Modulation of pain and inflammation in calves undergoing castration
Project manager: Stine Jacobsen, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ECVS, professor of Large Animal Surgery, stj@sund.ku.dk
Routine husbandry procedures in cattle, e.g. castration and disbudding, are often considered to be minor surgical procedures that are of little consequence to the animals. In some countries, these procedures may even be performed without providing analgesia. The ensuing surgical and inflammatory pain may have welfare consequences for the calves and may also cause poor healing of the surgical wounds, reduced feed intake and poor growth rate.
Calf from the 'Best practice castration of bull calves'-project.
The purpose of this study is to monitor pain and inflammatory responses in calves undergoing castration, where different pain management strategies are employed. Pain responses are assessed by studying the facial expression of the animals and by monitoring the post-castration inflammatory response. Inflammation markers (so-called acute phase proteins) are measured in blood samples obtained before and after castration to evaluate how the different analgesia treatment protocols affect post-castration inflammation.
Perspective of the project
The project is aimed at developing 'best practice' for castration of bull calves. This not only optimizes husbandry procedures with direct benefit to animal welfare, but may also influence consumers' perception of calf production.
Pain assessment tools developed and refined in the project may be implemented in cattle production to allow farmers and veterinarians to improve their detection of animals with pain and, by extension, improve treatment of painful conditions. Such assessment tools may in the future be implemented in welfare certification of cattle production systems.
Partners
- Karina Bech Gleerup, DVM, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Large Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen
- Michael Laurence, BSc, BVMS, PhD, senior lecturer, Murdoch University, Australia
- Tim Hyndman, BSc, BVMS, PhD, lecturer, Murdoch University, Australia
- Gabrielle Musk, BSc, BVMS, PhD, Dipl ECVAA, senior lecturer, Murdoch University, Australia
Sponsors
- The Cattle Levy Foundation (http://www.kvaegafgiftsfonden.dk/om-fonden)
- Meat Livestock Australia
Publications
- Abstract presented at the Spring Meeting of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists (AVA), 20th to 22nd April 2016, Veterinary School of Lyon, France
- Karina Bech Gleerup's PhD thesis: Pain evaluation in cattle and horses - A study of behavioural responses to pain
- Research abstract from CPH Cattle Seminar, University of Copenhagen, November 12, 2015
Presentation (by first author Heidi S. Lehman from School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Australia) of abstract at the Spring Meeting of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists (AVA), 20th to 22nd April 2016, Veterinary School of Lyon, France