Acute pain and peripheral sensitization following cautery disbudding in 1- and 4-week-old calves

Acute pain and peripheral sensitization development after cautery disbudding was investigated in 33 calves administered preventive multimodal analgesia. The animals were assigned randomly to three groups: 1) Group SH (Control), undergoing sham disbudding at 1 and 4weeks of age; 2) Group ED (Early Disbudding), undergoing disbudding at 1week of age and sham disbudding at 4weeks of age; 3) Group LD (Late Disbudding), undergoing sham disbudding at 1week of age and disbudding at 4weeks of age. Physiological parameters (heart rate, respiratory rate, rectal temperature, invasive blood pressure, cortisol, β-endorphin, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α and haptoglobin plasmatic concentration), local variables (tactile sensitivity score, pressure pain thresholds and horn temperature), behavior and pain scores [multidimensional pain scale and visual analogue scale (VAS)] were assessed at baseline and at several pre-determined time points until 24h after disbudding. Tactile sensitivity score significantly and equally increased in both groups ED and LD and pressure pain thresholds significantly decreased in group LD until 24h after disbudding compared to group SH. Pain and VAS scores significantly and equally increased in both groups ED and LD until 24h after disbudding compared to group SH. No significant differences in physiological parameters, behavior and horn temperature were detected among groups. The present study suggests that acute pain and peripheral sensitization develop and do not differ in calves disbudded at 1week and 4weeks of age. Moreover, the use of physiological and behavioral parameters as sole indicators of acute pain might lead to improper conclusions and should be reassessed. •Despite preventive multimodal analgesia, acute pain and peripheral sensitization developed after cautery disbudding.•Acute pain and peripheral sensitization did not differ in calves disbudded at 1week and 4weeks of age.•Cortisol and β-endorphin plasma concentration, as well as TNF-α and haptoglobin mRNA abundance, were influenced by age.•Physiological and behavioral parameters as sole indicators of acute pain might lead to improper conclusions.