title: The utility of ketoprofen for alleviating pain following dehorning in young dairy calves.
abstract: To determine if ketoprofen, in addition to local anaesthesia, reduces pain following dehorning, we experimentally dehorned dairy calves, less than 2 weeks of age, with (20 calves) or without (20 calves) intramuscular injections of ketoprofen. All calves received a local anesthetic (lidocaine) prior to dehorning and were dehorned with heat cauterization. Cortisol concentration was measured via jugular blood samples taken immediately before dehorning and at 3 and 6 hours following dehorning. Calf behavior was recorded between 0 and 2, 3 and 5, and 6 and 8 hours following dehorning. There was no significant (P > 0.10) effect on creep feed consumption, cortisol concentration, or any of the behavioral measures during the time periods studied. However, the difference in cortisol concentrations from the time of dehorning until 3 hours later was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the ketoprofen-treated group. These results suggest that ketoprofen, in addition to local anesthesia, may alleviate short-term pain following dehorning with a butane dehorning device in dairy calves less than 2 weeks of age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1.
authors.forename: Barry N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Milligan
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Duffield
authors.forename: Kerry
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lissemore
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002417:Cattle / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006733:Horns / Q000601:surgery*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007660:Ketoprofen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D011897:Random Allocation; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D007660:Ketoprofen; D006854:Hydrocortisone