A randomised field study evaluating the effectiveness of buccal meloxicam and topical local anaesthetic formulations administered singly or in combination at improving welfare of female Merino lambs undergoing surgical mulesing and hot knife tail docking

This study was a field-based behavioural assessment of the pain responses to surgical mulesing modulated by a buccal formulation of meloxicam (Buccalgesic) and a topical local anaesthetic wound dressing (Tri-Solfen). 20 lambs were randomly allocated to each of: 1) Placebo and sham handled (Sham); 2) Placebo and mulesing (Mules); 3) Buccalgesic and mulesing (Mules+B); 4) Tri-Solfen and mulesing (Mules+T); 5) Placebo, Tri-Solfen and mulesing...