Effect of surgical castration at different stages of maturity with or without analgesia on growth performance and acute-phase response

摘要

Although castration is a commonly practiced management procedure, it causes pain and stress that can temporarily reduce performance. Currently, there is no approved medication for analgesia in cattle. Meloxicam is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) approved by the FDA for analgesic use in companion animal species. The objective of this study was to determine whether surgical castration at birth or weaning with or without concurrent analgesia by administration of meloxicam impacts growth performance or the acute-phase response (APR).