A pen study evaluation of buccal meloxicam and topical anaesthetic at improving welfare of lambs undergoing surgical mulesing and hot knife tail docking. (June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Small, Alison Holdhus; Marini, Danila; le Floch, Maxime; Paull, David; Lee, Caroline
• Is Part Of: Research in veterinary science. Volume 118(2018)
• Page Start: 270
• Page End: 277
• Publication Date: 2018-06
• Subjects: Analgesia -- Meloxicam -- Sheep welfare -- Pain behaviour -- Surgical mulesing -- Animal husbandry; Veterinary medicine -- Periodicals; Veterinary Medicine -- Periodicals; Médecine vétérinaire -- Périodiques; Médecine vétérinaire -- Recherche -- Périodiques; Diergeneeskunde; 636.089
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2018.02.011
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0034-5288

Abstract

Abstract: Mulesing is a painful husbandry procedure commonly used to reduce the risk of breech strike in sheep. This study assessed the behavioural (over 6 h), cortisol, haptoglobin and haematology responses to surgical mulesing plus tail hot knife docking (mulesing); modulated by a buccal meloxicam formulation (Buccalgesic), a topical local anaesthetic wound dressing (Tri-Solfen) or both agents. 24 lambs were allocated to each of: 1) Placebo and sham handled (Sham); 2) Placebo and mulesing (Mules); 3) Buccalgesic and mulesing (Mules + B); 4) Tri-Solfen and mulesing (Mules + T); 5) Placebo, Tri-Solfen and mulesing (Mules + T + P); 6) Buccalgesic, Tri-Solfen and mulesing (Mules + T + B). Compared with Mules, Mules + T had a lower cortisol response (72.5 ± 8.7 nmol/L v 122.9 ± 8.7 nmol/L) at 30 min, reduced statue standing at 2 h (3.9% v 11.4%) and increased lying (20.9–25.0% v 7.3–12.5%). Mules + B had reduced cortisol response at 6 h (48.1 ± 8.5 nmol/L), reduced Neutrophil:Lymphocyte ratio at 6 h (Mules + B: 1.25; Mules: 2.44), reduced statue standing at 2 h and 4–6 h (4.1–8.3%), and increased lying at 5 h (27.4%). Mules + B + T had lower cortisol concentrations at 30 mins (86.51 ± 8.71 nmol/L), TWCC not significantly different from Sham at 6 h (9.07 vs 8.09) and 24 h (9.05 vs 8.38). Mules + T + B had significantly lower TWCC than Mules at 12 h (9.56 vs 11.05) and 24 h (9.05 vs 10.42). Mules + T + B did not. Highlights: Buccal meloxicam reduced the physiological response to surgical mulesing. Buccal meloxicam reduced the behavioural response to surgical mulesing. Tri-Solfen reduced the physiological response to surgical mulesing. Tri-Solfen reduced the behavioural response to surgical mulesing. Buccalgesic plus Tri-Solfen provided greater analgesia than either agent alone.