Effects of meloxicam or tolfenamic acid administration on the pain and stress responses of Merino lambs to mulesing

Objective To determine the effectiveness of two long‐acting non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) at reducing the pain and stress responses to mulesing in lambs. Procedures Merino lambs (n = 60) were allocated at 5 weeks of age to six treatment groups: (1) sham mules; (2) mules; (3) tolfenamic acid‐sham mules; (4) tolfenamic acid administered 45 min before mulesing; (5) tolfenamic acid at the time of mulesing; (6) meloxicam at the time of mulesing. Plasma cortisol was measured at −0.75, −0.25, 0, 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h relative to mulesing. Beta‐endorphin concentrations in plasma were determined at 0, 0.5, 1, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h. Haematology was performed on blood samples taken at −0.75, 0, 24, 48 and 72 h. Plasma haptoglobin was measured at 0, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h. Rate of wound healing was determined 72 h post mulesing, and animal behaviour, including posture, was measured for 6 h after mulesing. Results The mulesed lambs exhibited large increases in plasma concentrations of cortisol, beta‐endorphin and haptoglobin. All mulesed animals lost weight significantly in the week after mulesing, regardless of analgesic administration, but the difference in weight between mulesed and unmulesed lambs was less at the final measurement, 2 weeks after mulesing. Mulesed lambs spent significantly less time lying ventrally than control lambs. All lambs that were mulesed, including those administered NSAIDs, spent more time standing with a hunched posture and less time walking normally than control lambs. Conclusions The NSAID treatments applied 45 min before or at the time of mulesing at the dose levels used in this study were not effective in reducing the acute response of lambs to mulesing.