Grad Student Competition
The use of lidocaine-infused bands as pain mitigation for band castration and its effects on behavior, growth performance and pain indicators in beef calves
| Date/Time: |
8/28/2026
09:45
|
| Author: |
Suwanan Kerdtewa |
| Clinic: |
University of California Davis |
| City, State, ZIP: |
Davis, CA 95616 |
S. Kerdtewa, DVM, MPVM
1
;
E. Abdelfattah, DVM, MVsc., PhD
1
;
A. Drwencke, PhD
2
;
K. Aguirre Siliezar, MPVM
1
;
H. Hoeltje, BS
2
;
C. Nord, PhD
3
;
C. Tucker, PhD
2
;
G. Maier, DVM, MPVM, PhD, DACVPM
1
;
1Department of Population Health & Reproduction, Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California
2Center for Animal Welfare, Department of Animal Science, University of California Davis, Davis, California
3Neuroscience and Behavior Unit, National Biomedical Research Institute, University of California Davis, Davis, California
Introduction:
Castration is a routine management practice
in beef production to improve meat quality and facilitate easier handling of male
cattle. Compared to other methods, band castration is inexpensive, easy to
apply, and requires minimal specialized training. However, compared to surgical
castration, the time frame between application and detachment of testicles and
eventual wound healing is prolonged and leads to chronic pain lasting several
weeks. Effective pain management during this time is important for reducing
pain-related behaviors and stress, which can lead to decreased nursing and
drops in average daily weight gain, ultimately improving calf welfare,
recovery, and performance. Despite previous research that has explored the
impact of pain management on calf welfare and performance, pain mitigation
strategies for band castration remain under-explored. A lidocaine-infused
elastic band has become commercially available and described as being able to reduce pain from band
castration for up to 42 days. This randomized controlled trial aimed to
evaluate the pain mitigation effects of a lidocaine-infused band (LidoBand™,
LB) compared to a traditional elastic band (TB) for castration in beef calves.
Materials and methods:
The study was conducted at the
Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center, University of California, Davis. A total of 60 male beef calves were used in the two-year experiment, with 30 calves included each year and ages ranging from 1 to 67 days. Calves were born and raised on-site under
rangeland conditions and were randomly assigned to either LB or TB castration.
Growth performance, pain indicators, and behavior were monitored at 2 hours, 1
day, 3 days, and then every 2 weeks after castration until scrotal detachment
occurred. Wound healing was monitored continuously until complete healing was
achieved. Blood serum samples were collected to analyze cortisol levels as an
indicator of stress. Calf behavior was monitored using accelerometers attached
to the hind legs. Wound sensitivity was assessed via the von Frey filament and
needle prick tests.
Results:
Overall, LB did not result in statistically significant improvements in most measured outcomes compared with TB, including body weight (P = 0.61), scrotal circumference (P = 0.29), rectal temperature (P = 0.14), behavioral measures (all P > 0.05), and biomarkers of pain and stress, including serum cortisol concentration (P = 0.41) and plasma substance P level (P = 0.92). The Von Frey sensitivity and pinprick tests, which assessed physical pain responses at the abdomen and rump, indicated no statistically significant differences among castration band types (all P > 0.05). Most calves’ scrotums detached approximately 4-6 weeks after castration and required an additional 2-4 weeks for complete healing. There were no statistically significant differences in the hazard ratios between groups for time to scrotal detachment (P = 0.25) and time to healing (P = 0.14). However, a treatment-by-time interaction revealed a statistically significantly smaller scrotal circumference in the LB group at Week 2 post-castration (P = 0.005).
Significance:
In conclusion, although LB was expected to reduce pain and stress responses, improve health, behavior, and healing outcomes, the results of this study suggest that it offered little advantage over the traditional elastic band in the observed calves, with the only observed benefit being a trend toward reduced pain responses that may support animal welfare. Additionally, its higher cost may not be justified under typical rangeland production conditions.
