Clinical trial of local anesthetic protocols for acute pain associated with caustic paste disbudding in dairy calves

Caustic paste disbudding is becoming more common-place in North America. A large body of work has examined pain control for cautery disbudding and surgical dehorning, but fewer studies have evaluated pain control for caustic paste disbudding, and results conflict regarding benefits of local anesthesia. In humans, the pain associated with a caustic, chemical burn can differ in nature, duration, and intensity compared to a thermal burn. The objective of this clinical trial was to evaluate the effects of either a lidocaine cornual nerve block or a topical anesthetic incorporated into caustic paste on the acute pain of caustic paste disbudding.