Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T17:15:11.542Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Long-term hyperalgesia and traumatic neuroma formation in tail-docked lambs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

C Larrondo ,
H Bustamante ,
E Paredes  and
C Gallo
C Larrondo*
Affiliation:
Escuela de Graduados, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Independencia 631, Valdivia, Chile
H Bustamante
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ciencias Clínicas Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Independencia 631, Valdivia, Chile § Instituto de Patología Animal, Universidad Austral de Chile, Independencia 631, Valdivia, Chile
E Paredes
Affiliation:
Escuela de Graduados, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Independencia 631, Valdivia, Chile
C Gallo
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ciencia Animal, OIE Collaborating Centre for Animal Welfare and Livestock Production Systems-Chile, Universidad Austral de Chile, Independencia 631 Valdivia, Chile
*
* Contact for correspondence: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

This study aimed to determine if tail-docking induces long-term hyperalgesia, chronic pain and histopathological changes in tail stumps of tail-docked lambs. Fifty male lambs of 45 days of age were randomly allocated in two groups. One group of 25 lambs was tail-docked using a hot cautery iron and a second group of 25 lambs was subjected only to handling as a control group (undocked lambs). Prior to tail-docking and at intervals of 15, 30, 60 and 90 days after the procedure, infra-red thermography (IT) and mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) tests were carried out in both lambs’ tails/stumps, and animals were weighed. In addition, the visual degree of inflammation of tail stumps was evaluated. Finally, animals were slaughtered in a commercial slaughterhouse and tail sections of ten lambs from each group were examined histopathologically. Tail-docking was associated with an inflammatory process according to IT and visual observation in tail stumps at 15 and 30 days post-docking. Tail-docked lambs had lower MNTs than undocked lambs at all evaluated times after tail-docking, indicating the presence of long-term hyperalgesia. Also, traumatic neuroma formation was found in tail stumps of 2/10 tail-docked lambs, and 6/10 presented neuromatous tissue development. It is concluded that tail-docking induces acute and chronic pain in lambs, initially through inflammation, and then via long-term hyperalgesia and traumatic neuroma formation. These long-term findings would have negative implications for the animal welfare of tail-docked lambs.

Keywords

animal welfarechronic painhyperalgesialambneuromatail-docking
Type
Articles
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 28 , Issue 4 , November 2019 , pp. 443 - 454
Copyright
© 2019 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) 2009 Management to avoid tail docking sheep. Technical advice fact sheet 2 p 6. https://agreenerworld.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/TAFS-2-Management-to-Avoid-Tail-Docking-Sheep-v1.pdfGoogle Scholar
Clark, C, Mendl, M, Jamieson, J, Arnone, A, Waterman-Pearson, A and Murrel, J 2011 Do psychological and physiolog-ical stressors alter the acute pain response to castration and tail docking in lambs? Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia 38: 134–145. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-2995.2011.00594.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Devor, M, De Koninck, Y and Sommer, D 2014 Underlying mech-anisms of neuropathic pain. Refresher Courses, 15th World Congress on Pain pp 187–198. 6-11 October 2014, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaGoogle Scholar
Di Giminiani, P, Edwards, E, Malcolm, E, Leach, M, Herskin, M and Sandercock, D 2017 Characterization of short- and long-term mechanical sensitisation following surgical tail amputation in pigs. Nature Science Report 7: 4827–4836. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-05404-yGoogle Scholar
Di Giminiani, P, Stausholm, J, Viitasaar, E, Petersen, L and Herskin, M 2015 The effect of social isolation, gender and famil-iarity with the experimental procedure on tests of porcine noci-ceptive thresholds. Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia 42: 648–656. https://doi.org/10.1111/vaa.12254CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dowling, S, Stewart, M, Webster, J, Schaefer, AL and Landgraf, T 2013 Infrared thermography for animal health and wel-fare monitoring: where to from here? Spatially Enabled Livestock Management Symposium. 26-27 September, Sydney, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Duan, G, Xiang, G, Zhang, X, Guo, S and Zhang, Y 2014 Measurement method: The smaller sized probes may detect het-erogeneous sensory threshold in healthy male subjects. Pain Medicine 15: 272–280. https://doi.org/10.1111/pme.12245CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dwyer, CM 2008 The welfare of the neonatal lamb. Small Ruminant Research 76: 31–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrum-res.2007.12.011CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eicher, SD, Cheng, HW, Sorrells, AD and Schutz, MM 2006 Short communication: behavioral and physiological indicators of sensitivity or chronic pain following tail docking. Journal of Dairy Science 89: 3047–3051. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(06)72578-4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) 2008 Report on the implications of castration and tail docking for the welfare of lambs. FAWC: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Finocchietti, S, Nielsen, M, Mørch, CD, Arendt-Nielsen, L and Graven-Nielsen, T 2011 Pressure-induced muscle pain and tissue biomechanics: A computational and experimental study. European Journal of Pain 15: 36–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejpain.2010.05.010CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fisher, MW and Gregory, NG 2007 Reconciling the differences between the length at which lambs’ tails are commonly docked and animal welfare recommendations. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 67: 32–38Google Scholar
Fisher, MW, Grelry, NG, Kent, JE, Scobie, DR, Mellor, DJ and Pollard, JC 2007 Justifying the appropriate length for docking lambs’ tails - a review of the literature. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 64: 293–296Google Scholar
Fitzpatrick, J, Scott, M and Nolan, M 2006 Assessment of pain and welfare in sheep. Small Ruminant Research 62: 55–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2005.07.028CrossRefGoogle Scholar
French, NP and Morgan, KL 1992 Neuromata in docked lamb's tail. Research in Veterinary Science 52: 389–390. https://doi.org/10.1016/0034-5288(92)90045-4CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grant, C 2004 Behavioural responses of lambs to common painful husbandry procedures. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 87:255–273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2004.01.011CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Janczak, AM, Ranheim, B, Fosse, TK, Hild, S, Nordgreen, J, Moe, RO and Zanella, AJ 2012 Factors affecting mechanical (noci-ceptive) thresholds in piglets. Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia 39:628–635. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-2995.2012.00737.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joshi, GP and Ogunnaike, BO 2005 Consequences of inade-quate postoperative pain relief and chronic persistent postoperative pain. Anesthesiology Clinics of North America 23: 21–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atc.2004.11.013CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Katz, J 1992 Psychophysical correlates of phantom limb experi-ence. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry 55: 811–821. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.55.9.811CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kells, NJ, Beausoleil, NJ, Johnson, CB, Sutherland, MA, Morrison, RS and Roe, W 2016 Comparison of neural histo-morphology in tail tips from pigs docked using clippers or cautery iron. Animal 11: 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731116002500Google ScholarPubMed
Kent, JE, Molony, V and Graham, J 2001 The effect of different bloodless castrators and different tail docking methods on the responses of lambs to the combined burdizzo rubber ring method of castration. Veterinary Journal 162: 250–254. https://doi.org/10.1053/tvjl.2001.0598CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kent, JE, Molony, V, Jackson, RE and Hosie, B 1990 Chronic inflammatory responses of lambs to rubber ring castration: Are there any effects of age or size of lamb at treatment? Farm Animal Welfare-Who Writes the Rules? pp 160–162. British Society of Animal Science: Cambridge, UK. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0263967X00033486CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kristen, H, Lukeschitsch, G, Plattner, F, Sigmund, R and Resch, P 1984 Termography as a means for quantitative assess-ment of stump and phantom pains. Prosthetics and Orthotics International 8: 76–81CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larrondo, C, Bustamante, H and Gallo, C 2018 Sheep farm-ers’ perception of welfare and pain associated with routine hus-bandry practices in Chile. Animals 8: 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani8120225CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lester, SJ, Mellor, DJ, Holmes, RJ, Ward, RN and Stafford, KJ 1996 Behavioural and cortisol responses of lambs to castration and tailing using different methods. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 44: 45–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.1996.35933CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lester, SJ, Mellor, DJ, Ward, RN and Holmes, RJ 1991 Cortisol responses of young lambs to castration and tailing using different methods. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 39: 134–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.1991.35680CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Llonch, P, King, EM, Clarke, KA, Downes, JM and Green, LE 2015 A systematic review of animal based indicators of sheep wel-fare on farm, at market and during transport, and qualitative appraisal of their validity and feasibility for use in UK abattoirs. The Veterinary Journal 206: 289–297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2015.10.019CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lomax, S, Dickson, H, Sheil, M and Windsor, P 2010 Topical anaesthesia alleviates short-term pain of castration and tail docking in lambs. Australian Veterinary Journal 88: 67–74. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.2009.00546.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Love, EJ, Murrel, J and Whay, HR 2011 Thermal and mechani-cal nociceptive threshold testing in horses: a review. Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia 38: 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-2995.2010.00580.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Manteca, X, Temple, D, Mainau, E and Llonch, P 2017 Evaluación del dolor en el ganado ovino. Ficha técnica sobre bienestar ani-mal de los animales de granja pp 17. https://www.fawec.org/media/com_lazypdf/pdf/Fact_Sheet_FAWEC_n17_en.pdf. [Title translation: Assessment of pain in sheep]Google Scholar
Molony, V and Kent, J 1997 Assessment of acute pain in farm animals using behavioral and physiological measurements. Journal of Animal Science 75: 266–272. https://doi.org/10.2527/1997.751266xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nikolajsen, L 2012 Postamputation pain: studies on mechanisms. Danish Medical Journal 59 (10): 1–21Google Scholar
Okafor, RO, Remi-Adewunmi, BD, Fadason, ST, Ayo, JO and Muhammed, SM 2014 Pathophysiologic mechanisms of pain in animals - A review. Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health 6(5): 123–130. https://doi.org/10.5897/JVMAH2013.0270CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rekant, SI, Lyons, MA, Pacheco, JM, Arzt, J and Rodriguez, LL 2016 Veterinary aplications of infrared thermography. American Journal of Veterinary Research 77: 98–107. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.77.1.98CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sandercock, DA, Smith, SH, Di Giminiani, PP and Edwards, SA 2016 Histopathological characterization of tail injury and trau-matic neuroma development after tail docking in piglets. Journal of Comparative Pathology 155(1): 40–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpa.2016.05.003CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scobie, DR and O’Connell, D 2002 Genetic reduction of tail length in New Zealand sheep. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 62: 195–198Google Scholar
Stewart, M, Schaefer, AL, Haley, DB, Colyn, J, Cook, NJ, Stafford, KJ and Webster, JR 2008 Infrared thermography as a non-invasive method for detecting fear-related responses of cat-tle to handling procedures. Animal Welfare 17: 387–393Google Scholar
Stewart, M, Stookey, JM, Stafford, KJ, Tucker, CB, Rogers, AR, Dowling, SK, Verkerk, GA, Schaefer, AL and Webster, JR 2009 Effects of local anesthetic and a non-steroidal anti-inflam-matory drug on pain responses of dairy calves to hot-iron dehorning. Journal of Dairy Science 92: 1512–1519. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2008-1578CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stubsjøen, SM, Valle, PS and Zanella, AJ 2010 The use of a hand-held algometer as a method to measure mechanical nociceptive thresholds in sheep. Animal Welfare 19: 31–36Google Scholar
Sutherland, M and Tucker, C 2011 The long and short of it: A review of tail docking in farm animals. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 135: 179–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2011.10.015CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Toia, F, Giesen, T, Giovanoli, P and Calcagni, M 2015 A sys-tematic review of animal models for experimental neuroma. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery 68: 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2015.05.013CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Treede, RD, Rolke, R, Andrews, K and Magerl, W 2002 Pain elicited by blunt pressure: neurobiological basis and clinical rele-vance. Pain 98: 235–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3959(02)00203-8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van der Saag, D, Lomax, S, Windson, PA, Taylor, C, Thomson, P, Hall, E and White, PJ 2018 Effects of topical anaesthetic and buccal meloxicam on average daily gain, behaviour and inflammation of unweaned beef calves following surgical cas-tration. Animal 12: 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731118000216CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Viñuela-Fernández, I, Jones, E, Welsh, EM and Fleetwood-Walker, SM 2007 Pain mechanisms and their implication for the management of pain in farm and companion animals. Veterinary Journal 174: 227–239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2007.02.002CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zanolini, W 2006 The effects of dock length on the incidence of rec-tal prolapse in lambs. Master of Science Thesis, Texas Tech University, TX, USAGoogle Scholar
Zhuo, M 1998 NMDA receptor-dependent long-term hyperalge-sia after tail amputation in mice. European Journal of Pharmacology 349: 211–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0014-2999(98)00197-6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zimmermann, M 2001 Pathobiology of neuropathic pain. European Journal of Pharmacology 429: 23–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0014-2999(01)01303-6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed