Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/15934
Title: Effectiveness of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and epidural anaesthesia in reducing the pain and stress responses to a surgical husbandry procedure (mulesing) in sheep
Contributor(s): Paull, D R (author); Colditz, Ian  (author); Lee, Caroline  (author); Atkinson, S J (author); Fisher, Andrew (author)
Publication Date: 2008
DOI: 10.1071/EA08050
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/15934
Abstract: In this study, we examined the potential of several widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and other analgesics to reduce pain and stress in sheep after surgery. Because mulesing involves a greater degree of tissue trauma than other surgical husbandry procedures such as castration or tail-docking, it provides a more rigorous and conservative test to identify potentially useful analgesic strategies in sheep. Merino lambs (5 weeks of age) were randomised into eight treatment groups: (1) carprofen; (2) flunixin; (3) ketoprofen; (4) buprenorphine; (5) xylazine; (6) lignocaine epidural; (7) saline control; (8) sham control. The NSAIDs were administered 1.5 h before mulesing, buprenorphine 0.75 h and xylazine and lignocaine 0.25 h before mulesing. Pain- and discomfort-related behaviours were recorded for 12 h after mulesing, and plasma cortisol concentrations were measured before mulesing and 0.5, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after mulesing. The results indicated that no single analgesic treatment provided satisfactory analgesia during both the surgical mulesing procedure and the ensuing period of pain associated with the inflammatory phase. However, there were indications that two NSAIDs (carprofen and flunixin) showed good potential as analgesics during the inflammatory phase. A combination of short- and long-acting analgesics may be needed to provide more complete pain relief. In conclusion, the administration of some NSAIDs offers the potential for good analgesia in sheep for the inflammatory phase following the tissue trauma of surgical husbandry procedures. Other analgesic options need to be considered if the acute stress response to the procedure is to be reduced.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Source of Publication: Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 48(7), p. 1034-1039
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Place of Publication: Australia
ISSN: 1446-5574
0816-1089
1836-5787
1836-0939
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: 070207 Humane Animal Treatment
070202 Animal Growth and Development
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: 830310 Sheep - Meat
830311 Sheep - Wool
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Appears in Collections:Journal Article
School of Environmental and Rural Science

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