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Pain in livestock

Introduction to pain in livestock

Minimising pain and inflammation in livestock is a major focus for farmers to ensure both high standards of animal health and welfare in addition to maximising livestock productivity.

Notwithstanding this focus, animals get ill, become injured and undergo necessary husbandry procedures which can all result in pain and inflammation. 

Farmer responsibilities & the economic impact of pain

Farm animals are recognised as sentient beings (experiencing sensations or feelings) within the EU Treaty of Amsterdam 1999. The Animal Welfare Act of 2006 has also made it an offence on the part of the person responsible for an animal to cause or permit it to suffer. In addition, it is also important to understand that pain can have negative economic consequences. 

  • The average cost of an incidence of lameness, in terms of treatment costs, loss of milk yield and potential earlier culling of the cow is estimated to be up to £3501 

  • There is a negative correlation between animals' average daily weight gain and the extent to of lung lesions due to bovine respiratory disease (BRD)2 

  • Acute E.coli mastitis is one of the major sources of economic loss in the dairy industry due to reduced milk production, treatment costs, discarded milk, and occasional fatalities3 

Understanding pain in livestock

Learn more about the causes and signs of pain in livestock and how to treat and care for your animals. 

Dairy cow with udder problems

Causes of pain

Pain and/or inflammation in animals can occur as a result of illness, disease or injury. Some farm management and husbandry procedures may also cause pain and inflammation and require adequate pain relief to avoid unnecessary welfare concerns. 

Disease/conditions:

  • Lameness

  • Mastitis

  • Metritis

  • Pneumonia

  • Scour

  • Downer cows

  • Assisted calvings

  • Eye problems

     

…This list is by no means exhaustive

Management procedures:

  • Disbudding

  • Dehorning

  • Castration

  • Assisted birth

Signs of pain in animals 

Animals cannot tell us when they are in pain and therefore assessment and quantification of pain and inflammation in livestock can be a challenge. 

Some signs to look out for are:

  • Abnormal head position or shaking

  • Abnormal ear position or twitching

  • Abnormal facial expression

  • Vocalisation

  • Lameness

  • Arched back

  • Kicking/rolling/restlessness

  • Swelling/bruising/redness/injury

  • Dullness

  • Tooth-grinding/salivation

  • Tail swishing

  • Lack of appetite

  • Difficulty getting up/lying down

  • Decreased productivity

    e.g. milk yields, liveweight gain

Treating pain

Drugs used in the alleviation or prevention of pain in livestock can be divided into THREE main categories. Sometimes, your veterinary surgeon may use a combination of classes: for example, local anaesthetic in addition to a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. This approach is called ‘multimodal'. 

1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

  • Licensed for specific conditions,

    eg. mastitis

  • Less side effects

  • Long or short duration of action

Examples: meloxicam, flunixin,

2. Steroids

  • Very potent

  • More side effects

  • Broadly licensed for general inflammation

  • Long or short duration of action

Examples: dexamethasone sodium phosphate

3. Local anaesthetics

  • Licensed for use during surgical procedures

  • Very short-acting 

Examples: procaine hydrochloride

You should discuss the choice of class or classes of drug with your veterinary surgeon. Considerations will include: speed of action; duration of action, potency and additional properties

Control of pain 

Use of drugs 

The choice of drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, steroids or local anaesthetics must be advised by your veterinary surgeon. It is advisable that when carrying out procedures on farm such as disbudding, dehorning or castration that these drugs are administered in advance of the painful stimulus, rather than after, to help prevent the ‘wind up’ phenomenon, and decreased sensitivity to the drugs used.

Environmental management

When animals are suffering pain or inflammation, the following should also be considered. 

  • Provision of comfortable deep beds for animals who are reluctant to stand or cannot stand

  • Constant access to food and water in the close proximity 

  • Regular repositioning of heavy recumbent animals, e.g. downer cows

  • Bandaging of wounds where appropriate

  • Husbandry practice

Interested in learning more?

Download our best practice guide for more in-depth information on identifying pain and caring for the health and welfare of animals in your care. 

Download Now

References:

1 Willshire J A, Bell, N J (2009) An Economic Review of Cattle Lameness. Cattle Practice 2009 Vol. 17 No. 2 pp. 136-141

2 Wittum,T. E.,Woollen, N. E., Perino, L. J.& Littledike, E. T. (1996). Relationships among treatment for respiratory tract disease, pulmonary lesions evident at slaughter, and rate of weight gain in feedlot cattle. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 209, 814-818    

3 Ramirez-Romero, R. & Brogden, K. A. (2000). The potential role of the Arthus and Shwartzman reactions in the pathogenesis of pneumonic pasteurellosis. Inflammation Research 49, 98-101