Only two products are approved in Canada to ease pain during dehorning and castration
OLDS, Alta. — Cattle producers are facing a conundrum.
They must start using pain control by next year for their animals during dehorning or castration, but few approved medications are available.
“We have two products that are available to producers with label claims. That is all we have,” said Merle Olson, a veterinarian, as well as an owner and research director of Alberta Veterinary Laboratories in Calgary.
His company develops veterinary pharmaceuticals and has registered 35 products.
Product registration is time consuming and lengthy because the federal government requires de-tailed efficacy studies, he told a pain management workshop in Olds Jan. 27.
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A study is required for each claim.
The cattle industry needs effective, affordable medication that comes in a single, easy to administer dose and acts rapidly.
The label also needs to specify it may be used for beef and dairy cattle.
Products must be tasteless, non-irritating and provide long-lasting relief with a reasonable withdrawal time. They must be environmentally safe and not toxic to other species with no potential for human abuse.
Pain control drugs are on the market and have been used off label. Some, such as lidocaine, work as an anesthetic, while others have an analgesic effect and can relieve pain and inflammation.
“We have to have appropriate pharmaceuticals to address pain and inflammation. We have to make them available in Canada,” he said.
Alberta Veterinary Laboratories is developing an oral meloxicam for cattle and horses that is long-lasting.
Health Canada will not approve it unless the company has appropriately tested the product.
Groups of calves were banded or surgically castrated with some groups receiving medication while others did not.
Researchers observed the calves’ behaviour, measured plasma cortisol levels and heart rates and monitored scrotal swelling.
A difference was observed during the first three days between those receiving meloxicam and the control group.
Band castration caused more pain than surgical castration, but there was more inflammation in surgically castrated calves.
A meloxicam residue study showed huge variation in levels in the liver, kidney and muscle tissue, but by the 28 day, there were no problem with residues.
Olson’s company is also working on topical gels to treat injured sites.
