Body Modification/Mutilation

Includes beak trimming, castration, dehorning and disbudding, ear cropping, tail docking, etc.

Roche, S. M., Ralston, B. J., Olson, B. et al. 2024. Efficacy of a lidocaine-impregnated elastrator band for castration and tail docking in lambs. Animals 14(10), 1403.

The primary objective of this study was to demonstrate the non-inferiority between lidocaine-impregnated ligation bands (LLBs) and control bands (CBs) with respect to the efficacy of castration and tail docking. Secondary objectives were to compare...

Heuser, M., Gonzalez-Uarquin, F., Nuber, M. et al. 2024. A 3D-printed dummy for training distal phalanx amputation in mice. Animals 14(8), 1253.

The development of realistic dummies for training the distal phalanx amputation (DPA) technique in mouse pups is a promising alternative to reduce and replace animals in training for research and teaching. To test this, we...

Barros, G. P. de, Hötzel, M. J., Silva, M. C. da et al. 2024. Does tail docking prevent Cochliomyia hominivorax myiasis in sheep? A six-year retrospective cohort study. Animal Welfare 33, e26.

Tail docking is a husbandry practice widely incorporated in sheep farms around the world. It is an irreversible mutilation that impairs animal welfare, both immediately and in the longer term. The defence of tail docking...

Weeder, M. M., Kleinhenz, M. D., Reppert, E. J. et al. 2024. Comparison of firocoxib and meloxicam for pain mitigation in goats undergoing surgical castration. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 262(4), 498–505.

OBJECTIVE This study sought to determine whether firocoxib (FIRO) or meloxicam (MEL) was effective at providing analgesia after surgical castration in goats. ANIMALS 18 intact male crossbred goats (6 to 8 months old) were enrolled...

Cuttance, E. L., Mason, W. A., McDermott, J. et al. 2024. Comparison of three anaesthetic options to reduce acute pain response in kid goats. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 27(3), 465–476.

Three options for anesthetizing the skin around the horn bud of dairy goat kids were explored. Forty-five

Burciaga, L. M., Alcaraz, G. 2023. Metabolic and behavioural effects of hermit crab shell removal techniques: Is heating less invasive than cracking? Animal Welfare 32, e24.

Hermit crabs (Paguroidea; Latreille 1802) offer great opportunities to study animal behaviour and physiology. However, the animals’ size and sex cannot be determined when they are inside their shell; information crucial to many experimental designs...

Pierdon, M. K., Berdahl, S. E. 2023. Effect of topical spray containing lidocaine on piglet behaviour post castration. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 26(2), 195–204.

Previous studies examining the impact of topical lidocaine spray on postcastration pain behavior in piglets used scan sampling for the collection of behavior data. This methodology led to inconclusive results on the efficacy of topical...

Dubuc, J., Morrow, L. 2023. Open versus semi-closed castration in horses: Which technique results in fewer postoperative complications? Veterinary Record 192(2), 78–78.

There is currently no peer-reviewed evidence comparing the postoperative complications associated with open and semi-closed castration techniques in horses. Therefore, the choice of technique should be based on the client's understanding of the risks and...

Alvarez, L., Terrazas, A., Rojas, S. et al. 2023. Cortisol and pain-related behavior in hot-iron disbudded goat kids sedated with xylazine and locally infiltrated with lidocaine. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 63, 42–47.

Disbudding induces intense pain-related behavioral and physiological responses in goat kids. Using only regional anesthesia may not be effective in ameliorating these responses. We determined the effect of xylazine-sedation with or without regional infiltration of...

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