DOI
https://doi.org/10.18849/ve.v6i3.462Abstract
PICO question
In healthy lambs, does the administration of local anaesthetic reduce the pain response after castration and tail docking compared to the administration of meloxicam?
Clinical bottom line
Category of research question
Treatment
The number and type of study designs reviewed
Three prospective randomised clinical trials (RCT) and one clinical trial without stated randomisation were critically reviewed
Strength of evidence
Moderate to strong evidence in terms of their experimental design due to having three RTCs which are all relatively recent research. However, their implementation is moderate to weak as they fail to prove the hypothesis
Outcomes reported
In all four studies there was improvement in the pain related behaviours post administration of anaesthesia or analgesia. There is conflicting evidence on meloxicam’s efficacy, but this could be a result of time spent observing outcomes, which relates to the drugs onset of action and time of peak concentration. Lidocaine has consistently shown a reduction in acute abnormal behaviours irrespective of equipment used
Conclusion
Based on the studies appraised in this Knowledge Summary there is not enough evidence to determine whether local anaesthesia is more effective than meloxicam at reducing the pain exhibited by lambs undergoing castration or tail docking. It has been shown that the use of local anaesthesia in the form of injectable lidocaine will reduce acute pain displayed during marking but there remains conflicting evidence for meloxicam with likely benefits occurring after several hours
How to apply this evidence in practice
The application of evidence into practice should take into account multiple factors, not limited to: individual clinical expertise, patient’s circumstances and owners’ values, country, location or clinic where you work, the individual case in front of you, the availability of therapies and resources.
Knowledge Summaries are a resource to help reinforce or inform decision making. They do not override the responsibility or judgement of the practitioner to do what is best for the animal in their care.
References
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Depenbrock, S. (2017). Ruminant Field Anaesthesia and Analgesia. Penn Conference. 1–5.
Kells, N.J., Beausoleil, N.J., Godfrey, A.J.R., Littlewood, K.E., Ward, R.N. & Johnson, C.B. (2019). Effect of analgesic strategies on pain behaviour associated with combined ring castration and hot iron tail docking in Merino lambs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 222. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2019.104914
Kent, J.E., Molony, V. & Graham, M.J. (1998). Comparison of methods for the reduction of acute pain produced by rubber ring castration or tail docking of week-old lambs. The Veterinary Journal. 155(1), 39–51. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1090-0233(98)80033-6
Molony, V., Kent, J.E. & Robertson, I.S. (1993). Behavioural responses of lambs of three ages in the first three hours after three methods castration and tail docking. Research in Veterinary Science. 55(2), 236–245. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0034-5288(93)90087-V
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Small, A., Belson, S., Holm, M. & Colditz, I.G. (2014). Efficacy of a buccal meloxicam formulation for pain relief in Merino lambs undergoing knife castration and tail docking in a randomized field trial. Australian Veterinary Journal. 92(10), 318–388. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/avj.12241
Small, A.H., Jongman, E.C., Niemeyer, D., Lee, C. & Colditz, I.G. (2020). Efficacy of precisely injected single local bolus of lignocaine for alleviation of behavioural responses to pain during tail docking and castration of lambs with rubber rings. Research in Veterinary Science. 133, 210–218. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2020.09.025
Sullivan, G.M. & Feinn, R. (2012). Using Effect Size – or Why the P Value Is Not Enough. Journal of Graduate Medical Education. 4(3), 279–282. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4300%2FJGME-D-12-00156.1
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Wood, G.N., MoLony, V., Fleetwood-Walker, S.M., Hodgson, J.C. & Mellor, D.J. (1991). Effects of local anaesthesia and intravenous naloxone on the changes in behaviour and plasma concentrations of cortisol produced by castration and tail docking with tight rubber rings in young lambs. Research in Veterinary Science. 51(2), 193–199. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0034-5288(91)90013-E
Woodland, A.N., Van der Saag, D., Kimble, B., White, P.J., Govendir, M. & Lomax, S. (2019). Plasma pharmacokinetic profile and efficacy of meloxicam administered subcutaneously and intramuscularly to sheep. PLOS ONE. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0215842
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