The University of Sydney Medical School

…groups of animals (n = 12), comparing 6 Sydney School of Veterinary Sciences, responses to three treatments: (i) the application to lesions of TS, (ii) the administra- The University of Sydney, Camden, NSW…

PRODUCTION ANIMALS The effect of a topical anaesthetic formulation, systemic flunixin and carprofen, singly or in combination, on cortisol and behavioural responses of Merino lambs to mulesing DR PAULL, C LEE, IG COLDITZ, S$] ATKINSON and AD FISHER CSIRO Livestock Industries, FD McMaster Laboratory, Armidale NSW 2350 Andrew. Fisher@csiro,au } { ulesing is a surgical procedure in which two strips of Objective To determine the pain responses of lambs to mules- skin are cut from the hindquarters of Merino lambs in ing, and the effectiveness of potential analgesic treatments. order to remove wool-bearing wrinkled skin, increase Procedures Merino lambs (n = 64) were allocated at 5 weeks the perineal bare area and reduce the risk of breech strike of age to eight treatment groups: 1) sham mules; 2) conventional throughout life thereafter. The operation is usually performed mules; 3) topical anaesthetic, incorporating lignocaine, bupi- in conjunction with tail docking during the first 12 weeks after vicaine, adrenaline and cetrimide, applied immediately after mulesing; 4) flunixin + topical anaesthetic, with flunixin admini- birth, and is described in the relevant Australian Model Code stered 2.5 mg/kg s.c. 90 min before mulesing; 5) carprofen of Practice for che Welfare of Animals.’ Although, in the years + topical anaesthetic, with carprofen administered 4 mg/kg after its widespread adoption, mulesing was highlighted for its s.c. 90 min before mulesing; 6) carprofen, administered as animal welfare benefits in reducing flystrike,” the practice has above; 7) flunixin, administered as above; and 8) carprofen more recently been the focus of criticism by animal welfare and + flunixin, administered as above. Plasma cortisol was measured animal rights interest groups, at 0, 0.5,

tudy. twice the recommended therapeutic dose (n = 12). Studies suggest that local anaesthetic infiltration can have delete- In conclusion, the topical anaesthetic and antiseptic formula- rious effects on wound healing after surgical incisions,42 but tion Tri-Solfen®, is effective at alleviating pain and enhancing impaired wound healing has generally not been apparent in wound healing in lambs post-mulesing. These results suggest clinical trials.43 We have documented a significant improvement that if widely adopted, the use of topical anaesthesia has the in wound contraction rates in lambs treated with Tri-Solfen®. In capacity to dramatically reduce the burden of acute animal Trial 1, there was an unanticipated and inadvertent discrepancy husbandry related pain and suffering in young lambs through-out in initial wound size between groups. Nevertheless improved Australia. wound healing with Tri-Solfen® was suggested by finding a sig- nificant group effect over the first 14 day evaluation period. This Acknowledgements This research program was approved by the Animal Ethics was confirmed in the second larger trial in which initial wound Committee of the University of Sydney and conforms to the size bias was eliminated. These results support the conclusions of provisions of the Declaration of Helsinki (2000). The support of Eroglu et al,44 that topical anaesthesia does not impair, and may Mr Steven Burgun and staff at Arthursleigh and Mr Geoff improve wound healing. However, it is probable that actives Moore and staff at Yerilla, the statistical support of Associate other than the local anaesthetic agents in Tri-Solfen®, such as Professor Jennifer Peat PhD and funds for handling equipment the antiseptic and the gel base may be responsible for this effect, from the

…adam.polkinghorne@health.nsw.gov.au 3 The University of Sydney Medical School, Nepean Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Penrith, 2750, New South Wales, Australia * Correspondence: mlksheil…

…adam.polkinghorne@health.nsw.gov.au 3 The University of Sydney Medical School, Nepean Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Penrith, 2750, New South Wales, Australia * Correspondence: mlksheil…

…adam.polkinghorne@health.nsw.gov.au 3 Faculty of Medicine and Health, Nepean Clinical School, The University of Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, NWS 2750 Penrith, Australia * Correspondence: mlksheil@me.com…

…Berl Münch Tierärztl Wochenschr (134) The University of Sydney Medical School, Nepean Clinical School, Faculty of Medi- 1–10 (2021) cine and Health, University of Sydney, Penrith, 2750, New South Wales, Australia3…

…Berl Münch Tierärztl Wochenschr (134) The University of Sydney Medical School, Nepean Clinical School, Faculty of Medi- 1–10 (2021) cine and Health, University of Sydney, Penrith, 2750, New South Wales, Australia3…

…White2‡* 1 Faculty of Science, School of Life and Environmental Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia, 2 Faculty of Science, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW…

…the wound healing impacts of LBAC compared with saline were Correspondence Shaun Pratt, School of Veterinary Science, investigated on surgically created 20 × 20 mm distal limb wounds in 10 horses. University of…