Cattle pain management is at long last a viable topic when it comes to taking care of beef and dairy cattle. Two commentaries in Bovine Veterinarian are worth reading. The first, by editor John Maday, calls on veterinarians to advocate for animal welfare and consumer preferences, even though clients may resist. The second was written by Brandon Treichler, DVM and quality control veterinarian with Select Milk Producers. He asks veterinarians to comment to Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) (Link) about pain management for dehorning being the standard of care for dairy cattle.
Source: Bovine Vet/AgWeb, March 6, 2019. Link. Options are available though, and while pain management involves extra steps, extra labor and expense, potential benefits in performance, animal health, quality assurance and consumer good will only pay off for producers.
Source: Bovine Veterinarian, March 6, 2019. Link. Practicing these days may seem like a brave new world, with all the changes and external forces we individually and as a profession are subjected to. Yet the veterinarian is a respected authority on animal care to consuemrs and retailers alike, and we must do everyting without our power to maintain that trust. To do so, thought it may not be easy or always align with our emotions and feelings, we need to ensure that we are advocating for the animals we care for.
INSIGHTS: These two commentaries will likely stir a range of emotions. It is important that pain management discussions – and pain management practices – continue to rise on priority lists. It is good stewardship and good business.