PAIN IS GOOD… AND BAD
Pain cannot be completely eliminated, nor should it. It serves a very real purpose in both humans and in cattle. Acute pain is protective and triggers avoidance behaviours. It helps cattle avoid further injuring themselves, supports the recovery process and teaches them to avoid similar injury in the future. This is not to say that cattle shouldn’t be provided pain medication. While pain cannot be completely removed long-term, it can be eased so as to reduce its negative effects short-term.
Recognizing pain in cattle can be challenging. As prey animals, millions of years of evolution have taught them to remain stoic. Since predators eat the young, old and sick, cattle have learned to mask their pain. Pain can be detrimental to production so learning to identify it in the herd is valuable to all producers.
RECOGNIZING PAIN IN CATTLE
Pain is not easily measured. Producers and veterinarians need to consider behavioural cues when appraising the herd. Changes in behaviour reveal the internal state of an animal and can be an important indicator of the presence of pain.
Cattle experience and display pain on a continuum ranging from mild to severe. Their behaviour often acts as an early warning, so it’s important to keep a close watch as cues are only helpful to producers if they recognize and act on them. Severe pain is typically easier to identify than mild to moderate pain. If left untreated, pain is exacerbated and becomes difficult to treat.
LOW TO MODERATE PAIN
In 2015 researchers developed “The Cow Pain Scale” to help producers better assess pain in their herd. It focused on the subtle indicators of pain and was developed as a fast and simple approach to identify pain behaviours in cattle.
Pain Indicators In Your Herd
THE COW PAIN SCALE
The cow pain scale contains 7 behaviours that are assessed from 0-2 and then combined to produce a total pain score. A tally higher than 5 indicates that an animal could be in pain. The cow is then watched and re-tested. An assessment is conducted from a distance for the first 4 behavioural markers prior to the cow becoming aware of the producer. The response to the final 3 behaviours is then noted once the cattle are approached. The 7 behaviours as outlined by (Gleerup et al., 2015) are:
Attention towards the surroundings:
If a cow is in pain, she tends to be less focused on the environment.
Head position:
Pain will often cause an animal to lower its head.
Ear position:
Cows in pain keep their ears straight backward or very low like lamb’s ears.
Facial expression:
Cows have a different facial expression when in pain, a so-called “pain face.”
Response to approach:
A cow in pain is less interested in social interaction and will, therefore, try to avoid an approaching person.
Back position:
Pain in the legs or abdomen may result in an arched back.
Lameness:
Lameness is a result of pain in one or several limbs. Pain in more than one limb may result in a very careful walk, rather than a limp.
SEVERE PAIN
Studies have shown that even supposedly healthy, productive cattle often experience varying degrees of pain and discomfort. This is a concern as pain negatively impacts production and welfare. Severe or acute pain is more pronounced and easier to evaluate than mild, moderate or long-term pain. Behavioural indicators for severe pain include:
- Rapid, shallow breathing
- Violent behaviour when handled
- Rigid posture to immobilize the painful area
- Grinding teeth
- Vocalizations such as bellowing
- Head pressing
- Colic behaviour
- Standing with one hind foot directly in front of the other (suggests acute abdominal pain)
PAIN. IT HURTS YOUR BOTTOM LINE TOO.
Pain is not only an animal welfare issue, it can also be very detrimental to production. Pain often leads to a decline in appetite which results in weight loss and in milking cows, decreased milk production. In order to diagnose, grade and treat pain, it’s necessary to be aware of the subtle pain behaviours.
