Can Isoflurane and Meloxicam Mitigate Pain Associated with Cautery Disbudding of 3-Week-Old Goat Kids?

Abstract

: We evaluated the effect of pain mitigation strategies (isoflurane and meloxicam) on the behaviour and physiology of 3-week-old disbudded goat kids. Fifty Saanen does (mean ± SD, 21 ± 3 days old) were randomly allocated to one of five treatments: (1) cautery-disbudded (CAUT), (2) CAUT + isoflurane (ISO), (3) CAUT + isoflurane + meloxicam (ISO+MEL), (4) CAUT + meloxicam (MEL), and (5) handled without disbudding or pain relief (SHAM). Blood samples were taken immediately prior to treatment and at 15-, 60- and 120-min post-treatment to assess cortisol, glucose and lactate concentrations. Behaviour (head shaking and scratching, body shaking, feeding and self-grooming) was observed for 1 h pre- and post-treatment using video-cameras. ISO + MEL and ISO kids had lower cortisol concentrations than CAUT kids 15 min post-treatment (p ≤ 0.05). There was no effect of treatment or time for glucose and lactate concentrations (p ≥ 0.62). At 35 min post-treatment, CAUT, MEL and ISO kids performed more head shakes than SHAM kids (p ≤ 0.05). Isoflurane, with or without meloxicam, may reduce acute stress associated with disbudding of 3-week-old goat kids. More research is needed to assess whether isoflurane (with or without meloxicam) can provide sufficient pain relief for disbudding 3-week-old kids.

Keywords: behaviour; caprine; cortisol; disbudding; goat; pain relief; small ruminant; welfare.

Figure 1

Mean change (± maximum standard error of the difference) in plasma cortisol concentrations (from baseline; nmol/L) over 2 h post-treatment of goat kids (n = 10/treatment) that were either (i) cautery-disbudded with no pain relief (CAUT) or disbudded following administration of (ii) isoflurane (ISO), (iii) meloxicam s.c. and isoflurane (ISO + MEL) or (iv) meloxicam s.c. alone (MEL). (v) Sham-handled kids (SHAM) acted as controls. Asterisks represent means that differ from CAUT kid means within each time point at p ≤ 0.05. Arrow indicates time of treatment.

Figure 2

Mean change (±maximum standard error of the difference) in rectal temperature (from baseline; °C) over 2 h post-treatment of goat kids (n = 10/treatment) that were either (i) cautery-disbudded with no pain relief (CAUT), or disbudded following administration of (ii) isoflurane (ISO), (iii) meloxicam s.c. and isoflurane (ISO + MEL) or (iv) meloxicam s.c. alone (MEL). (v) Sham-handled kids (SHAM) acted as controls. Asterisks represent means that differ from ISO kid means within each time point at p ≤ 0.05. Arrow indicates time of treatment.