12 h
after receiving 0.5 mg/kg meloxicam (▲) or placebo (□) IV immediately (< 30 s) prior to
dehorning. Columns not connected by a symbol of the same shape and color are significantly
different (P < 0.05)

Average daily gain (ADG) in bodyweight

During the 19 days preceding the current study, there was no significant difference (P= 0.41)
in mean ADG in body weight (± SD) for calves in the meloxicam group (0.86 ± 0.19
kg/calf/day) and the control group (1.02 ± 0.41 kg/calf/day). The mean ADG in calves in the
placebo or meloxicam treated groups 10 days after dehorning is presented in Figure 8. Calves
receiving meloxicam prior to dehorning gained an average of 1.05 ± 0.13 kg/day over 10 days
post dehorning. This was significantly greater than the mean average daily gain in
bodyweight of 0.40 ± 0.25 kg/day in the control group over the same period (p=0.0418).
Figure 8 Mean Average Daily Gain (ADG) (Kg) (+/− SEM) 10 days post-dehorning after
placebo or meloxicam administration at 0.5 mg/kg IV prior to dehorning. Columns not
connected by a symbol of the same shape and color are significantly different (P < 0.05)

Discussion
The primary objectives of this trial were to describe the compartmental pharmacokinetics of
meloxicam in calves after IV administration at 0.5 mg/kg and to determine the analgesic
effect of meloxicam after scoop dehorning and thermocautery without local anesthesia.
Surgery-induced pain and central sensitization consist of two phases: an immediate incisional
phase and a prolonged inflammatory phase that arises primarily due to tissue damage [11].
Demonstrating the adequacy of preemptive analgesia has two basic requirements [11]. The
first is to demonstrate the direct pharmacological effect of the analgesic. This was
accomplished in the present study by comparing differences in acute biomarkers of pain and
distress including substance P, cortisol response and heart rate between treated and control
subjects. The second requirement is to demonstrate the extension of the antinociceptive effect
into the postoperative period when pain due to inflammation becomes the dominant process
[11]. In practical terms, two approaches have been used to demonstrate the efficacy of
preemptive analgesic regimens. The first is to demonstrate a reduction in pain intensity
beyond the presence of the drug in the biophase in studies involving treated and untreated
control subjects. The second approach is to demonstrate that a treatment applied before
surgery is more effective than the treatment applied at the end of surgery [11]. In the present
study, we used pharmacokinetic analysis to determine the presence of meloxicam in the
biophase and cortisol, SP and heart rate analysis to determine the direct pharmacological
effect of meloxicam in treated and untreated calves. Continuous, telemetric assessment of
posture and activity over 96 hours after dehorning and weight gain over 10 days was used to
determine if meloxicam effects extended into the post-operative period.

In the present study, plasma meloxicam concentrations were still quantifiable in the last
sample, at 52 hours post-injection, and showed a bi-exponential decay following
administration. The initial steep decline in plasma concentrations was likely due to the rapid
distribution of the drug from the central to the peripheral compartment. This was followed by
a slower decline in plasma concentrations associated with drug metabolism and excretion.
Although exceptions due to species and drug compound exist, NSAIDs in general tend to be
highly protein-bound in the plasma which limits distribution into the tissue, leading to low
volume of the central compartment and low volume of distribution [12] as was seen in the
current study. The extended half-life of meloxicam in cattle is likely due to a low total body
clearance representing mostly hepatic clearance since high levels of protein binding tend to
limit glomerular filtration of drug compounds.

The clinical implication of the slow elimination of meloxicam from the body is that
infrequent drug administration (once every few days) may be sufficient to mitigate pain
effects due to post-surgical inflammation in calves. It was recently reported that generic
meloxicam tablets have 100% bioavailability following oral administration in ruminant
calves suggesting that this may provide a practical and cost effective alternative to IV
administration in those animals [13]. The pharmacokinetic profile of meloxicam described in
the current report along with the associated effects on behavior and performance suggest that
administration immediately prior to dehorning may have effects for several days post-
dehorning. Given that the plasma half-life of meloxicam is longer than previously reported
for ketoprofen (0.42 h) [14], salicylate (0.5 h) [15] and flunixin (4- 8 h) [16], these results
suggest that meloxicam may have an extended duration of activity compared with other
NSAIDs currently available in the U.S. However, further research is needed to determine if
the effect of these analgesics is directly related to plasma drug concentrations, and if so, to
determine the effective range. Although the literature is deficient in studies with cattle, the
effective plasma concentration (EC50) of meloxicam is estimated to be 0.73 μg/mL in the
horse [17] and 0.36 μg/mL in the dog [18]. If cattle respond to meloxicam as horses and dogs,
the effective plasma drug concentration would be maintained for several days following IV
administration of meloxicam at 0.5mg/kg.

Cortisol, substance P and heart rate analysis was used as an indicator of the acute
pharmacological effect of meloxicam on pain and distress associated with dehorning in
treated and untreated calves. It has been reported that plasma cortisol concentrations reach a
peak within 30 minutes after dehorning after which levels decrease to a plateau concentration
that persists for 5 – 6 hours [19,20]. The results presented here are consistent with previous
reports that demonstrate a significant increase in plasma cortisol concentration after
dehorning [4,5,21]. However, in contrast with the findings of Heinrich and others [4], the
present study failed to demonstrate that calves receiving meloxicam prior to dehorning had
lower cortisol concentrations compared with untreated controls. This may be due to
differences in the blood collection schedule that was designed to minimize the effect of
animal handling on behavioral assessment. Furthermore, the present study enrolled older
calves (<3mo vs. >4 mo) and necessarily employed a different method of dehorning (cautery
disbudding vs. amputation). Since the horn bud attaches to the skull of calves at
approximately 2 months of age, then gradually develops a diverticulum communicating with
the frontal sinus, removal of the horn tissue is generally considered more invasive and
stressful in older animals resulting in higher cortisol concentrations [22].

The most likely explanation for the differences in cortisol response is that previous reports
frequently combined NSAID administration with local anesthesia. Local anesthetics mitigate
acute incisional pain by blocking voltage-gated sodium channels in the nerves preventing the
generation and propagation of nerve impulses or action potentials [10]. In the bovine, this
effect lasts approximately 2 – 3 h after dehorning with the provision of a lidocaine block of
the cornual nerve [10,20]. Lidocaine local anesthesia combined with systemic ketoprofen
administration prior to dehorning significantly attenuates the plasma cortisol response
compared with the effect of the agents administered separately [19,20,23]. The reason why
we chose not to administer local anesthesia in the present study was because surveys suggest
that less that 20% of U.S. dairy producers currently use local anesthetics prior to dehorning
and our goal was to look at the effect of an NSAID without local anesthesia [1,8,9]. The
absence of an effect of meloxicam on acute cortisol response suggests that provision of
systemic analgesia alone without local anesthesia is inadequate in providing adequate
preemptive analgesia using the definition provided by Kissin, 2000 [11].

Substance P is an 11-amino acid prototypic neuropeptide that regulates the excitability of

dorsal horn nociceptive neurons and is expressed in areas of the neuroaxis involved in the
integration of pain, stress, and anxiety [24]. It has been reported that plasma SP
concentrations are significantly higher in beef calves after castration compared with
uncastrated controls [25]. In the present study, mean plasma substance P concentration was
estimated to be reduced by 50% (95% Confidence interval: 26 to 96%) in calves that received
meloxicam prior to dehorning compared with placebo-treated controls. Furthermore, we
observed that increases in plasma substance P concentrations from baseline corresponded
with lower log plasma meloxicam concentrations. These findings support the hypothesis that
meloxicam treatment mitigates SP release and therefore potentially reduced pain perception
in calves after dehorning without local anesthesia. To our knowledge this is the first study
that has demonstrated a relationship between substance P concentrations and analgesic drug
concentrations after dehorning. This suggests that SP measurement may have potential to be
used as a biomarker for determining analgesic drug efficacy in calves subjected to painful
procedures. Furthermore, the absence of an effect of meloxicam treatment on serum cortisol
concentrations suggests that simultaneous determination of plasma SP and cortisol
concentrations during painful procedures may assist in differentiating between acute stress
associated with handling and distress associated with nociception as previously described
[25].

Normal HR in unstressed cattle range from 70 to 90 bpm [26] but mean HR has been shown
to increase by 30 to 40 bpm over baseline levels by stressful events such as branding, electric
shock and handling prior to dehorning and castration [21,27,28]. Schwartzkopf-Genswein
and others reported that HR in dehorned calves was significantly higher that control animals
for 120 minutes after the procedure [21]. Similarly, Grondahl-Nielsen et al. (1999) observed
that HR was elevated for 3.5 h in dehorned calves receiving no anesthetic or analgesic
compared with calves that were only sham dehorned [29]. Likewise, Stewart et al, 2009
observed that HR was raised above baseline for 3 h after dehorning without local anesthesia
[5]. Heinrich et al (2009) observed a greater increase in HR, measured by thoracic
auscultation at 7 time points over 24 h, in placebo-treated calves compared with calves that
received 0.5 mg/kg meloxicam IM combined with corneal nerve block at 10 minutes prior to
dehorning [4]. In the present study, baseline HR was higher than previously reported and
were maintained above 100 bpm for 6 hours after dehorning in both treatment groups. This
difference could be attributed to the use of older calves (16 – 20 wks vs. < 6 wks) than what
had been used in previous experiments. In our study we observed a significant decrease in
mean HR in meloxicam-treated calves at 8 and 10 hours after dehorning. These results
support the conclusions of Heinrich and others (2009) [4] that meloxicam reduces the stress
response after dehorning as reflected by in changes in heart rate even in the absence of local
anesthetic administration at the time of dehorning.

Comparison between calf behavior before and after dehorning and assessment of weight gain
over 10 days post-dehorning was used to determine if meloxicam effects extended into the
post-operative period. It was recently reported that calves that received oral meloxicam at 1
mg/kg spent more time lying down over 4 days compared with placebo-treated control calves
[30]. The amount of time cattle exhibit specific behaviors is commonly used to indicate
comfort and/or clinical illness [31-34]. An increase or decrease in laying behavior, however,
does not expressly indicate pain or comfort and must be interpreted within the context of
what is normal for a particular animal. Cattle in pain due to lameness have been observed to
lay more [35] whereas cattle in pain due to dehorning and castration have been observed to
lie less than nonpainful controls [6,30,36,37]. Furthermore, lying behavior among individual
cattle within a herd has been observed to vary more than lying behavior between herds [34].
Therefore, within-animal comparisons, such as implicitly occurs with an analysis such as in
the current study comparing an individual’s control period (pre-procedure) and treatment
period (post-procedure) behavior, are likely to be more sensitive than between-animal
comparisons in detecting changes due to a particular treatment. Since meloxicam-treated
calves were intermingled equally with placebo-treated calves, the difference noted between
groups in the pre-procedure period is likely due to individual variation in the normal amount
of time spent lying.
It has been previously reported that calves that received meloxicam at 0.5 mg/kg IM
combined with corneal nerve blocks were less active than controls during the first 5 h
following dehorning compared with placebo-treated controls [6]. In the present study, calves
receiving meloxicam without local anesthesia demonstrated no significant difference in
laying activity before and after dehorning. In contrast, control calves spent less time lying
after dehorning, and although the percentage difference was numerically small (3.4%), this
difference was significant due to the associated small standard error. This is similar to the
results reported by Theurer and others (2012) that observed differences in laying behavior for
5 days after dehorning in calves that received oral meloxicam at 1 mg/kg [30]. When
considering a 3.4% difference over a 24 hour period, control calves stood an average of 49
minutes more per day after dehorning than before. In meloxicam calves, the absence of an
effect of dehorning on laying behavior may have been due to the analgesic activity of the
drug. These results suggest that meloxicam mitigates behavioral effects of dehorning even in
the absence of local anesthetic administration.

Studies reporting a difference in weight gain between analgesic-treated and unmedicated

calves after dehorning are deficient in the published literature. Previously, Faulkner and
Weary (2000) demonstrated that calves receiving ketoprofen prior to dehorning tended to
gain more weight during the 24 h after dehorning than untreated calves [38]. However, during
the subsequent 24 hour period, weight gains were similar between the two groups.
Administration of the NSAID, sodium salicylate in drinking water for 2 d after dehorning and
castration was found to increase ADG over 13 d [39]. Over the 10 day duration of the present
study, calves receiving meloxicam gained significantly more weight than those in the control
group, with a mean difference of 0.65 ± 0.28 kg/day (p=0.0418). This finding supports the
hypothesis that extended exposure to a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) may
maintain growth and performance after castration.

Although studies reporting a performance benefit after NSAID administration 2- 3 weeks

following processing and castration are deficient in the published literature, meloxicam
administration has been associated with improved average daily gain in calves suffering from
clinical bovine respiratory disease [40]. Therefore, in order to definitively attribute the
observed difference in ADG to the effect of meloxicam on pain and inflammation associated
only with dehorning, future studies should also include additional meloxicam treated and
untreated control calves that are processed but not dehorned.

The biological explanation for the improved ADG observed in this study was not
investigated. Meloxicam treated and untreated control calves were co-mingled in pens for the
duration of the study precluding assessment of individual animal feed intake or feed
efficiency. Furthermore, even though the accelerometer analysis revealed significant
differences in the pre and post-dehorning behavior of control calves, this technology is
currently not sufficiently sensitive to characterize subtle differences in feeding and walking
behavior that could contribute to performance differences. However, Theurer and others [30]
recently reported that calves that received oral meloxicam prior to dehorning spent more time
at the grain bunk and less time at the hay feeder compared to the control group which could
explain the difference in weight gain observed in the present study. Another possible
contributory factor to the performance difference is that increased activity of nociceptors
increases sympathetic tone and adrenal secretory activity which may inhibit gastric centers
causing decreased rumen motility [41]. Mellor and others (2002) reported a significant
increase in plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline concentration for 5 and 50 minutes
respectively after scoop dehorning in 10 week old calves [42]. Adrenergic influences on
reticuloruminal motility comprise depression of the gastric centers resulting in inhibition of
intrinsic and extrinsic rumen motility [43]. The duration of these effects and how these relate
to plasma catecholamine concentrations has not been reported. Future studies examining
individual or pen level feed intake and feed efficiency and the association with rumen
motility after dehorning may help explain the difference in ADG observed in this report.

Conclusion
The results of this trial support the conclusions of previous reports that observed a significant
effect of meloxicam on behavior and heart rate changes after dehorning with local anesthesia
[4,6,30]. However, we failed to detect an effect of meloxicam administered without local
anesthesia on serum cortisol concentrations. This suggests that systemic administration of an
NSAID does not adequately mitigate acute signs of distress associated with dehorning. This
study contributes to the body of literature by demonstrating for the first time that meloxicam
administration significantly reduces plasma substance P concentrations and that an inverse
relationship exists between meloxicam concentrations and changes in circulating SP
concentration after dehorning. To our knowledge, this is also the first published report that
observed a significant effect of meloxicam administration on plasma substance P
concentrations and weight gain after dehorning. These results have implications for
developing pain mitigation strategies involving NSAIDs in calves at dehorning with respect
to addressing both animal performance and welfare concerns.

Methods
All experimental procedures in this study were approved by the Kansas State University (KS)
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) under the supervision of the
University Veterinarian (Protocol #2694). Since a placebo-treated, dehorned control group
was enrolled in the study, calves were assessed hourly for behavioral signs of excessive pain
over a period of 10 hours after surgery. This was followed by twice daily monitoring for 7
days. Calves demonstrating postural changes, prolonged recumbency, anorexia and
depression were scheduled to receive rescue analgesia with flunixin meglumine at 2.2 mg/kg
IV, BID.

Animals

Twelve Holstein calves approximately 16-20 wks of age and weighing between 140-205 Kg
were acquired from a commercial dairy located in South-West Kansas. Upon arrival, the
calves were given an eight-way clostridial vaccine (Covexin 8, Schering Plough), a single SQ
injection of tulathromycin (Draxxin, Pfizer) at 2.5 mg/kg bodyweight, and doramectin
(Dectomax Pour-on, Pfizer) administered topically at 500 μg/kg bodyweight. Amprolium
(Corid, Merial) was added to the drinking water to provide 10 mg/kg PO for 5 days. Calves
were maintained in study housing facilities for 19 days prior to study commencement.

Randomization and group assignment

Calves were blocked in pairs according to their weights determined approximately 14 days
prior to study commencement. Calves were ranked by ascending weight in kilograms and
assigned a computer-generated random number (Microsoft Excel 2007, Microsoft
Corporation). In each pair, the calf with the highest random number was assigned to the
meloxicam-treated group, while the calf with the lowest random number was designated as a
placebo-treated control (n=6 calves/group).

Housing and husbandry

Calves were housed in groups of 6 animals (n=3 steers from each treatment group in each
pen) in a dry lot confinement facility at KSU Animal Resource Facility for the duration of the
study. Housing consisted of an outdoor concrete pad (9.75m x 18.29m) with a partial roof on
straw bedding. During the adaptation period, each calf was tied with a rope halter to the pole
fence within their pen for at least 10 minutes/day. Calves had free access to water and brome
hay for the entire housing period. A balanced feedlot receiving ration composed of cracked
corn, wheat middlings, oats, soymeal and a protein/vitamin/mineral supplement (Table 3) was
fed at 3.6 kg/head/day.

Table 3 Ration nutrient composition on an as fed and dry matter basis

NUTRIENT COMPOSITION
AS FED DRY
NEm Megcal/CWT. 83.10 95.23
NEg Megcal/CWT. 54.62 62.59
TDN% 76.46 87.62
Fat 4.61 5.29
Crude Fiber 4.18 4.79
ADF 5.61 6.43
NDF 12.84 14.71
eNDF 26.56 30.43
Crude Protein% 13.65 15.64
Potassium% 0.60 0.69
Calcium% 0.33 0.38
Phosphorus% 0.35 0.40
Magnesium% 0.14 0.16
Sulfur% 0.24 0.28
Cobalt ppm 0.06 0.07
Copper ppm 5.94 6.8
Iron ppm 50.64 58.0
Manganese ppm 20.75 23.8
Selenium ppm 0.14 0.17
Zinc ppm 309.55 354.7
NEm Megcal/CWT –Megcal of Net Energy for Maintenance (NEm) available per 100 lb
(CWT) of feed; NEm Megcal/CWT – Megcal of Net Energy for Maintenance (NEm)
available per 100 lb of feed; TDN - Total Digestible Nutrients; ADF - Acid Detergent Fiber;
NDF – Neutral Detergent Fiber; eNDF – Effective NDF; ppm – parts per million

Catheterization and acclimatization

Approximately 48 hours prior to study commencement, calves were restrained for jugular
catheter placement under local anesthesia. All study animals were fit with two catheters, one
catheter was designated for drug or placebo administration and the other for blood sample
collection. Catheter patency was maintained using heparin saline flush containing 3 USP
units heparin sodium/ml saline (Heparin Sodium Injection, Baxter Healthcare). Catheters
were removed immediately following drug administration or final blood collection.

Following catheter placement, calves were restrained twice daily using a rope halter to
simulate study sampling procedures. Furthermore, calves were run through the chute
handling facilities once daily and manipulated in the same manner as the proposed study
procedures. Cattle were also fitted with commercially manufactured 3-dimensional
accelerometers (GP1 SENSR, Reference LLC) at described in previous studies [44]. The
accelerometers were left on the calves until study completion, approximately 7 days after
placement.

Treatment administration

Calves were subjected to either meloxicam or placebo treatment as outlined below (n=6
steers/treatment). Doses were calculated based on individual animal bodyweight determined
14 hours prior to study commencement. The IV dose was rounded to the nearest 0.5 ml and
administered using a 20 mL syringe. Meloxicam or the placebo was administered
immediately (<30 seconds) prior to commencement of the dehorning procedure.

1) Intravenous (IV) injection of 0.5 mg/kg of meloxicam (Metacam 5 mg/ml solution for
injection (NADA 141-219), Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc; Lot # 118ZN12)
was administered as a single bolus in the jugular vein using a designated catheter. The
catheter was flushed with 5 mL of heparin-saline and removed immediately after
administration.
2) Intravenous sodium chloride injection (0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection USP, Baxter
Healthcare Corp) was administered at a volume based on a presumed dose of 0.5
mg/kg meloxicam injection.

Observers and analytical chemists in the study were masked to treatment group allocation.

Dehorning

Prior to dehorning, all calves were restrained in a chute with a head gate and a rope halter.
The horn was removed using a Barnes dehorning instrument (Stone Manufacturing & Supply
Company). Briefly, the opposing blades of the instrument were aligned with the base of the
horns at the skin-horn junction. The handles of the instrument were then closed slowly to
ensure proper placement of the instrument. Once optimal positioning was achieved, the
handles were spread quickly apart to engage the blades and cut off the horn. Hemostasis was
achieved through thermocautery using a pre-heated electric dehorning iron (Stone
Manufacturing & Supply Company). All dehorning procedures were performed by a single
experienced veterinarian (BR). After dehorning, calves remained standing but unrestrained in
the chute for 20 minutes to facilitate intensive blood sampling. Subsequent samples were
collected in housing pens with calves periodically restrained using a rope halter.

Blood sample collection

Eighteen milliliters of whole blood for cortisol, substance P (SP) and meloxicam
determination was collected into syringes using the pre-placed jugular catheter immediately
prior to drug or placebo administration, and at 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 60 minutes and again at 6,
22, 30, 45 and 52 hours thereafter. Blood was immediately transferred to 6 ml serum and
lithium heparin vacutainer tubes (BD Diagnostics) for cortisol and drug determination
respectively. Blood for SP determination was collected in 6 ml EDTA tubes containing the
serine protease inhibitor, aprotonin at 500 KIU/mL of blood. The vacutainer tubes were
stored on ice for no more than 60 minutes pending sample processing. Thereafter, blood
samples were centrifuged at 1,600 g for 15 minutes at 4°C. Serum and plasma were pipetted
from their respective tubes and placed in cryovials for storage at -80°C prior to sample
analysis. All samples were analyzed within 60 days of sample collection.

Cortisol determination

Serum cortisol concentrations were determined using a solid-phase competitive

chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay and an automated analyzer system (Immulite 1000
Cortisol, Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics) as previously described using an assay
validated in bovine plasma [15,45]. A sample volume of 100 μL was used in each assay well.
The reported calibration range for the assay is 28 to 1,380 nmol/L with an analytical
sensitivity of 5.5 nmol/L.

Substance P determination

Plasma substance P concentrations were determined in duplicate using a validated method as

previously described [25]. Briefly, Substance P was extracted from plasma by acidifying with
acetic acid and fractionating with reverse-phase solid-phase extraction columns. The peptide
was eluted from the column using an organic-aqueous solvent mixture and concentrated by
drying under nitrogen. The dried extract was reconstituted and analyzed according to the
manufacturer’s instructions in the Substance P ELISA kit (Assay designs, Ann Arbor, MI).
The coefficient of variation between triplicate bovine samples at each fortified SP
concentration was < 30%. The linear regression line fit between the three points at each of
three control concentrations had a correlation coefficient of 0.99.

Accelerometers

Activity data was collected for 48 and 168 hours pre- and post-dehorning, respectively.
Accelerometers sampled at 100Hz and summarized values for the selected variables every 5
seconds. Five variables were recorded by the accelerometers for each 5-second interval:
average acceleration in each of the three axes (X, Y, and Z), the combined average magnitude
for all three axes, and the maximum combined vector magnitude. At trial completion, data
were imported into commercial data mining software (Insightful Miner, Insightful
Corporation), and a previously validated decision tree [30,36,44] was used to classify the
behavior as lying, standing, or walking for each 5 second interval.

Heart rate determination

Heart rate data were recorded for 48 hours before and after dehorning for each calf. Heart rate
was recorded and analyzed using a commercially available heart rate monitor and software
(RS800 and Polar Pro Trainer Equine Edition, Polar Electro, Inc, Lake Success, NY) as
previously described [45]. The heart rate monitor consisted of a transmitter placed over the
heart in the left foreflank attached to a girth strap placed around the heart girth of the calves,
and a wrist unit attached to the elastic strap which received and recorded the signal from the
transmitter. Appropriate conductance for the electrodes on the strap, one positioned on the
sternum and one over the right scapula, was facilitated by use of ultrasound gel (Medline
Industries Inc. Mundeline, Il). The transmitter measured the electric signal (ECG) of the heart
every 15 seconds. Prior to study commencement, the heart rate wrist unit time was
synchronized with the stopwatches used for all other sample collection. The corresponding
heart rate within 15 seconds of each time point was used for analysis.

Average daily weight gain (ADG)

Calves were individually weighed on arrival, approximately 14 hours prior to dehorning and
10 days post-dehorning using a commercial livestock scale (For-Most Livestock Equipment).
Food and water were not withheld prior to weighing. Average daily gain (ADG) was
calculated by subtracting the arrival from the pre-dehorning weight and the pre-dehorning
weight from the post-dehorning weight and dividing this by the number of days that passed
between weigh dates.

Plasma meloxicam determination

Plasma concentrations of meloxicam (m/z 352.09→114.90) were determined with high-

pressure liquid chromatography (Shimadzu Prominence, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments)
and mass spectrometry (API 2000, Applied Biosystems) as previously described [13,46].
With a limit of quantification of 0.025 μg/mL, the standard curve was linear from 0.025
μg/mL to 10 μg/mL and was accepted if the correlation coefficient exceeded 0.99 and
predicted values were within 15% of the actual values. The accuracy of the assay was 103 ±
7% of the actual value and the coefficient of variation was 7% determined on replicates of 5
each at 0.025, 0.5, and 5 μg/mL.

Pharmacokinetic analysis

Compartmental pharmacokinetic analysis of the meloxicam time concentration data was

performed using a commercially available software program (WinNonlin, Pharsight
Corporation) as previously described [15,47]. Model selection was conducted using visual
inspection of predicted versus observed data plots and two measures of goodness of fit
(Aikaike Information Criterion and Schwarz Bayesian Criterion).

Data analysis and statistics

Hypothesis tests were conducted using JMP 5.1.2 analytical software (SAS Institute, INC)
unless otherwise specified [48]. For statistical analysis, the calf was considered the
experimental unit. The mean ± standard error of the means (SEM) and the mean difference
where appropriate were calculated for each outcome variable at each time point. Statistical
significance was designated a priori at p<0.05. Model fit was assessed by evaluating the form
of marginal studentized residuals versus fitted values plot. The model was determined
appropriate if the mean of the residuals versus fitted values plot was centered on zero.

For repeated measures data (heart rate, substance P and cortisol concentrations at each time
point), a random effects-mixed model was constructed with treatment, time and the
interaction between time and treatment designated as fixed effects. In this model, animal
nested in treatment was designated as a random effect to account for the between subject
effects. Where significant interactions were detected, comparisons between different
combinations were conducted using two-sided Student t-tests. The experiment wise
significance level was protected by employing the Tukey method in examining comparisons.
Substance P data were not normally distributed and therefore these were log transformed
prior to statistical analysis. For heart rate data, the statistical model failed to converge due to
the large number of data points relative to the number of animals on trial and periods of
missing data especially after 12 h post-dehorning. Therefore, an initial analysis was
conducted on the cumulative data collected in the periods before and after dehorning
followed by a detailed analysis of the hourly data over 12 h post-dehorning.

Accelerometer data were imported into a commercial data mining software (Insightful Miner,
Insightful Corporation, Seattle, WA), and a previously validated decision tree [36,44] was
used to classify the behavior as lying, standing, or walking for each 5 second interval.
Following classification, data were aggregated on an hourly basis by the summing of the
counts of 5-second intervals spent in each behavior. Hours with known periods of human
intervention (feeding, sample collection, animal processing, and treatment administration)
were removed equally from calves in both treatment groups. The remaining hourly behavioral
data from both replicates of the trial were imported into a statistical program (SAS 9.1, SAS
Institute, Cary, NC) for analysis. The proportion of time calves spent in each activity was
modeled using logistic regression (PROC GLIMMIX) to evaluate potential associations
between lying behavior and time relative to dehorning (pre- or post-), treatment (Meloxicam
or control), and the interaction between these variables. Random effects were included in the
model to account for a lack of independence in each sampling due to multiple calves housed
within the same pen and repeated measures on individual calves. Pairwise comparisons were
performed to determine statistically significant differences.

Summary measures of cortisol including peak plasma concentration (Cmax), time to peak
concentration (Tmax) and area under the time-effect curve (AUEC) were determined as
previously described [47] using the linear trapezoidal rule and WinNonlin software
(Pharsight Corporation, Cary, NC). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to
evaluate differences in single measurement, normally distributed data (ADG, Cmax, and
AUEC). The Kruskal-Wallis Test was used to analyze non-parametric data (Tmax).

In order to determine the relationship between plasma meloxicam concentrations, SP and

serum cortisol concentrations at the corresponding time points after dehorning, post hoc
linear regression curves were constructed using the log-transformed percentage change from
baseline. Statistical significance was designated a priori at p<0.05.

Competing interests
A provisional patent application (PCT/US2011/044017) titled “Oral Administration of
Meloxicam in Cattle for Improved Growth following Dehorning and Reduction of Bovine
Respiratory Disease upon Castration” was filed by Kansas State University on July 14, 2011.
Authors’ contribution
JFC conceived the study, assisted with the animal phase of the trial, conducted the statistical
analysis and prepared the manuscript for publication. RAM assisted with the animal phase of
the study, statistical analysis and manuscript preparation. BK conducted the meloxicam
extraction and analysis. RG conducted the pharmacokinetic analysis. BR assisted with the
collection and analysis of the accelerometer data. JBR conducted the dehorning procedures
and BJW conducted the statistical analysis of the accelerometer data. All authors read and
approved the final manuscript.

Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University.
Dr Coetzee and Dr Mosher were supported by USDA- CSREES, Animal Protection (Animal
Well-being), NRI Grant # 2008-35204-19238 and 2009-65120-05729.

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DEHORNING OF CATTLE

Research · February 2016

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.2449.1287

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 Jose Armando Garcia Buitrago. New Mexico State University. Dairy Extension Program

2010). Removing the horns is one of main

DEHORNING OF CATTLE zootechnical procedures in the beef and
INTRODUCTION dairy livestock around of the world
(USDA, 2007; Gottardo et al., 2011; Cozzi
Naturally the cattle, both males and et al., 2009; Kupczyński et al., 2014), but
females have horns, evolutionary function now is also an issue critical in terms of
of horns in the ungulates has been animal welfare as it violates the integrity
rationed with giving advantages for of the animals and causes stress and pain.
defense against predators. The horns in

natural conditions are used by the
animals for the defense and maintenance
of the position in the herd. Hornedness, it
is a male secondary sex character
(Kupczyński et al., 2014); there are
indications that horns serve as honest
signals of genetic quality considerate by
females in choosing mating partners
(Estes, 1991) and possibly in the bovid
females served the mother to protect
their male offspring against the
aggression of dominant males (Roberts,
1996). Another potential function of
horns may be the thermoregulation. The

cattle breeds originating from hot
climates often have large horns, it’s Figure 1. Location of horn bud and horn in growing
in the calf.
because the core of the horn is part of the
frontal sinus and horns may contribute to TECHNICAL JUSTIFICATION FOR
nasal heat exchange, which is found in a APPLICATION OF DEHORNING
range of large mammals. This is a
Horned cattle are perceived by beef
mechanism to considerably reduce water
producers to be more aggressive than
loss through cooling of the air during
polled (Goonerwardene et al., 1999),
exhalation in giraffes, waterbucks, goats
according to farmers’ reports, horned
and cows (Langman et al., 1979).
cattle seem to be more self confident and
In past times the farmers preferred cattle
ready to defend themselves in any
with horns because they were used as
unpleasant situation, e.g. when they have
animals to work, and the horns served to
to be restraint for injections or other
tie the yoke, this is observed yet in some
treatments; for these reasons, cattle
regions of countries of third world
workers (veterinarians, cattle dealers and
(Ramaswamy, 1994). Currently, some
beef cattle breeds are polled, but most cattle handlers) prefer managing
dehorned cattle (Knierim et al., 2009).
dairy breeds and many beef breeds still
However, practically there is not scientific
grow horns (Stafford and Mellor, 2011). Is
evidence of differences behavioral or in
argued that cows with horns are more
difficult to manage; so many cattle temperament scores between horned and
hornless cattle during handling.
routinely have their horns removed.
Contrarily to frequent expectations that
On farms where predation is a problem as
horned cattle would be more aggressive
extensive livestock, cows may be left with
than dehorned ones, some observations
horns to protect their calves and
of herds’ behavior cited by Irrgang
themselves; and also in organic dairy
(2012), showed that threats without
farm horns may not be removed (Grandin,
physical interaction were more effective
 Jose Armando Garcia Buitrago. New Mexico State University. Dairy Extension Program

and physical agonistic interactions less At the same time that the concentration of
frequent in horned flocks than in hornless animals is increasing in the modern
herds; it concluding that is possible that farms, there has been a decrease in the
horned animals are receiving more number of workers employed; So
respect from their conspecifics than of increasing the number of animals per
those hornless. But, it is really certain that worker and increasing workers’ risk to be
the dehorned cattle are considered less hurt by the animals. Any normal head
dangerous for ranchers. In some movements of the animal, e.g. to chase
countries it is illegal to transport long away flies, could hurt unwary stockmen
horned cattle, so must be cut their horns- accidentally. And evidently an intentional
tip before they be transported (Stafford attack of horned animals can cause much
and Mellor, 2011), although this practice more harm as if done by hornless animals
is not properly a dehorning, only procure (Knierim et al., 2009).
the safeness of workers and animals.
Horned animals have more problem due
to the risk of injuries caused by horn
thrusts amongst the animals, which can
occur especially when they are kept in
loose housing and during transport
(Knierim et al., 2009). Injuries caused by
horn during the transport may be a
reason for damage of edible carcass
tissues, which considerably reduces meat
quality (SANCO, 2009), increasing the
carcass wastage due to bruising, and
trimming associated with hurting to
tissues (Sylvester et al., 2004).
In the dairy pens serious injuries could
are especially problematic when udder or Figure 2. Intentional attack of horned animals can
vulva is affected. Horn thrusts in the cause much more harm as if done by hornless
udder can result in the occurrence of animals.
visible blood in the milk, which also has
economical implications, because the milk Cattle horn injuries have been commonly
cannot be sold before it is free of blood observed in rural areas around of world
again, and the affected cow may need (Wasadikar et al., 1997). Several
medical treatment (Knierim et al., 2009). retrospective studies had pointed, that
Strong thrusts in the body can even result open globe injuries by cow horns are
in a rupture of the abdominal wall or relatively common (Helbig and Iseli,
abortion (Rosenberger, 1970 cited by 2002; Ibrahim and Olusanya, 2014). Cow
Knierim et al., 2009). Stafford and Mellor horns also have caused facial lacerations
(2011) reported having treated horses and fractures of facial bones (Ugboko et
with serious abdominal injuries caused by al, 2002), abdominal injuries (Abita et al.,
the horns of cows with calves, and bulls. 2008), anorectal injuries (Chirdan and
These accidents often increase the costs Uba, 2004), urethrorectal injuries (Pal et
and negatively affect the farm’s profits al., 2002) and non-obstetric vulvo-vaginal
(Goonewardene et al., 1999; Gottardo et injuries (Habek and Kulas, 2007).
al., 2011). Also, dehorned cattle require Reports of injuries to people by cattle
less feeding trough space and easier horns are very infrequent in livestock
handling and transporting (Faulkner and operations of developed countries,
Weary, 2000; Prayaga, 2007). perhaps because dehorning is a practical
 Jose Armando Garcia Buitrago. New Mexico State University. Dairy Extension Program

frequent and facilities for livestock licked when calves kept in groups
management allow working more safely. producing damage to other calves, or
cause damage to the udders of suckling
METHODS TO REMOVE THE HORNS cows (Stafford and Mellor, 2011).
“DISBUDDING AND DEHORNING”

The cattle when birth not has horns. The
horn is formed at the corium, from cells
located at the place between where will
be the future horn on skull and the skin
(Figure 1). First is shaped the “horn bud”
in calves up to about 2 months of age and
it is an structure free in the skin layer
above the skull. As the calf grows older,
the horn bud attaches to the frontal bone
and a small horn then starts to grow.
Around the age of 7 - 8 months, the horn
is attached to the skull and the horn core
opens directly into the frontal sinuses of
the skull (Budras and Habel, 2003).
Removal of the horn buds of the calf at an
early age (less of 2-month age) when the Figure 3. Paste of sodium hydroxide or calcium
hydroxide used during chemical disbudding.
horn itself is not formed still is named
“Disbudding”, while the “Dehorning” is
used in animals older than 2 or 3 month Cut-cautery disbudding is carried out on
and implies the amputation of the horns; calves in the first 4–6 weeks of life. The
but in the literature and everyday horn bud and the horn generative tissue
language “dehorning” is used as a generic are destroyed by searing with a heated
term that includes disbudding and bar, usually one with a concave tip which
dehorning (Irrgang, 2012). heats the bud and surrounding tissue, for
Disbudding is to destroy the small ring of some seconds (Weaver, 1986).
skin encircling the horn bud. Chemical
(caustic paste) and by a physical method
cautery disbudding methods destroy the
horn’s stem cells using a bar or tube hot,
or could make it a surgical removal of the
horn’s producing area or amputation-
dehorning. To be successful the
procedure, anyone these methods should
be used before that a significant horn
growth occurs (Grandin, 2010).
During chemical disbudding a paste or a
stick of sodium hydroxide or calcium Figure 4. Electric bar used for cut-cautery disbudding

hydroxide is used to destroy the horn bud
The bar may be heated electrically or by
(Weaver, 1986). These chemicals burn
gas. During the process calves struggle
the tissues, and this substance can
violently and have to be restrained
continue burning tissue as long as the
manually or in a head bail (Stafford and
chemical is present. The caustic material
Mellor, 2011).
may spread onto surrounding tissue
Amputation-dehorning is preferably used
especially following rain, also could be
 Jose Armando Garcia Buitrago. New Mexico State University. Dairy Extension Program

when horn growth already have started, AGE FOR DISBUDDING OR DEHORNING
using devices to remove the horns and to
Setting a optimum age for disbudding or
inhibit their further growth. In a timely
dehorning is difficult, as the development
procedure just will be need a cutting off of
of horns in some beef breeds occurs much
a ring of skin of at least 1 cm around the
later than in the dairy breeds (Stafford
base of the horns, but in cattle older than
and Mellor, 2011). It is a common opinion
6 months the bony horn core has to be
that in neonate and young animals the
cut. Various special tools for the
nociceptive system might be not yet
amputation of the grown horn may be
developed completely, but from a
use: the keystone dehorner, electrical saw
biological point of view, there are no
or wire saw. The cut should be clean do
reasons for such a speculation, in
not crushing or cracking the bones of the
particular in precocious animals such as
skull. A hemorrhage can become a
cattle (Graf and Senn, 1999).
concern in dehorning older calves and
Histological examinations of the horn bud
adult animals. Pressuring the hurt can aid
and the adjacent area in calves from birth
to clot formation, or the cauterization
until 4 months age did not show apparent
with a hot iron is used to stop bleeding. Is
differences in the density of cutaneous
necessary avoiding infections and worms
innervation (Taschke and Folsch, 1997
in the wound caused by flies, dehorning
cited by Graf and Senn, 1999).
should be done in clean places and dry
In practice this procedure generally is
weather conditions (Knierim et al., 2009).
most relative to livestock system. Dairy
Chronic sinusitis also can be a frequent
calves are managed intensively from birth
complication of a septic dehorning. The
and dehorning is commonly made on all
wound caused by amputation dehorning
female calves during the first few weeks
may take weeks or months to heal and
of life (Misch et al., 2007; Fulwider et al.,
dehorning, with negative effects on
2008). In beef cattle commonly is
weight gains until by approximately 15
previous weaning and its application will
weeks (Goonewardene and Hand, 1991).
depend on the available handling facilities
This procedure always will be performed
and staff capacitated to do it, the
more easily and a less traumatic way in
understanding of dehorning effects, but
young calves; and it is not recommended
mainly of the market available for the
in older animals (Stafford and Mellor,
calves. Some calves born in extensively
2005).
managed herds, are not handled until

they are weaned at about 5 to 6 months of
age when horn size makes amputation
necessary (Stafford and Mellor, 2011).
Preconditioned calves (castrated,
dehorned and vaccinated) have a
premium price, while horned cattle have a
discounted cost at auction, derived to cost
of handling (labor and medicine) and of
reductions in performance resulting from
its application (Smith et al., 1996).
Cattle breeders with guaranteed buyers
can be willing to sell complete calves or
Figure 5. Tools used for the amputation dehorning:
keystone dehorner, shears wire saw. “green calves” (with horns and testicles)
at the same price as processed calves
(dehorned and castrated), generally could
avoid these procedures; although, these
 Jose Armando Garcia Buitrago. New Mexico State University. Dairy Extension Program

buyers are very exceptional. heart rate or the changes hypothalamic

hormones concentration related with
stress (Graf and Senn, 1999; Ayala et al.,
2012). Cortisol concentration in blood
serum is one of the most often methods
used as stress markers. An instant
reaction to painful stimuli immediately a
response of hypothalami-Pituitary-
adrenal axis; the result is an accelerated
cortisol and corticosterone secretion.
Cortisol causes various systemic effects,
which are helpful in stress attenuation
(Hart, 2012). A cortisol discharge has
been observed with values above baseline
concentrations almost immediately
following dehorning, irrespective of use
anaesthesia or not (Mosher et al., 2013;
Allen et al., 2013). The highest
concentration of cortisol is observed up to
1.5 hours after in most of the procedures.
Generally the cortisol response can be
divided in 2 major phases. A peak in
plasma cortisol concentrations is
Figure 6. Dehorning using whatever method will be presented probably due to strong
performed more easily and a less traumatic way in
stimulus caused by tissues injury or horn
young calves.
amputation and after the plateau may
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIOURAL represent a phase where inflammation-
RESPONSES OF CALVES TO THE related pain and its resolution dominate
DEHORNING PROCEDURES the response, posteriorly there is a
declination to normal concentrations
All methods of dehorning used in young
(McMeekan et al., 1998). The cortisol
calves as surgical, chemical and thermal
secretion responses have suggested that
involve tissue destruction (Graf and Senn
dehorning causes a marked pain and
1999; Knierim et al., 2009; Stilwell et al.,
distress at least 8 hours post-procedure
2009); these procedures are painful and
(Allen et al., 2013).
its implementation is related to
Some behavioral signs of the calf’s pain
discomfort and stress at any age
during the dehorning procedure are
(Sylvester et al., 2004; Stafford and
movements like struggling, scurrying,
Mellor, 2005; Vickers et al, 2005; Stiwell
urging forward, head jerking, standing up
et al., 2012).
intents and quick tail shaking.
Physiological and behavioral reactions to
Postoperative behaviors indicating pain
different dehorning procedures indicate
and distress are restlessness, repeated
pain and distress. Stress in calves during
shaking of the head, ear flicking, tail
and post procedures is mainly associated
flicking, hind leg kicking, scratching the
to the pain resulting of the actions of
lesion with the hind foot, neck extension
physical or chemical factors. The
and reduced feeding time (Morisse et al.,
methodologies used to measure stress
1995; Graf and Senn, 1999; Faulkner and
include direct observations of the
Weary, 2000). Also reduced play behavior
behaviors and an assessment of
as run, buck, buck-kick and head to head
physiological reactions as alterations in
contact with their companion (Mintlinea
 Jose Armando Garcia Buitrago. New Mexico State University. Dairy Extension Program

et al., 2013). Other responses can be very Handling of discomfort, stress and pain
subtle, especially younger calves, these during and afterward of disbudding or
may respond to strong pain simply by dehorning
becoming lethargic, it showing inert lying
Understanding of the animal’s behavior
with head on flank and no-reaction to
responses and the resultant pathologies
stimuli to difference of other calves
during of the procedures and during
(Stilwell et al., 2009). It is a general
inflammatory process experienced on
problem in the interpretation of
subsequent hours, days or weeks, has
behavioral indicators that a low overt
permitted to find out how using some
response does not necessarily mean
products that permit minimizing the pain
absence of suffering (Knierim et al.,
during dehorning procedure and improve
2009).
the welfare and productivity of calves in

the modern livestock.
The efficacy of treatments used to pain
alleviation caused by disbudding and
dehorning has been subject of multiple
researches and some references them are
showed in the table 1. Its application is
relative to alleviation of the different
forms of pain and resultant pathologies
according to method used, and the
pharmacological activity is of crucial
significance in animal welfare assurance
during dehorning, except for the
competency in its application
(Kupczynski et al., 2014).
Figure 7. Physiological and behavioral reactions to
different dehorning procedures indicate pain and Chemical disbudding. The application of a
distress in calves. caustic paste does not cause much pain
response during application and this may
Other methods for stress assessment in give a false impression of be a non-painful
the calves during dehorning procedure method (Stilwell et al., 2009). However,
are measurement of physiological there was a significant rise in plasma
parameters such as: heart rate (Grøndahl- cortisol concentrations within 1 hour
Nielsen et al., 1999), respiration rate following application of caustic material
(Heinrich et al., 2009), the heart rate is (Morisse et al., 1995; Stilwell et al., 2009)
subject to a clear increase directly after and this returned to pre-treatment levels
dehorning, especially without local 4 to 24 hours later (Morisse et al., 1995).
anesthesia application; the eye Calves showed behaviours indicative of
temperature measured thermo- pain (head shaking and restlessness) after
graphically is too a non-invasive tool in treatment and these continued near to 4
stress assessment in the animals, this hours later (Morisse et al., 1995; Stilwell
temperature increases as a result of stress et al., 2009). Morisse et al. (1995) and
(Stewart et al., 2005 and 2008). Other Vickers et al. (2005) did not find a
measures of pain include evaluation of significant reduction of behavioral
mechanical nociceptive threshold using indicators of distress with application of a
pressure algometry (Heinrich et al., local anesthetic prior to disbudding with
2010). caustic paste. They argued that deficient
effectiveness of anesthesia during caustic
disbudding might be related with the
 Jose Armando Garcia Buitrago. New Mexico State University. Dairy Extension Program

effect of pH of the caustic paste on the using lignocaine reduces the immediate
action of the local anesthetic, or the pain behavioral responses observed
volumes of the anesthetic used. Stilwell et during the disbudding procedure, and
al. (2009) concluded from that 5 ml of 2 decrease the plasma cortisol response.
% lidocaine injected around the cornual Use of sedatives can help too. Stilwell et
nerve was efficient in reducing the pain al. (2010), reported that the sedation
behaviors, but not prevented the cortisol using xylazine makes the administration
ascent. When local anesthesia was of local anesthetic easier. Using just
combined with a non-steroidal anti- xylazine, did not eliminate the behavioral
inflammatory as Flunixin-meglumide, the responses to cautery disbudding
cortisol rise and pain behavioral completely, but were reduced. It was
responses were eliminated (Stilwell et al., necessary to give local anesthetic in
2009), but not once Flunixin-meglumide addition to xylazine, to eliminate the
was used without local anesthesia calves’ physical activity produced by pain
(Stilwell et al., 2008). Chemical burns during disbudding.
unlike cautery burns, continue as long as Changes in behavior suggest that use of
the chemical is in contact with tissue and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories were
may cause longer periods of pain (Stilwell effective for reducing post-surgical pain
et al., 2009). A analgesic as tramadol and distress associated with calf cautery
administered intravenously or in a form disbudding. Oral administration of
of suppositories, helped to reduce pain, ketoprofen in the milk 2 hours before and
although not had a complete effect to 2 and 7 hours after hot iron disbudding in
release the pain during the first 30 4 to 8 week old calves, combined with
minutes after application (Braz et al., xylazine and lidocaine injections, reduced
2012). significantly the head shaking from 3 to
Cautery disbudding. Some behaviors 12 hours after disbudding and ear flicking
indicative of pain or distress in calves from 3 to 24 hours after disbudding,
disbudded are evident during the first 4 compared to control animals only treated
hours after cautery (Heinrich et al., 2009). with xylazine and lidocaine (Faulkner and
Cautery disbudding causes a plasma Weary, 2000). In calves treated with
cortisol response that reach peaks at 30 Meloxicam and the anesthetics Lidocaine,
min, also the heart rate remains higher were displayed less behaviors indicative
than in control calves (non disbudding) of pain or distress (ear flicking and head
for almost four hours (Grondahl-Nielsen shaking, less restlessness, and lower
et al., 1999). Significantly higher plasma sensitivity to mechanical stimuli) during
cortisol concentrations were found 24 44 hours post-disbudding (Heinrichs et
hours after cautery disbudding (Morisse al., 2010).
et al. (1995), indicating pain and wound Dehorning. An acute pain caused by
sensitivity. Has been observed an amputation-dehorning have been
increase in plasma ACTH and vasopressin observed in calves (Stafford and Mellor,
concentrations with a peaked after 5 min, 2011). The total plasma cortisol
these concentrations remain elevated for concentration rises immediately, peaking
20 and 60 min, respectively (Graf and after about 30 min, and it then decreases
Senn, 1999). The pain behaviors observed to a plateau, which persists up to six
during cautery disbudding and hours before returning to pre-treatment
afterwards process are eliminated by an levels (Sylvester et al., 1998). Evident
effective local anesthesia application behaviors indicative of pain and distress
(Graf and Senn, 1999; Grondahl- Nielsen until for 8 hours post dehorning have
et al., 1999). Stafford and Mellor (2005) been reported (McMeekan et al., 1999;
concluded that a cornual nerve blockade Sylvester et al., 2004).
 Jose Armando Garcia Buitrago. New Mexico State University. Dairy Extension Program

Local anesthesia as a ketoprofen injection was similar for about 2 hours; but
cornual nerve block with when the anti-inflammatory was used, a positive effect
lidocaine, virtually was carried out to return the plasma cortisol to pre-
eliminates pain during treatment levels at about 2 hours, rather than 8 hours
dehorning, and without ketoprofen (McMeekan et al., 1998).
eliminates cortisol After used this last method, is common use cauterizing the
response for 90 to 120 wounds to reduce hemorrhage; has been observed that
minutes while the block cauterization of the wound following the administration of
persists (Sylvester et al., local anesthesia eliminates the plasma cortisol response
2004; Stafford and during the first 24h after dehorning. Probably is that the
Mellor, 2005); and then local anesthesia blocks the pain of the amputation and
cortisol concentrations cautery, and plenty of nociceptors in the wound are
increase markedly for destroyed by the cauterization, so the nociceptor impulse
about 6 hours (Petrie et input could be kept below the pain threshold when the
al., 1996; Sylvester et al., effect of local anesthesia has finished (Sutherland et al.,
1998). A delayed cortisol 2002).
response indicates a pain
period related to
subsequent inflammation
(McMeekan et al., 1998;
Sutherland et al., 2002);
so, systemic analgesics
and non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory drugs
could be needed. An
adequate level of
anesthesia may provide a
substantial decrease in
the stress response in
calves at the time of
dehorning. Animals that
were administered with
5% lidocaine showed
relatively less behavior
discomfort during
dehorning compared Table 1. Agents pharmacologic used for treatment of discomfort, stress
and pain in some researches over calves dehorning and disbudding.
with calves given
minimal (2% lidocaine)
Use of genetic for production of polled cattle
or no anesthesia
(Doherty et al., 2007). Considering that horns are inherited as an autosomal
Use of ketoprofen recessive gene and the polledness is a dominant trait
intravenously before (Long and Gregory, 1978); a producer can take your herd
horn amputation does of horned cows and breed them with a polled bull
not reduce the peak in (homozygous for the polled condition) and so produce an
plasma cortisol entire calf crop of polled calves. Therefore, breeding polled
concentration. The cattle is a non-invasive genetic tool to replace the practice
behavior of calves of dehorning. Selection and breeding of polled cattle has
dehorned without been proposed as an alternative because it eliminates both
analgesia and the animal pain and production expenses associated with
dehorned after dehorning.
 Jose Armando Garcia Buitrago. New Mexico State University. Dairy Extension Program

For breeders the use of polled sires can be nongovernmental organizations and has
conditioned by belief that horned bulls captured the public attention toward the
may have been superior to their polled need of promoting welfare of farm
counterparts. There is no scientific animals. Concern for the protection of
evidence that polled animals are inferior animal welfare should not be viewed as
(Frisch et al., 1980). Goonewardene et al. incompatible with efficient management
(1999) found that phenotypically for high productivity (Watts, 2012). How
dehorned (genetically horned) and polled improving the welfare and the animal
bulls were similar for birth and weaning production jointly? Must be looked as an
weight, pre- and post-weaning average imperative purpose for all those involved
daily gain, carcass weight, grade fat, in livestock development.
marbling, rib-eye area, cutability and European Commission Health and
carcass grade; and suggested that use of Consumers (1998), regulates the practice
polled sires may be recommended to of dehorning in European Union (EU).
eliminate horns. Another possible reason Dehorning can be performed without
for the low use of bulls without horns anesthesia exclusively by means of
could be the limited availability of tested cauterization (thermal or chemical)
sires. However, around of the world has within the third week of the calf’s life and,
been reported a gradual increase in the in any case, under veterinary supervision.
numbers of polled sires registered in the Australian Veterinary Association and
breeders associations. Likewise, artificial National Animal Welfare Advisory
insemination enterprises are showing an Committee (2005) of New Zealand
increased interest in polled genetics, and recommend disbudding at the youngest
are actively seeking young polled bulls age possible, and chemical dehorning is
that have good pedigrees for use in their not deemed to be acceptable unless it is
progeny test programs, and are strongly performed within the first few days after
promoting the polled trait (Specht, 2008). birth. National Farm Animal Care Council
In addition when polled bulls are a (2006), recommends that disbudding be
minority in the population as is the dairy performed within the first week of life.
bulls case, the selection for other desired The use of appropriate anesthetic and
traits (milk yield or milk solids) is usually analgesic protocols during the dehorning
best be achieved using horned bulls. So, procedure are recommended in several
the polled bulls use continues being countries. Pain control is required for all
minor in the dairies breeds. Currently calves under the Canadian Code of
transgenic approaches have been Practice for the Care and Handling of
suggested as a means to rapidly insert Dairy Cattle (National Farm Animal Care
polled genetics into high performing sires Council, 2009). Furthermore, the
lines. Also, polled bulls have been Australian Model Code of Practice for the
introduced progressively through Welfare of Animals, recommend the use
selective breeding, to achieve a balanced of local analgesics for dehorning calves
progress using a range of selection over 6 month of age (Primary Industries
criteria. Standing Committee, 2004).
Disbudding and dehorning of cattle in the
Regulations governmental and the
United States is not currently regulated.
producers’ opinions
But, American Veterinary Medical
Together with other invasive practices Association Animal Welfare Division
used in modern livestock as beak (2014), recommend using anesthetics and
trimming of laying hens or tail docking, analgesics but this suggestion is not
dehorning has been recently under the compulsory.
scrutiny of public opinion and Recent results of surveys assessment
 Jose Armando Garcia Buitrago. New Mexico State University. Dairy Extension Program

showed than more than two thirds of associated with procedure of disbudding
farmers affirmed that they had not and dehorning. But these procedures
received any specific training on how to equally can burden producers in
perform dehorning (Gottardo et al., additional costs and need of more
2011); more than half of the interviewees veterinary assistance for to access to
did not recognize dehorning as painful regulated extra-label medicaments
and have belief that the pain associated potentially useful; also may involve
with the procedure not justifies the use of additional handling of the animals,
a pain control. Likewise, majority of animal’s stress and extra time required to
interviewees expressed the belief that the perform the procedures, therefore these
adoption of practices to minimize pain facts are considered presently as
and stress, such as dehorning very young obstacles to its application.
calves using caustic paste and pain The search of non-painful alternative as is
control, would increase labor and the the use of polled bulls, must be
costs associated to process (Hotzel and encouraged mainly in dairy cattle.
Snedon, 2013). Extension programs could influence in
Consistent with these results, farmers recognizing and adoption of practices to
indicated limited willingness to pay the control pain and discomfort consequence
cost of analgesia or to call a veterinarian of the dehorning procedures and
to perform the procedure (Gottardo et al., improving the animal welfare and the
2011). This lack of incentive of the herds’ productivity.
respondents toward the adoption of
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Reducing Pain After Dehorning in Dairy Calves

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Reducing Pain After Dehorning in Dairy Calves
Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Centre for Applied Ethics
ABSTRACT
We investigated behavioral responses after dehorn-
ing and a sham procedure in 20 Holstein calves aged
4 to 8 wk. Calves either received a nonsteroidal anti-
inflammatory drug (ketoprofen) before dehorning as
well as 2 and 7 h after the procedure or were assigned to
a control group. All calves received a sedative (xylazine)
and local anaesthetic (lidocaine) before dehorning, and
responses were scored over 24 h after the procedure.
After hot-iron dehorning, calves treated with ketopro-
fen also demonstrated little head shaking or ear flick-
ing, but control animals demonstrated higher frequen-
cies of these behaviors; both responses peaked 6 h after
dehorning. Differences between the treatment groups
remained statistically significant until 12 h (head shak-
ing) and 24 h (ear flicking) after dehorning. A low fre-
quency of head rubbing was observed in both treatment
groups, but control calves were more frequently ob-
served engaged in this behavior. There was no statisti-
cally significant effect of treatment on any of the other
behavioral measures. Calves treated with ketoprofen
also tended to gain more weight (1.2 ± 0.4 kg) during
the 24 h after dehorning than did control calves (0.2 ±
0.4 kg). There was no effect of treatment on any of the
response variables when calves were sham dehorned.
These results indicate that ketoprofen mitigates pain
after hot-iron dehorning in young dairy calves.
(Key words: dehorning, local anesthesia, analgesia,
behavior)
INTRODUCTION
Horn buds of young dairy and beef calves are nor-
mally removed to reduce the risk of injuries to farm
workers or other cattle that can be caused by horns.
Damage from horns can also result in reduced milk
production and growth (6) and complications associated
with open wounds such as infection or fly strike. Cattle
with horns are harder to handle in yards and chutes,
Received December 1, 1999.
Accepted March 21, 2000.
Corresponding author: D. M. Weary; e-mail: danweary@
interchange.ubc.ca.
1
Current address: 13 Hares Chase, Billericay, Essex, UK CM12
0HJ.
2000 J Dairy Sci 83:2037–2041
P. M. Faulkner*,1 and D. M. Weary
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z4
require three times more space at a feed trough and
during transport (12), and may also suffer financial
penalties on sale.
Dehorning should be done when the calf is less than
3 mo of age (1, 3). The developing horns of calves 3 mo
of age or older are normally removed surgically by a
number of techniques (e.g., scooping, shearing, and
sawing), and physiological responses suggest that these
procedures are painful (15). Horn buds of younger
calves are typically removed with a caustic paste or a
hot iron. There is evidence that both methods are pain-
ful (13), but the latter is more commonly used on
dairy calves.
Even when the procedure is performed at an early
age, hot-iron dehorning causes a pronounced behavioral
response such that significant physical restraint is nec-
essary to carry out the procedure. Increased levels of
circulating corticosteroids, reflecting changes in the hy-
pothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (16), are commonly
detected after dehorning (2, 10, 13, 14, 17). Administra-
tion of a local analgesic dampens the initial increase in
plasma cortisol. Local analgesics also reduce behaviors
associated with the immediate pain response (e.g., tail
wagging, head movements, tripping, and rearing) and
those indicative of postoperative pain (head rubbing,
head shaking, and ear flicking) (4, 12, 13, 15).
In the United Kingdom, calves dehorned after 7 d of
age must receive local anaesthetic [The Protection of
Animals (Anaesthetics) Act, 1964]. The Canadian code
of practice recommends using local anaesthetic for de-
horning (1), but a common practice in North America
is to perform the procedure without analgesics or anaes-
thetics. Local anaesthetics are effective in reducing the
immediate pain response after dehorning; however, the
use of local anaesthetic alone is unsatisfactory on at
least two counts.
First, calves respond to the pain of the procedure and
to the physical restraint. Calves dehorned using a local
anaesthetic still require restraint, and the difference in
the behavioral response between treated and untreated
calves can be sufficiently subtle that it is difficult for
observers to be certain if adequate nerve blockage was
achieved. Calves must also be restrained while the local
anaesthetic is administered and during the actual de-
horning. Thus, calves experience the distress associated
with restraint on two occasions, and still may not re-
ceive an adequate nerve block.
2037
2038 FAULKNER AND WEARY
A second unsatisfactory aspect is that local anaes-
thetic does not provide adequate postoperative pain re-
lief. The most popular local anaesthetic, lidocaine, is
effective for only 2 to 3 h after administration (10, 11).
Bupivacaine is effective for approximately 4 h, but the
pain after dehorning can persist for at least 6 h (10,
11). Indeed, the results of recent studies indicate that
calves treated with local anesthetic actually experience
higher plasma cortisol levels than untreated animals
after the local anaesthetic loses its effectiveness (4, 10,
11, 14). Thus, the inflammatory response to the burn
injury, and associated pain, appears to be delayed but
not prevented by the use of local anaesthetic (11).
McMeekan et al. (11) showed that providing nonste-
roidal anti-inflammatory drugs, in addition to a local
anaesthetic, can keep plasma cortisol to baseline levels
for as long as 6 h after scoop dehorning at 3 to 4 mo of
age. However, cauterization after surgical dehorning
can itself reduce signs of postoperative pain (14). In-
deed, Petrie et al. (14) showed that the postoperative
surge in cortisol for calves treated with local anaes-
thetic occurred after scoop dehorning but not hot-iron
dehorning. Thus it is not clear if nonsteroidal anti-
inflammatory drugs will affect postoperative pain after
hot-iron dehorning.
The aim of the present study was to assess the effec-
tiveness of ketoprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflamma-
tory drug, in decreasing the pain response during the
24-h period after hot-iron dehorning. To assess the pain
response, we used noninvasive behavioral measures
that have been validated in previous work (4, 12, 13).
Ketoprofen was administered pre- and postoperatively.
All animals received local anaesthetic. To remove the
need for restraint during dehorning and the adminis-
tration of the local anaesthetic, all animals were se-
dated with xylazine. The experiment consisted of two
components. In the first, calves were sham dehorned
(all aspects of the procedure identical to actual dehorn-
ing, but the dehorning iron was kept at room tempera-
ture) with or without ketoprofen. This part of the exper-
iment allowed us to assess any general effects of the
ketoprofen on the calves. In the second component,
calves were actually dehorned, again with or without
ketoprofen, allowing us to assess the effectiveness of
the drug on the calves’ response to postoperative pain.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Twenty Holstein calves of both sexes were used.
Calves were between 4 to 8 wk of age and weighed 58.3
to 95.2 kg. Calves were fed whole milk at 5% BW twice
daily. Hay, calf starter, and water were available for
consumption ad libitum. Animals were housed singly
in sawdust-bedded pens measuring 1.7 × 1.2 m.
Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 83, No. 9, 2000
All calves were sham dehorned one day and dehorned
2 d later. For both procedures, an electrically heated
hot-iron dehorner (Rhinehart X30, Rhinehart Develop-
ment Corporation, Spencerville, IN) was applied to each
horn bud for approximately 35 s. During the sham pro-
cedure, the device was switched off, and the tip was at
room temperature. During actual dehornings, the iron
was on and had been preheated for at least 10 min to a
temperature of approximately 600°C. Both procedures
were carried out by the same person and at the same
time of day (10:00 a.m.) in the animals’ own pens.
Before sham and actual dehornings, animals were
given xylazine intramuscularly at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg
(Rompun 2%, Bayer Inc., Ontario). Xylazine acts as a
potent sedative in calves, and all animals were recum-
bent (positioned sternally) and fully sedated within 10
min (range 70 s to 9.5 min, with no difference between
treatments). Ten minutes after administration of the
xyalzine, the local anaesthetic (4.5 ml per side of 2%
Lidocaine HCl; Ayerst Veterinary Labs, Ontario) was
injected subcutaneously around the cornual nerve (lo-
cated along the occipital groove midway between the
horn bud and eye), and also as a ring block around each
horn bud. Dehorning or sham dehorning took place 10
min after administration of the local anaesthetic (20
min after administration of the xylazine).
The use of the xylazine sedative eliminated calf re-
sponse to the administration of the local anaesthetic
and the need for physical restraint during the adminis-
tration of the local anaesthetic or during dehorning.
Although xylazine is indicated as having analgesic
properties, calves treated only with the xylazine show
a strong behavioral response to application of the hot
iron, but the combination of local anaesthetic and xylaz-
ine sedative essentially eliminates the immediate re-
sponse (5).
Within sex, calves were alternately assigned to con-
trol or ketoprofen treatment groups. The latter were
given liquid ketoprofen (10% Anafen; Rhône Mérieux
Inc., USA) orally at a dose of 3 mg/kg in the morning
and evening milk rations (2 h predehorning and 7 h
postdehorning) and in an additional 1 L of milk given
2 h after dehorning. Control animals received the same
three milk meals without ketoprofen.
We observed calf behavior for 8 20-min periods at
1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, and 24 h after dehorning. During
observations we recorded the frequency of three behav-
iors previously associated with pain after dehorning:
head shaking, ear flicking (twitching of both ears when
no flies present), and head rubbing (with hind leg or
against the sides of the pen). We also recorded frequen-
cies of feeding (head in feed bucket), exploring pen
(sniffing walls or bedding), locomotion (all four legs
move at least once), self grooming, head-out-of-pen (tip
 REDUCING PAIN AFTER DEHORNING IN DAIRY CALVES 2039
Table 1. Mean (± SEM) time (min) spent lying down and frequency (all other behaviors). Means are from
20-min observation sessions occuring 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, and 24 h after h dehorning or sham dehorning. Calves
were all sham-dehorned and them dehorned either as controls (n = 10) or using ketoprofen (n = 10).
Sham Dehorned
Behavior Control Ketoprofen Control Ketoprofen

Shake head 0.05 ± 0.03 0.02 ± 0.02 6.27 ± 2.57 0.74 ± 0.25
Flick ear 0.00 ± 0.00 0.02 ± 0.02 11.43 ± 3.07 0.56 ± 0.17
Rub head 0.00 ± 0.00 0.00 ± 0.00 1.60 ± 0.41 0.70 ± 0.31
Move 0.93 ± 0.21 1.10 ± 0.26 0.42 ± 0.07 0.55 ± 0.13
Lie 13.47 ± 0.68 14.38 ± 1.11 16.38 ± 0.72 16.38 ± 0.91
Groom 3.13 ± 0.76 1.81 ± 0.30 1.70 ± 0.42 1.48 ± 0.29
Vocalise 0.07 ± 0.04 0.28 ± 0.17 0.75 ± 0.70 0.00 ± 0.00
Feed 1.10 ± 0.27 0.73 ± 0.20 0.47 ± 0.18 0.49 ± 0.10
Drink 0.28 ± 0.07 0.20 ± 0.06 0.07 ± 0.03 0.09 ± 0.05

of the nose extended through an opening in the pen),

and vocalization. Time spent lying down during the
observation period was also recorded. All observations
were by the same person, who was blind to treatment.
Calves were weighed on an electronic scale (± 0.05 kg)
at 9:00 a.m. on the day of sham and actual dehorning
and on the next 2 d.
As a result of the xylazine sedative, all calves were
relatively inactive during the first 2 h after dehorning,
so mean differences reported in Table 1 were calculated
with responses 3 to 24 h after dehorning. Dependent
variables were square root transformed to normalize
variances before analysis. Treatment differences varied
with time after dehorning, so the effect of treatment (1
df) was tested separately at each period using analysis
of variance (residual df = 18).

RESULTS
Behavior after sham dehorning was similar for con-
trol and ketoprofen-treated calves (Table 1). There was
no statistically significant (P < 0.1) effect of treatment
on any of the behavioral measures after sham dehorn-
ing, and the frequencies of pain related behaviors (head
shaking, ear flicking, and head rubbing) were near zero
for both control and treated calves.
After hot-iron dehorning, calves treated with ketopro-
fen also showed little head shaking, ear flicking, and
head rubbing, but control animals showed much higher
frequencies of these behaviors. Because the magnitude
of this treatment effect varied with time after dehorning
(Figure 1), the effect was tested separately for each of
the eight observational periods. Calves treated with
ketoprofen showed almost no head shaking or ear flick-
Figure 1. Mean (± SEM) behaviors of calves dehorned as controls
ing throughout the 24 h after dehorning (Figure 1a (empty bars, n = 10) or with ketoprofen (filled bars, n = 10). Results
and b). Control calves were frequently observed head are shown in relation to time after the dehorning. Data are shown
shaking and ear flicking, with both responses peaking separately for the frequency of a) head shaking, b) ear flicking, and
c) head rubbing. Treatment differences were tested separately at
6 h after dehorning. The effect of the ketoprofen was each of the eight times after dehorning. (*signifies P < 0.05; **signifies
statistically significant from 3 to 12 h after dehorning P < 0.01 in a one-way ANOVA).

Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 83, No. 9, 2000

2040 FAULKNER AND WEARY
for head shaking, and from 3 to 24 h after dehorning
for ear flicking. A lower frequency of head rubbing was
observed in both treatment groups, but control calves
were more frequently observed engaged in this behav-
ior, significantly so at 4 and 12 h after dehorning (Figure
1c). There was no statistically significant (P < 0.1) effect
of treatment on any of the other behavioral measures.
Mean (± SEM) BW was similar for ketoprofen-treated
(73.5 ± 3.5 kg) and control calves (76.7 ± 3.7 kg) (P >
0.1). However, calves treated with ketoprofen tended
to gain more weight (1.2 ± 0.4 kg) during the 24 h after
dehorning than did control calves (0.2 ± 0.4 kg) (P =
0.07). During the subsequent 24-h period, weight gains
were similar for treated (1.0 ± 0.2 kg) and control calves
(1.1 ± 0.4 kg) (P > 0.1).
DISCUSSION
The ketoprofen had no discernible effect on the calves
after sham dehorning. After recovery from the sedative,
both sham-dehorned groups (control and ketoprofen
treated) behaved similarly and in what appeared to
be a normal manner, with frequencies of pain-related
behaviors (head shaking, ear flicking, and head rub-
bing) near zero in both groups. In contrast, the ketopro-
fen had a pronounced effect on head shaking and ear
flicking after actual dehorning; control calves engaged
in these behaviors frequently, but ketoprofen-treated
calves rarely performed these. The effects of ketoprofen
on head rubbing were also significant, but less impres-
sive than the effects of the other two pain-related behav-
iors. Why the treatment was less effective in reducing
the frequency of head rubbing is not clear.
Our results provide the first behavioral evidence of
the effectiveness of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drug in reducing pain after hot-iron dehorning. The
ketoprofen had no general effects on behavior, but es-
sentially eliminated two behaviors previously identified
as related to postoperative pain. Our behavioral results
correspond well with the physiological results of
McMeekan et al. (11). These authors found that the
plasma cortisol increase that normally follows dehorn-
ing could be much reduced by providing animals with
ketoprofen. That study also showed a peak response in
control animals approximately 6 h after dehorning.
The results from the current study show less
agreement with another recent experiment by the same
authors (12). The trends observed in that study are in
the same direction as we report, but they found no
significant behavioral differences between animals
treated with ketoprofen combined with local anaes-
thetic versus those treated with the local anaesthetic
alone. Several differences in methodology between the
two studies could account for this difference in results.
Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 83, No. 9, 2000
For example, we used a different method of dehorning
(hot iron vs. scoop dehorning) and younger calves (1 to
2 mo of age vs. 3 to 4 mo of age).
Our results, showing a surge in pain-related behav-
iors 3 to 12 h after hot-iron dehorning of local anaes-
thetic treated calves, are not consistent with Sylvester
et al. (15) who showed that cauterization may help pre-
vent postoperative pain. These authors showed a surge
in cortisol 3 to 7 h after scoop dehorning of calves treated
with a local anaesthetic, but no surge when the wound
left by the scoop was cauterized. Similarly, Petrie et al.
(14) reported a surge in cortisol 3 to 7 h after scoop
dehorning but not after hot-iron dehorning. However,
neither of these studies reported behavioral differences.
It may be that behavioral responses provide a more
sensitive means of assessing this postoperative pain
than does plasma cortisol.
Ketoprofen is known to clear quickly from the body
(half life = 0.42 h; 7), but can persist in inflamed tissues
at higher concentrations (8). We found that the frequen-
cies of head shaking and ear flicking remained lower
in treated calves 12 to 24 h after dehorning, some 5 to
17 h after the last ketoprofen was administered.
McMeekan et al. (11) found a reduced cortisol response
for 6 h after dehorning, but after 9 h the cortisol concen-
trations were higher in treated calves than in controls.
Again, differences in methodology between the two
studies may account for this difference in results. For
example, in our study the ketoprofen was combined
with milk and provided orally on three occasions, com-
pared with the single intravenous administration used
by McMeekan et al. (11).
We found a tendency for calves dehorned with keto-
profen to gain more weight on the day after the proce-
dure. Other work on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs and dehorning has not examined effects on
weight gain. Grøndahl-Nielsen et al. (5) found no differ-
ence in gain in relation to the use of sedation or local
anaesthetic during dehorning, but some earlier work
has shown negative effects of dehorning on subsequent
gains (9).
In conclusion, ketoprofen administered in the milk
reduced behavioral evidence of pain after hot-iron de-
horning in dairy calves. We recommend a combination
of three treatments for calves being dehorned: a seda-
tive (such as xylazine), a local anaesthetic (such as lido-
caine), and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug
(such as ketoprofen). The use of a sedative allows for
careful administration of the local anaesthetic, with no
response by the calf. The combination of sedative and
local anaesthetic allows for dehorning with no immedi-
ate behavioral response. The combination of sedative,
local anaesthetic, and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
 REDUCING PAIN AFTER DEHORNING IN DAIRY CALVES
drug reduces the response to the pain both during de-
horning and in the hours that follow.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank Jim Love for his many contributions and
especially for his help in designing this approach to
pain management. We are also grateful to the students
and staff of the UBC Dairy Education and Research
Centre for their help and cooperation, and Ruth Forde,
David Fraser, and Cassandra Tucker for their com-
ments on earlier drafts of this manuscript and support
at all stages of the study. This work was supported by
National Sciences and Engineering Research Council
through the Industrial Research Chair in Animal Wel-
fare, and by contributions from the Dairy Farmers of
Canada, the Cattle Industry Development Fund, the
BC Dairy Foundation, the BC SPCA, members of the
BC VMA and many other donors listed on our web site
at www.agsci.ubc.ca/animalwelfare.
REFERENCES
1 Agriculture Canada. 1990. Recommended Code of Practice for the
Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle. Agriculture Canada, Ottawa.
2 Boandl, K. E., J. E. Wohlt, and R. V.Carsia. 1989. Effects of
handling, administration of a local anaesthetic, and electrical
dehorning on plasma cortisol in Holstein calves. J. Dairy Sci.
72:2193–2197.
3 Farm Animal Welfare Council. 1997. Farm Animal Welfare Coun-
cil’s Report on the Welfare of Dairy Cattle. Ministry of Agriculture
Fisheries and Food, Surbiton, UK.
4 Graf, B., and M. Senn. 1999. Behavioural and physiological re-
sponses of calves to dehorning by heat cauterisation with or with-
out local anaesthesia. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 62:153–171.
5 Grøndahl-Nielsen, C., H. B. Simonsen, J. Damkjer Lund, and H.
Hesselholt. 1999. Behavioural, endocrine and cardiac responses
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in young calves undergoing dehorning without and with the use
of sedation and analgesia. Vet. J. 158:14–20.
6 Laden, S. A., J. E. Wohlt, P. K. Zajac, and R. V. Carsia. 1989.
Effects of stress from electrical dehorning on feed intake, growth
and blood constituents of Holstein heifer calves. J. Dairy Sci.
68:3062–3066.
7 Landoni, M. F., F. M. Cunningham, and P. Lees. 1995. Pharmaco-
kinetics and pharmacodynamics of ketoprofen in calves applying
PK/PD modelling. J. Vet. Pharmacol. Ther. 18:315–324.
8 Landoni, M. F., and P. Lees. 1995. Pharmacokinetics and pharma-
codynamics of ketoprofen enantomers in the horse. J. Vet. Phar-
macol. Ther. 19:466–474.
9 Loxton, T. D., M. A. Toleman, and A. E. Holmes. 1982. The effect
of dehorning Brahman crossbred animals of four age groups on
subsequent bodyweight gain. Aust. Vet. J. 58:191–193.
10 McMeekan, C. M., D. J. Mellor, K. J. Stafford, R. A. Bruce, R. N.
Ward, and N. G. Gregory. 1998. Effects of local anaesthesia of 4
to 8 hours’ duration on the acute cortisol response to scoop dehorn-
ing in calves. Aust. Vet. J. 76:281–285.
11 McMeekan, C. M., K. J. Stafford, D. J. Mellor, R. A. Bruce, R. N.
Ward, and N. G. Gregory. 1998. Effects of regional analgesia and/
or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic on the acute cortisol
response to dehorning calves. Res. Vet. Sci. 64:147–150.
12 McMeekan, C. M., K. J. Stafford, D. J. Mellor, R. A. Bruce, R. N.
Ward, and N. G. Gregory. 1999. Effects of a local anaesthetic and
a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic on the behavioural
responses of calves to dehorning. N.Z. Vet. J. 47:92–96.
13 Morisse, J. P., J. P. Cotte, and D. Huonnic. 1995. Effect of dehorn-
ing on behaviour and plasma cortisol responses in young calves.
Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 43:239–247.
14 Petrie, N. J., D. J. Mellor, K. J. Stafford, R. A. Bruce, and R.
N. Ward. 1996. Cortisol responses of calves to two methods of
disbudding used with or without local anaesthetic. N.Z. Vet. J.
44:9–14.
15 Sylvester, S. P., D. J. Mellor, K. J. Stafford, R. A. Bruce, and R. N.
Ward. 1998. Acute cortisol responses of calves to scoop dehorning
using local anaesthesia and/or cautery of the wound. Aust. Vet.
J. 76:118–122.
16 Terlouw, E. M. C., W.G.P. Schouten, and J. Ladewig. 1997. Physi-
ology. Pages 143–158 in Animal Welfare. Appleby, M. C. and B.
O. Hughes, eds. CAB International, Wallingford, UK.
17 Wohlt, J. E., M. E. Allyn, P. K. Zajac, and L. S. Katz. 1994. Cortisol
increases in plasma of Holstein heifer calves from handling and
method of electrical dehorning. J. Dairy Sci. 77:3725–3729.
Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 83, No. 9, 2000
LAMPIRAN POWER
POINT
TEKNIK OPERASI
DEHORNING PADA
SAPI
OLEH KELOMPOK 5
NAMA KELOMPOK 5:
• LUH MADE MAHA CAHYANI 1509005010
• NI LUH PUTU DIAH SEPTIANINGSIH 1509005017
• I WAYAN DIKA WAHYU HENDRAWAN 1509005018
 PENDAHULUAN
Tanduk pada ternak sapi berfungsi sebagai alat pertahanan
atau bela diri. Namun demikian tanduk sering melukai peternak
dan sapi yang lainnya. Untuk mencegah hal tersebut alangkah
baiknya tanduk ternak yang masih muda dipotong atau
dihilangkan.
Proses penghilangan tanduk dikenal dengan dehorning.
Pemotongan ini akan berlangsung mudah dan aman jika umur
ternak berada di bawah satu bulan.
 PREOPERASI

PERSIAPAN
PERSIAPAN
HEWAN YANG PERSIAPAN PREMEDIKASI
ALAT DAN
AKAN DI OPERATOR DAN ANASTESI
BAHAN
OPERASI
PERSIAPAN HEWAN YANG AKAN DI
OPERASI
Sebelum melakukan pemotongan tanduk (dehorning) pada sapi
sebaiknya persiapan hewan perlu diperhatikan, yaitu:
 Memasukkan sapi ke kandang jepit
 Memasang tali halter
Mengikat tali halter dengan tambang yang dikaitkan pada kandang
jepit. Diusahakan terkait dengan kuat untuk mencegah sapi berontak
PERSIAPAN ALAT DAN BAHAN
 PERSIAPAN OPERATOR
Adapun kompetensi yang harus dimiliki operator, yaitu:
• Memahami prosedur pemotongan tanduk (dehorning)
• Personal hygiene
• Siap fisik dan mental
• Memiliki ketrampilan
• Menentukan alat-alat dan obat yang akan digunakan selama operasi
• Dapat mengerjakan dengan teknik atau metode yang benar.
PREMEDIKASI DAN ANASTESI
 PREMEDIKASI DAN ANASTESI
Anestesi dilakukan pada nervus
cornualis yang lokasinya sedikit ke
lateral dan ventral dari batas akhir os
frontalis.
Anestesi infiltrasi dapat juga
dilakukan disekeliling pangkal
tanduk dengan menggunakan
procain-HCl 2%.
Pada pedet, jarum dimasukkan
sedalam ¾ inci, sedangkan pada sapi
dewasa sedalam 11,5 inci.
Dilakukan juga anastesi pada titik
berjarak 2 cm
di belakang crista temporalis untuk
memblokir cabang nervus cornualis
yang berjalan
melingkar di belakang pangkal
tanduk.
OPERASI
 ELEKTRIK DEHORNER
Metode ini menggunakan listrik atau sumber panas lain yang dipakai untuk
mematikan atau menghilangkan tanduk, terutama untuk pedet muda yang berumur 1 bulan.
 MANUAL DEHORNER
Penghilangan atau pemotongan tanduk dengan metode manual adalah dengan cara
memotong tanduk dengan gunting atau gergaji. Biasanya metode ini dilakukan pada sapi
yang berumur 6-10 bulan, dimana tanduknya sudah keras dan panjang.
 DEHORNER PASTE
Tanduk sapi dapat dihilangkan dengan cara membunuh sel tumbuh pada ujung
tanduk dengan bahan kimia. Bahan kimia yang sering digunakan adalah soda api (cautic)
dalam bentuk pasta atau batangan seperti lilin. Bahan kimia ini mencegah pertumbuhan
tanduk pada tanduk baru lahir, yaitu kurang dari 1-3 minggu usia anak sapi.
 PASCA OPERASI
Amati pendarahan dengan cermat selama 30-60 menit setelah Dehorning
Bila pendarahan terjadi, cauterize dengan besi panas untuk menghentikan
pendrahan
Luka biasanya sembuh dengan baik tanpa pengobatan
Sebuah pembalut luka bisa diberikan
Selama 10-14 hari setelah Dehorning jika ditemukan tanda-tanda infeksi
segera dilakukan pengobatan terhadap penyebab infeksi
SESI DISKUSI
 SEKIAN
TERIMAKASIH