Role of Topical Anaesthesia in Pain Management of Farm Animals, a Changing Paradigm

Abstract

Field evidence indicates that livestock producers are motivated by access to products that readily deliver pain management during husbandry interventions and, more recently, viral epidermal infectious diseases, including FMD. There has been impressive adoption in Australia of a farmer-applied spray-on topical anaesthetic wound formulation (TAF; Tri-Solfen®, Medical Ethics, Australia), initially for managing pain of the breech modification ‘mulesing’ procedure that reduces susceptibility of sheep to flystrike. Over 120 million lambs have now received pain relief and cattle producers have commenced using the TAF for a range of husbandry procedures. This product has demonstrated efficacy for surgical castration and tail docking of lambs, surgical castration and dehorning of calves, surgical castration of piglets, debridement of lesions of the hoof for lame cattle and, importantly, treatment of clinical FMD lesions, including decubitus ulcerations occurring from prolonged recumbency. Multimodal use of an NSAID for improved pain management is advocated, particularly meloxicam, available by prescription from veterinarians for injection and as an oral formulation (Ilium Buccalgesic®, Troy Laboratories, Australia), with current work assessing the potential for prolonged delivery in molasses blocks. Increased use of TAF with NSAIDs significantly reduces pain and suffering in livestock, with enhanced healing of FMD lesions, reduced viral loads from Orf infections in lambs and diminished necessity of ‘antibiotic cover’, assisting antimicrobial-resistance (AMR) stewardship.

Provision of High-Quality Molasses Blocks to Improve Productivity and Address Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Smallholder Cattle and Buffalo: Studies from Lao PDR

“…A multi-intervention livestock development strategy involving a combination of health and nutritional interventions including provision of high-quality MNBs has now been proposed as a ‘scale-out’ strategy to assist smallholder large ruminant livestock farming efficiency in developing countries [ 1 , 45 ] with potential applications in developed countries [ 46 ]. This approach, whilst providing moderate reductions in GHGe, also provides considerable increases in animal performance through improved rumen digestion efficiency.…”

“…Access to MNBs to increase productivity, accompanied by targeted health preventive strategies (e.g., vaccination, MNBs) to reduce disease risk, are considered most likely to drive the practice change urgently required. Further, perhaps the more recent recognition that linkage of the SDGs with animal welfare can assist, with opinion that improving animal welfare would contribute positively to the achievement of the SDGs and similarly, achieving the SDGs, would help improve animal welfare [ 46 , 49 ]. Hopefully, there is an awakening occurring in the post-pandemic era that One Health should be a collaborative priority for all medical and veterinary health authorities and that this may create a more receptive environment for the change management required in progressing both animal health and welfare through productivity innovations, assisting GHGe mitigation from the currently inefficient livestock systems, particularly in developing countries.…”

Provision of High-Quality Molasses Blocks to Improve Productivity and Address Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Smallholder Cattle and Buffalo in Developing Countries

“…In addition to addressing climate change concerns of large and small ruminant production, renewed attention is required for improved animal welfare in developing livestock systems [9,46] and have them increasingly aligned with current global animal welfare strategies [46][47][48]. A recent analysis examined the proportion of published articles in livestock research (n=563) within the period of 2015-2021, that have conducted animal welfare assessments combining objective measures of physiological stress and evaluation of climate change factors in relation to livestock productivity [49].…”

“…Our paper and a recently published review [46] draw attention to the reality that in the smallholder livestock farming systems that occur mostly in developing countries, both the concepts and practices of improved animal production, health and welfare have been slow to gain traction in many regions. The rapidly improving economies in the GMS have created a sustained increase in demand for ASF's in the region.…”

Use of a Local Anaesthetic/Antiseptic Formulation for the Treatment of Lambs Experimentally Infected with Orf Virus

“…TS was developed for pain relief in sheep undergoing surgical husbandry procedures in Australia. However, it has been shown to be efficacious in other applications, including foot and mouth disease (FMD) therapy in order to reduce suffering and enhancing recovery [ 13 , 16 ]. Due to its low pH (2.7), it has a potential viricidal effect that could reduce the risk of transmission, avoiding the need of using antibiotics.…”