MANAGING YOUR HERD’S PAIN RELIEF

Why is pain relief important?

When animals are in less pain, they recover faster, eat better, and grow stronger. Providing pain relief during procedures like castration or tail docking isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s becoming the industry standard.

As Meat & Livestock Australia puts it, “Providing pain relief during routine husbandry practices is now an expectation.”

Animals given pain relief go back to normal behaviours—like grazing and bonding—more quickly. Untreated pain causes stress, weakens their immune systems, and in serious cases, can even lead to death. That’s why using an effective product like BUTEC® can make a real difference. With just one needle-free dose, BUTEC® provides long-lasting, whole-body pain relief.

What’s happening across the industry?

Good news: More producers are choosing to use pain relief. But there’s still room to improve.

• According to the Sheep Sustainability Framework 2024, many lambs still aren’t receiving pain relief at tail docking and castration—especially where rings are used.
• In the Australian Beef Sustainability Update 2024, 31% of beef producers used appropriate pain relief for procedures like castration in 2023. That’s up from 21% in 2020—but the industry goal is 100% by 2030.

Which pain relief product should I use?

There are now two main types of over-the-counter pain relief options:

• Systemic products (like BUTEC®) that work throughout the body
• Local products (like NumOcaine® and Tri-Solfen®) that work at the treatment site

Ideally, combining both gives the best pain relief. But if you’re using just one, BUTEC® covers a lot of ground:

• Effective for multiple wounds or procedures with a single dose
• Needle-free – safer for you, and no carcass damage
• Easy to use with a custom applicator
• Fast-acting relief within 15 minutes
• Works for both surgical and ring marking
• Made in Australia
• Plastic bottle – no risk of breakage
• Stays good for 6 months after opening