02577nas a2200205   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002260007000043100001500113700001200128700001400140700001300154700001800167700001500185245010600200300001200306490000800318520203100326022001402357       2007                            d  c11/2007bSchlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KGaHannover1 aR Lepková1 aJ Sterc1 aV Vecerek1 aJ Doubek1 aK Kruzíková1 aI Bedanova00aStress responses in adult cattle due to surgical dehorning using three different types of anaesthesia  a465-4690 v1203 aDehorning adult cattle is a surgical procedure causing distress of varying intensi-ties that can be reflected in behavioural changes and alterations in plasma cortisol levels. Stress responses during the dehorning process were evaluated in 18 Red Pied cows.The cows were divided into 3 groups of six and kept in tie-stall housing. Those in the first group were dehorned under general anaesthesia (GA) induced by intravenous administration of xylazine and ketamine.The second group was dehorned under sedation and local anaesthesia (SLA) induced by intramuscular administration of xylazine and local anaesthesia with lidocaine.The third group was dehorned under local anaesthesia (LA) with lidocaine. Dehorning was per-formed with a foetotomy wire. Blood samples were taken 0.5 h before dehorning to determine cortisol levels, and, by means of a central venous catheter inserted into the jugular vein, during surgery at 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 h post-surgery. Concurrently, occurrence of stress behaviours was assessed. Cortisol levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA).The lowest mean peak levels of plasma cortisol (82.53 ± 6.04 nmol l-1), the most rapid return of plasma cortisol levels to baseline values (1.92 ± 1.11 h), and the lowest occurrence of stress behav-iours (2.38 ± 5.83 %) were noted in the SLA group.The highest mean peak levels plasma cortisol (113.86 ± 25.65 nmol l-1), the slowest return of plasma cortisol levels to baseline values (3.83 ± 2.18 h) and the most frequent occurrence of stress be-haviours (65.48 ± 28.72 %) were observed in the LA group.There were significant differences between the SLA and LA groups in peak plasma cortisol levels (p = 0.011) and in occurrence of stress behaviours (p = 0.003). Sedation induced by intramuscular administration of xylazine in conjunction with local anaesthesia with lidocaine is considered the most suitable method of anaesthesia when dehorning adult cattle. Local anaesthesia with lidocaine alone was least suitable.  a0005-9366