Assessment of lidocaine local anesthesia and meloxicam analgesia on duration of castration and subsequent feeding and locomotion behavior

Abstract

Pain management at the time of castration has become a controversial subject among veterinarians and livestock producers. While animal welfare and pain management is a significant concern, veterinarians and producers are also concerned about time needed to implement additional procedures and perceive a lack of economic return. Previous reports have detailed performance and behavioral parameters related to castration; however, little information exists related to feeding behavior and the time needed to implement pain mitigation strategies. The objective of our research was to provide an estimate of time expenditures related to pain mitigation techniques as well as to quantify differences in feeding behavior, locomotion behavior, and growth performance of calves castrated with or without local anesthesia and analgesia.