Providing appropriate pain management for cattle

AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by AABP members from Kansas State University, Dr. Michael Kleinhenz and Dr. Hans Coetzee. Our guests discuss research that indicates cattle feel pain even when they do not exhibit outward signs of pain and some common procedures where the animal can benefit from an analgesic protocol. Providing appropriate pain management is not only our moral obligation from the oath we took as veterinarians, but also is expected by customers and consumers. There are also benefits to the animal and the producer when these procedures are managed with appropriate analgesic protocols. We discuss how to manage with current supply chain issues for lidocaine as well as the types of drugs that can be used when developing analgesic protocols for producers. Kleinhenz reviews a recent publication that discusses aspirin use in lactating dairy cows, appropriate withholding times, and its efficacy for reducing inflammation in cows. We also review some of the challenges that veterinarians may face when discussing pain management with clients and how we can overcome those challenges to speak for the cow or calf and advocate for appropriate animal care. 

 Links:

Current attitudes of veterinarians and producers regarding the use of local and systemic analgesia in beef and dairy cattle in the United States
Elizabeth C.S. Johnstone, Johann F. Coetzee, Pablo J. Pinedo, Lily Edwards-Callaway
JAVMA, Vol. 258. No. 2
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.258.2.197

Determination of milk concentrations and pharmacokinetics of salicylic acid following acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) administration in postpartum dairy cows
B.R. Fritz, M.D. Kleinhenz, S.R. Montgomery, G. Magnin, M.S. Martin, M. Weeder, A.K. Curtis, J.F. Coetzee
J Dairy Sci, Vol. 105, No. 2
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2021-21507

AABP Resource Approaching Pain in Cattle