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,
,2
* Teagasc, Grange Research Centre, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland, and
and
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and
and
Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
2 Correspondence:
Dept. of Anim. Husbandry and Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin (phone: +353-1-7166255; fax: +353-1-7166253; E-mail:
mcrowe{at}ucd.ie).
To determine the effects of burdizzo castration alone or in combination with ketoprofen (K), local anesthesia (LA), or caudal epidural anesthesia (EPI) on plasma cortisol, acute-phase proteins, interferon-
production, growth, and behavior of beef cattle, 50 Holstein x Friesian bulls (13 mo old, 307 ± 5.3 kg) were assigned to (n = 10/treatment): 1) control (handled; C); 2) burdizzo castration (B); 3) B following K (3 mg/kg of BW i.v.; BK); 4) B following LA (8 mL into each testis and 3 mL s.c. along the line where the jaws of the burdizzo were applied with 2% lidocaine HCl; BLA); and 5) B following EPI (0.05 mg/kg of BW of xylazine HCl and 0.4 mg/kg of BW of lidocaine HCl as caudal epidural; BEPI). The area under the cortisol curve against time was lower (P < 0.05) in BK than in B, BLA, or BEPI animals. On d 1 after treatment, plasma haptoglobin concentrations were higher (P < 0.05) in B, BLA, and BEPI than in BK animals. On d 3, haptoglobin and plasma fibrinogen concentrations were higher (P < 0.05) in all castration groups than in C. On d 7, haptoglobin and fibrinogen concentrations remained higher (P < 0.05) in BLA than in B and C animals. On d 1, concanavalin A-induced interferon- production was lower (P < 0.05) in B, BLA, and BEPI than in C, but there was no difference between BK and C animals. From d -1 to 35, ADG was lower (P < 0.05) in B, BLA, and BEPI animals, but not in BK compared with C animals. Overall, there was a higher (P < 0.05) incidence of combined abnormal postures in B than in C, BK and BEPI animals. Although the use of K and EPI decreased (P < 0.05) these postures compared with B alone or B with LA, there was no difference between the K and EPI treatment. In conclusion, burdizzo castration increased plasma cortisol and acute-phase proteins, and suppressed immune function and growth rates. Local anesthesia prolonged the increase in acute-phase proteins. Ketoprofen was more effective than LA or EPI in decreasing cortisol and partially reversed the reduction in ADG following castration. The use of K or EPI was more effective than LA in decreasing pain-associated behavioral responses observed during the first 6 h after treatment. Systemic analgesia with ketoprofen, a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug, was more effective in reducing inflammatory responses associated with castration than LA or EPI.
Key Words: Bulls • Castration • Epidural Anesthesia • Interferon- • Ketoprofen • Stress
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