Research Summary - 3
Assessing the Effect of Pain Mitigation on Acute Physiological and Behavioral Indicators in Band-Castrated Neonatal Bull Calves
| Date/Time: |
8/29/2026
08:30
|
| Author: |
Emma G Prybylski |
| Clinic: |
University of Minnesota |
| City, State, ZIP: |
Luaderdale , MN 55113 |
Emma Prybylski, BS
1
;
Daisy Cagle , BS
2
;
Brett Boyum , DVM
3
;
Whitney Knauer , VMD, PhD
1
;
1Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108
2College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606
3Riverview, LLP, Morris, MN, 56267
Introduction:
Castration is a common and painful management practice in the U.S. cattle industry, often performed in neonatal calves. Lidoband™ (Solvet, Alberta, Canada), an elastrator band impregnated with lidocaine, is newly available in the U.S. and may provide extended analgesia. However, data on Lidoband™ and other pain mitigation strategies in neonatal calves are limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether pain mitigation during band castration improves calf welfare, as measured by acute behavioral and physiological indicators.
Materials and methods:
This study was conducted at a calf depot in central MN during the summer of 2025. Beef × dairy bull calves arriving uncastrated were eligible for enrollment if they were ambulatory, clinically healthy, free of congenital abnormalities, and had two palpable testicles. Eligible calves (n=93; 25 ± 6h old) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: band-only (BO; n=31), band plus meloxicam (1 mg/kg PO; B+N; n=31), or Lidoband™ (LIDO; n=31). Baseline data were collected, including scrotal circumference (cm), a clinical health score (Wisconsin Calf Health Scoring System), and a jugular blood sample for serum haptoglobin (mg/dL). A triaxial accelerometer (IceQube, Peacock Technology Ltd, Scotland) was attached to the left hind limb to continuously record standing and lying time (min), lying bouts (n), and motion index (n). Banding was performed by a single trained individual. Follow-up measures included serum haptoglobin (d3), serum total protein (mg/dL, d3), health score (d1-3), and scrotal circumference (cm; d1–3). Behavioral responses in the one-minute post-banding period (vocalize (V), kick/stomp (KS), struggle (ST), tail flick (TF)) were directly observed and recorded by a single trained individual. Calves exited the study 3 days post-banding upon transport to an off-site rearing facility. Additional demographic data were downloaded from DairyComp 305. Linear regression was used to examine the effect of treatment on calf behavior following castration. Repeated-measures linear mixed models were used to evaluate the effect of treatment on calf behavior (lying time, standing time, lying bouts, motion index) and scrotal circumference. A separate model evaluated the effect of calf behavior, averaged across days. The effect of treatment on odds for a calf receiving an abnormal health score (fecal score ≥ 2, total health score ≥ 4, rectal temperature (RT) > 103.5F) during the 3d follow-up period was modeled using a generalized linear mixed model with repeated measures.
Results:
No baseline differences were observed among treatment groups. Scrotal circumference increased for all calves over the first 24hr post banding (d0: 11.4 ± 0.1 cm; d1: 12.2 ± 0.1 cm; p<0.001) with no treatment effect (p=0.17). No differences were observed among treatment groups for calves observed as sick (p=0.15). However, the odds of a fever (RT>103.5F) was lower in the BO compared to the LIDO group (OR = 0.25; 95% CI [0.07, 0.84]). In all calves, serum haptoglobin increased post-castration (d0: 12.3 ± 1.0 mg/dL vs. d3: 13.7 ± 1.0 mg/dL; p=0.03) with no differences observed among treatment groups (p=0.89). Behaviors in the one minute post banding were not different among treatment groups. However, LIDO calves had numerically fewer TF (2.4 ± 0.5) and KS (7.4 ± 1.4) as compared to either BO (TF: 3.9 ± 0.5; KS: 11.2 ± 1.4) or B + N (TF: 3.7 ± 0.5; KS: 9.6 ± 1.4) groups. Motion index differed among treatment groups (p = 0.003), with BO calves showing greater activity (69.9 ± 3.9) compared to B+N (51.2 ± 3.9) and LIDO (54.8 ± 3.9) groups, particularly within 24 hr post-banding.
Significance:
The results of this study support pain control for band castration in neonatal calves, but did not find evidence to support a lidocaine-impregnated castration band as being better than oral meloxicam to manage acute pain. These findings support the use of analgesia during neonatal castration.
