thermocautery

…https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tnzv20 Effects of a topically applied anaesthetic on the behaviour, pain sensitivity and weight gain of dairy calves following thermocautery disbudding with a local anaesthetic EL Cuttance…

…These data are considered to support the safety of topical anaesthesia, as formulated in Tri-Solfen® , to the thermocautery disbudding wound in calves. Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Keywords: local anaesthetic; animal…

…Comparison of two topical treatments on wound healing 7 days after disbudding of calves using thermocautery. N. Z. Vet. J. 2020, 68, 304–308. [CrossRef]

…Comparison of two topical treatments on wound healing 7 days after disbudding of calves using thermocautery. N. Z. Vet. J. 2020, 68, 304–308. [CrossRef]

…Comparison of two topical treatments on wound healing 7 days after disbudding of calves using thermocautery. N. Z. Vet. J. 2020, 68, 304–308. [CrossRef]

…Audio thetic on the behaviour, pain sensitivity and weight gain of dairy calves fol- Eng. (Sound Analysis), Annandale, Sydney 2038 and BettaPork Pty lowing thermocautery disbudding with a local anaesthetic. N Z…

s (findings not described in this publication). and the appropriate applicator depending on body weight: piglets less than 2 kg body weight received a Preparation nociceptive measurements total of 0.4 mL TS or P in each wound cavity, heavier After the induction of anesthesia, the setup for animals 0.8 mL per side. After a waiting period of measurement devices and preparation for the exper- 30 seconds, both spermatic cords were severed indi- imental procedure was performed as previously vidually using an emasculator. This was followed by described in detail.21-23 All animals were assumed an application of TS/P to the wound edges (0.1 mL to experience similar stress from the basic experi- or 0.2 mL per side, respectively). mental setup. Piglets were placed in a supine posi- tion and fixated in this position with warm water Heart rate and blood pressure bottles that helped to maintain a physiological body measurements temperature. Twenty minutes before general anes- During the entire procedure systolic, diastolic, thesia local anesthetic cream (Emla®, AstraZeneca and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were GmbH) was applied to the skin of the jugular groove. recorded using the microtip catheter in the left Eye ointment (Bepanthen Augen- und Nasensalbe, carotid artery and heart rate (HR) by using an ECG. Bayer Vital GmbH) was administered, and cot- One minute before the “events” [(1) application of ton wool was placed in the external auditory canal vapocoolant, (2) skin incision, and (3) cutting of the to avoid the impact of background noises on mea- spermatic cords] mean baseline values of MAP and surement results. The local anesthetic Lidocaine HR were calculated. Subsequently, the maximum (lidocaine 2%, Bela-pharm Arzneimittelfabrik) deviation, as well as the

ocaine applied in the inguinal area and flunixin meglumine (2.2 mg/kg) administered intranasally 20 minutes prior to sample collection. Punch biopsies were obtained using a 5.0 mm round-tipped cutting tool (Scientific Labwares Disposable Punch Biopsy®, Gainesville, VA, USA) from the scrotal skin at the castration incision site. The samples were collected by applying slight downward pressure and rotating the device clockwise. Once the skin was punctured, the punch device was carefully removed, and the skin samples were grasped with forceps. The underlying fat was then separated using scissors. Samples were immediately fixed in 10% formalin (Hackworth, 2019). Histological samples were processed using Masson’s trichrome staining, and a board-certified pathologist evaluated them based on the variables described in Table 1. Page 6/20 Table 1 Wound healing objective criteria (adapted from Santos et al., 2021 and van de Vyver et al., 2021). Score: 0 1 2 3 Epidermal ulceration intact (< 5%) partial (5– ulceration (25– complete ulceration 25%) 50%) (> 50%) Epidermal thickness normal (95– mild (< moderate (110– marked (> 120%) index1 105%) 110%) 120%) Serocellular crusting absent mild (25– moderate (50– marked (> 75%) 50%) 75%) Inflammatory minimal mild moderate marked infiltrate Granulation tissue none/minimal mild (10– moderate (25– proliferative (> 50%) 25%) 50%) Dermal hemorrhage absent mild moderate marked 1 ETI = (average thickness of epidermis in wound area]/[average thickness of epidermis in uninjured skin) × 100 Statistical analysis All analyses were conducted using RStudio (version 2024.04.0 Build 735; R Core Team, 2024). The experimental unit for performance, physiological, and inflammatory outcomes was the individual piglet, while

s (findings not described in this publication). and the appropriate applicator depending on body weight: piglets less than 2 kg body weight received a Preparation nociceptive measurements total of 0.4 mL TS or P in each wound cavity, heavier After the induction of anesthesia, the setup for animals 0.8 mL per side. After a waiting period of measurement devices and preparation for the exper- 30 seconds, both spermatic cords were severed indi- imental procedure was performed as previously vidually using an emasculator. This was followed by described in detail.21-23 All animals were assumed an application of TS/P to the wound edges (0.1 mL to experience similar stress from the basic experi- or 0.2 mL per side, respectively). mental setup. Piglets were placed in a supine posi- tion and fixated in this position with warm water Heart rate and blood pressure bottles that helped to maintain a physiological body measurements temperature. Twenty minutes before general anes- During the entire procedure systolic, diastolic, thesia local anesthetic cream (Emla®, AstraZeneca and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were GmbH) was applied to the skin of the jugular groove. recorded using the microtip catheter in the left Eye ointment (Bepanthen Augen- und Nasensalbe, carotid artery and heart rate (HR) by using an ECG. Bayer Vital GmbH) was administered, and cot- One minute before the “events” [(1) application of ton wool was placed in the external auditory canal vapocoolant, (2) skin incision, and (3) cutting of the to avoid the impact of background noises on mea- spermatic cords] mean baseline values of MAP and surement results. The local anesthetic Lidocaine HR were calculated. Subsequently, the maximum (lidocaine 2%, Bela-pharm Arzneimittelfabrik) deviation, as well as the

nts were applied immediately after castration (D1). Body weights were recorded at baseline (D0) and at weaning. Blood samples were collected on days 0 (baseline), 7, and 14 for analysis of prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) and haptoglobin. Infrared thermography (IRT) was used to assess scrotal surface temperature. Histological evaluation of wound healing was performed on subsets of piglets on days 7 and 14. No treatment effects were observed on body weight or pre-weaning survival; castrated piglets grew similarly to intact controls. Concentrations of PGE₂ declined over time (P < 0.001) but did not differ between treatments, suggesting it may have limited utility as an inflammatory biomarker in neonatal pigs. Haptoglobin concentrations increased across all groups by days 7 and 14, including intact controls, indicating limited specificity for castration-related inflammation. In contrast, IRT consistently distinguished castrated from intact piglets, supporting its potential as a non-invasive indicator of inflammatory responses. Histological evaluations showed expected time-dependent healing progression, with epidermal thickness correlating with wound severity, but no treatment effects were found. None of the tested topical products improved wound healing or reduced systemic inflammation under a single-application protocol. While safe and without adverse effects on growth, their benefits appear limited under the study conditions. Future research should explore repeated applications, microbial wound presence, and behavioral indicators to better evaluate post-castration wound-care strategies. INTRODUCTION Castration is a common procedure performed on swine farms in the United States to prevent unwanted breeding, reduce aggression and improve meat quality (Weiler et al., 2021;