Disbudding and calf welfare

Majority of Finnish producers do call veterinarians to medicate the calves prior operation. This is also a prerequisite for joining the national cattle heard health program (NASEVA). Also industry promotes calling veterinarians to pain medicate calves prior the dusbudding procedure. During ongoing animal welfare law renewal process one has discussed for prohibiting disbudding in the future without sedatives and local anesthetics. In aline with this, also consumer awareness is growing, and especially routine painful procedures of young animals are of concern.

However, pain medication during and after disbudding should be improved for the sake of calf welfare and health, as well as and ethical acceptance of of the painfull disbudding procedure. Use of pain medication and local anesthesia during the opration has already been studied but there is very limited information on the needed lenght of pain medication after the procedure. The effects of combination of different sedatives on the health and welfare of disbudded calves are rather unstudied area.