title: Preliminary investigation of some physiological responses of Bos indicus heifers to surgical spaying.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the value of peripheral blood concentrations of cortisol, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) and haptoglobin as indicators of welfare in Brahman heifers spayed by either the Willis dropped ovary technique (WDOT) or the flank laparotomy method.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 24, 2-year-old Brahman heifers were allocated to: crush (head-bail) restraint alone (Control, n = 5); crush restraint and ear-punch (Ear-punch, n = 5); crush restraint, WDOT spay and ear-punch (WDOT, n = 9); or crush restraint, elecrtoimmobilisation, flank spay and ear-punch (Flank; n = 5). Cattle were blood sampled frequently to 8 h, and then daily to day 4 and were monitored to 42 days post-procedure. Peripheral blood concentrations of bound and unbound cortisol, CPK, AST, NEFAs and haptoglobin were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Concentrations of plasma bound cortisol peaked in the spayed heifers 3-4 h post-procedure; values in the Flank (1603 nmol/L) and WDOT (1290 nmol/L) groups were similar and significantly greater (P < 0.05) than in the Controls (519 nmol/L). Flank heifers had elevated plasma haptoglobin levels to day 4 postprocedure. Liveweights were significantly lower in the spayed compared with the Control heifers at 21 and 42 days post-procedure, with liveweight gains also significantly reduced at day 21.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bound cortisol responses in spayed heifers were elevated to 6 h post-procedure and similar in WDOT- and flank-spayed animals, indicating comparable levels of pain and stress. An inflammatory response, indicated by haptoglobin concentrations, was sustained for longer in Flank than in WDOT spayed heifers, suggesting longer-lasting adverse effects on welfare from flank spaying than WDOT spaying.
authors.affiliation: Agri-Science Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development & Innovation, Rockhampton, Australia. c.petherick@uq.edu.au
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Petherick
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCosker
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Letchford
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McGowan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002417:Cattle / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery*; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006242:Haptoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000662:veterinary; D010052:Ovariectomy / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D010146:Pain / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D006242:Haptoglobins; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D003402:Creatine Kinase; D006854:Hydrocortisone