52% of farmers use pain relief as part of their routine farming practices.*
*Data sourced from Chi Squared research on behalf of Boehringer Ingelheim, current as of November 2018.
Why is pain relief important?
Because animal husbandry procedures can be painful Pain is often masked in farm animals as a survival technique against predators, but this doesn’t mean your stock don’t experience pain. They’re just very good at hiding it.
Producers care about the well-being of their animals and they want to do the right thing, which is why it’s becoming routine for effective pain relief to be administered when undertaking painful animal husbandry procedures.
When to use pain relief:
Cattle
In animal husbandry procedures such as dehorning, disbudding, castration, marking and for respiratory infections and acute mastitis in dairy cattle.
Sheep
Can be used across many husbandry procedures including mulesing, castration, tail docking, lameness, surgical procedures, and even injuries sustained during shearing.
An all-of-life approach
Well-being is more than the absence of negative moments. It’s about the whole life your animal lives.
When you focus on well-being, you really understand your animals, including the subtle signs of pain. Pain relief can help your stock avoid pain not just during procedures but long afterwards, ensuring that you’re taking an all-of-life approach towards their ultimate well-being.
More productive animals
Livestock in pain can experience altered behaviour patterns, including eating less, which can impact on both the animal and farm productivity. The use of pain relief allows animals to be more comfortable, so they can recover faster and get back on their feet again, leading to a more productive and profitable farm.
Want more information on what good pain management looks like?
Click here for more information or find your local vet to ask them for more details.
