42 ON FARM PAIN RELIEF RESEARCH FOR MULESING Research co-funded by AWI has shown that using a combination of the Tri-Solfen® and Buccalgesic® pain relief products provides more prolonged relief from mulesing than using each of the products on its own.

ri-Solfen is a topical product applied after lambs and female weaner lambs that Tmulesing and contains local anaesthetic underwent surgical mulesing. agents to alleviate pain, and haemostatic and antiseptic agents to reduce bleeding “The use of the analgesic agents Buccalgesic and promote healing. In the six and a half and Tri-Solfen singly or in combination years since Tri-Solfen was first registered, it provides analgesic benefits that persist has become widely used – three-quarters of for at least six hours post mulesing based mulesed now receive pain relief. on behavioural observations, and up to 24 hours based on physiological parameters,” Ilium Buccalgesic® OTM, a buccal formulation Dr Small said. containing the non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drug (NSAID) meloxicam, was “Tri-Solfen provided rapid-onset analgesia, registered in 2016 for the alleviation of pain but the duration of analgesic effect of associated with castration and tail the lignocaine and bupivacaine contained in and in October 2017 the Australian in Tri-Solfen was shorter than that of Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority the meloxicam contained in Buccalgesic. Buccalgesic was slower to provide obvious (APVMA) approved Buccalgesic for the Buccalgesic® being applied to the internal cheek of a alleviation of pain associated with mulesing. changes to the parameters indicating lamb during the research trials. The buccal (inside of effective analgesia, but the duration of cheek) formulation has a thick consistency so after The meloxicam product from Troy analgesic effect of meloxicam was longer application (using a modified drench gun) it adheres Laboratories is a pre-operative analgesic, than that of local anaesthetic agents. to the mucous membrane of the mouth. administered as a viscous solution between the inside of the cheek and molar teeth of “The best outcome was seen where “In this study, the administration of sheep from where it is absorbed into the Tri-Solfen and Buccalgesic were used in analgesics increased the amount of time blood stream. combination, delivering the benefits that mulesed lambs spent lying down, and of both local anaesthetic and non-steroidal feeding – with the combination of Buccalgesic A recently concluded research project anti-inflammatory agents. Buccalgesic and Tri-Solfen appearing to be the most – co-funded by AWI, CSIRO and Troy therefore offers a good adjunct to effective. While analgesic treatments did not Laboratories Pty Ltd – provides a welfare Tri-Solfen in extending the pain relief period significantly reduce ‘hunched standing’, the assessment of Tri-Solfen® and the for sheep undergoing surgical mulesing.” lack of ‘statue standing’ of the Buccalgesic and Meloxicam-based Ilium Buccalgesic® OTM Tri-Solfen group of lambs was very similar to product, on female lambs for mulesing. As a recent national survey shows that 96% of producers mules at marking, the main age that experienced by lambs that hadn’t been The research was undertaken by CSIRO at group used in the studies was 6-10 week old mulesed,” Dr Small said. Armidale, NSW. CSIRO Principal Research lambs. However, the field study also included “Administration of analgesic agents also Scientist, Alison Small, said the research animals of 8-10 months, because some animals increased the wound healing response to demonstrated the efficacy of Buccalgesic, in are mulesed at around 9 months mulesing, compared to those lambs that hadn’t alone and in combination with Tri-Solfen, of age – in situations where mulesing lambs been given pain relief. Tri-Solfen administration in reducing the pain responses of female coincides with the high flystrike risk season. resulted in a significantly lower cortisol The project comprised two distinct but concentration at 30 minutes post-mulesing, complementary study formats: a pen study, while the Buccalgesic-only group had a carried out in an animal house; and a field significantly lower cortisol concentration at study, carried out in a paddock. six hours post-mulesing. The combination treatment of Buccalgesic and Tri-Solfen The pen study was the most detailed of the consolidated the benefits of both agents. two studies because, as well as observing individual behavioural pain indicators (eg “The analgesic treatments, especially the postural behaviour such as hunched/statue combination of Buccalgesic and Tri-Solfen, standing, and active pain avoidance behaviour also lessened the impact of mulesing on the such as a reluctance to lie down), researchers animal’s leucocyte (white cell) profile that were also able to observe physiological pain helps the body fight bacterial infection.” indicators (eg pain-related hormones such as While welfare trials offer valuable cortisol) and include an assessment of key information about the effectiveness haematological parameters (blood samples of pain relief treatments, woolgrowers were collected). Only single-born female Recording the behavioural responses of lambs are encouraged to seek advice from a following the use of pain relief at mulesing in field lambs were used in the studies. veterinarian regarding their own situation. studies at CSIRO’s Armidale research site.