Pain and Stress in Cattle: A Personal Perspective

Recognition of pain and/or stress and their severity are difficult to determine in most animal species. The recognition of pain and/or stress and their severity are more challenging in cattle because cattle have evolved as a prey animal, and may mask behavioral signs of pain and/or stress so as not to display weakness to a potential predator. Despite the tremendous advances of pain control in companion animals over the past 20 years, bovine veterinarians and food-producing farmers have been slow in responding to the demands of animal welfare groups and consumers to provide pain relief and stress management to the cattle that are under their care. Costs, efficiency, food safety, and training are some of the issues that have been proposed to underlie the slow response of bovine veterinarians to provide pain relief and stress management to the cattle that are under their care. This article describes (a) the current concepts of pain relief and/or stress management, and (b) a personal perspective for the slow adoption of these concepts by bovine veterinarians. This article concludes by suggesting possible strategies in order to improve the welfare of cattle by adopting, amending, and expanding the existing strategies for managing pain and/or stress that are used in companion animals.