Variation in perceptions of pain and attitudes towards non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use for different lameness scenarios in dairy cattle.

backgroundLameness diagnosis and treatment have important welfare and production consequences in dairy farming.

methodsA questionnaire examining factors affecting non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use and pain scores associated with 16 lameness scenarios was distributed among UK farmers, veterinarians, veterinary technicians and foot trimmers. Principal component analysis was used to allow investigation of patterns between different respondent demographics and lameness scenarios.

resultsAfter correcting for multiple testing, no significant associations were found between pain perception component variables and any of the variables examined. For attitudes towards NSAID use, there was a significant association with job role, with veterinarians more likely to provide analgesia across all conditions than farmers (p < 0.001). Both active digital dermatitis (DD) and trimming of a DD lesion were given high pain scores (median of 7 and 8 out of 10, respectively), but were less likely to be given NSAIDs than other conditions with lower pain scores. LIMITATIONS: This was a small, exploratory study, with potential for both confounding and limited power. Some of the variation seen between respondents may have been due to differential interpretation of the questions.

conclusionsWhile respondents broadly agreed on pain scores for each of the lameness scenarios, there was variability in NSAID use between job roles. Furthermore, NSAID use was less likely for some painful conditions, such as DD. This may lead to some cows being under-analgesed, with consequent welfare implications.