Anesthesia for Livestock Husbandry Procedures—An Australian Perspective

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This article was downloaded by: [University of Sydney] On: 06 August 2014, At: 00:43 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/haaw20 Anesthesia for Livestock Husbandry Procedures—An Australian Perspective a b a Sabrina Lomax , Meredith Sheil & Peter Windsor a Faculty of Veterinary Science , University of Sydney , New South Wales, Australia b Animal Ethics Pty Ltd. , Yarra Glen, Victoria, Australia Published online: 24 Mar 2009. To cite this article: Sabrina Lomax , Meredith Sheil & Peter Windsor (2009) Anesthesia for Livestock Husbandry Procedures—An Australian Perspective, Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 12:2, 153-153, DOI: 10.1080/10888700902720508 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10888700902720508 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages,

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rimary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http:// www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions ABSTRACTS OF THE PROCEEDINGS 153 Anesthesia for Livestock Husbandry Procedures—An Australian Perspective Sabrina Lomax,1 Meredith Sheil,2 and Peter Windsor1 1 Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2 Animal Ethics Pty Ltd., Yarra Glen, Victoria, Australia Downloaded by [University of Sydney] at 00:43 06 August 2014 Livestock husbandry procedures—including mulesing, castration, and tail docking—cause considerable pain and suffering yet are routinely conducted in Australia without the employment of anesthesia or analgesia. Although these procedures may be justifiable for nonhuman animal health and management reasons, there is growing consumer concern, both nationally and internationally, regarding the infliction of pain on animals. This has the potential to significantly impact Australia’s exports as consumers move to select alternative products or those from more welfare-conscious markets. This could not be more evident than in the current mulesing debate that has put the Australian wool market under intense scrutiny by international importers. The growing pressure

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nt than in the current mulesing debate that has put the Australian wool market under intense scrutiny by international importers. The growing pressure to select wool from unmulesed sheep has led to an industry push to phase out the procedure by 2010 should a viable solution not be found. Although the ideal long-term solution is to develop painless alternatives to such procedures, this will not happen. In the interim, the development of effective methods of pain alleviation that are practical, affordable, and applicable to farming operations is essential to reduce suffering while an alternative is pursued. Our group has been conducting studies over the past 2 years on the application of a spray-on topical anesthetic formulation, Tri-Solfen®, to the wounds inflicted by mulesing, castration, and tail docking. We have assessed wound sensitivity using Von Frey Hair stimulation, mea- suring local involuntary reflexes, and central cognition. These responses were graded using a numerical rating scale. Observation of behavioral responses to pain was also conducted, along with a novel technique to assess wound healing that involved digital photography and computerized surface area measurement. Findings indicate that the application of Tri-Solfen® to mulesing, castration, and tail docking wounds significantly reduced the pain experienced postproce- dure and improved the rate of wound healing in mulesing wounds. Correspondence should be sent to Sabrina Lomax, Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, 48a Alfred Street, Saint Peters, New South Wales, Australia 2044. Email: s.lomax@ usyd.edu.au