How to Dehorn a Cow
Understand why pain management is important., Consider lidocaine., Consider giving your cow Xylazine., Use ketoprofen for postoperative management., Keep your cow’s age in mind when considering pain management., Determine which method of dehorning...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Understand why pain management is important.
Dehorning is a painful operation because there is a sensitive nerve, the corneal nerve, that is present in the horn.
This nerve runs from the base of the cow’s eye into the base of the horn.
Before dehorning a cow, it is recommended that local anesthetics be injected into the corneal nerve to remove any pain that might be felt by the cow during dehorning.
The following local anesthetics and sedatives can be used. -
Step 2: Consider lidocaine.
Lidocaine is an anesthetic agent that acts by blocking the nerve signals between sensory nerves where it is applied or injected.
It is a local anesthetic, which means that it can only be applied to areas where the procedure will be performed.
There is also a topical lidocaine that you can applied during milder procedures.
The dosage is generally 3 to 5 milliliters (ml) of 2% lidocaine, 10 to 20 minutes prior to the disbudding(the word used to describe the dehorning of the cow). , Xylazine is a potent α2 adrenergic agonist, and is classified as a sedative and analgesic.
It blocks certain nerve receptors in the nervous system, and will cause a depression of the central nervous system (CNS).
This means that 10 to 20 minutes after injection, the cattle will become sedated and will feel less pain during the procedure.
The regular dosage for Xylazine is
0.1 to
0.2 mg per kg of body weight.
It is injected intramuscularly 10 to 15 minutes before the surgical procedure.Xylazine is not approved for use in cattle in USA and has a withdrawal period of 7 days (12).
Consult your veterinarian before using this drug in meat type and milking cows that are intended for slaughter and are already milking. , Ketoprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that has anti-fever, anti-inflammatory, and pain relieving properties.
The normal dose is 3 mg per kg of body weight.
It can be injected intramuscularly. , If possible, dehorn your cow within a week of her being born.
Doing this will lessen the pain she feels because at that age, the horn bud is not yet attached to the base of the skull. , There are two methods you can choose from: disbudding with caustic paste, or disbudding with a hot iron.
Many farms in the United States use the hot iron to remove cow horns.
In the United Kingdom dehorning using caustic paste disbudding is recommended in cows that are a week old. -
Step 3: Consider giving your cow Xylazine.
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Step 4: Use ketoprofen for postoperative management.
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Step 5: Keep your cow’s age in mind when considering pain management.
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Step 6: Determine which method of dehorning you will choose.
Detailed Guide
Dehorning is a painful operation because there is a sensitive nerve, the corneal nerve, that is present in the horn.
This nerve runs from the base of the cow’s eye into the base of the horn.
Before dehorning a cow, it is recommended that local anesthetics be injected into the corneal nerve to remove any pain that might be felt by the cow during dehorning.
The following local anesthetics and sedatives can be used.
Lidocaine is an anesthetic agent that acts by blocking the nerve signals between sensory nerves where it is applied or injected.
It is a local anesthetic, which means that it can only be applied to areas where the procedure will be performed.
There is also a topical lidocaine that you can applied during milder procedures.
The dosage is generally 3 to 5 milliliters (ml) of 2% lidocaine, 10 to 20 minutes prior to the disbudding(the word used to describe the dehorning of the cow). , Xylazine is a potent α2 adrenergic agonist, and is classified as a sedative and analgesic.
It blocks certain nerve receptors in the nervous system, and will cause a depression of the central nervous system (CNS).
This means that 10 to 20 minutes after injection, the cattle will become sedated and will feel less pain during the procedure.
The regular dosage for Xylazine is
0.1 to
0.2 mg per kg of body weight.
It is injected intramuscularly 10 to 15 minutes before the surgical procedure.Xylazine is not approved for use in cattle in USA and has a withdrawal period of 7 days (12).
Consult your veterinarian before using this drug in meat type and milking cows that are intended for slaughter and are already milking. , Ketoprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that has anti-fever, anti-inflammatory, and pain relieving properties.
The normal dose is 3 mg per kg of body weight.
It can be injected intramuscularly. , If possible, dehorn your cow within a week of her being born.
Doing this will lessen the pain she feels because at that age, the horn bud is not yet attached to the base of the skull. , There are two methods you can choose from: disbudding with caustic paste, or disbudding with a hot iron.
Many farms in the United States use the hot iron to remove cow horns.
In the United Kingdom dehorning using caustic paste disbudding is recommended in cows that are a week old.
About the Author
Jerry Reynolds
Committed to making lifestyle accessible and understandable for everyone.
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