Animal welfare just got easier. Troy has made Butec OTM – the long-lasting pain relief product for sheep and cattle – available in our stores. It’s a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) used to alleviate pain from husbandry procedures in sheep and cattle, such as castration, tail docking, and mulesing.  

What is it?

Butec OTM is a blue gel that can be applied between the molar teeth and on the inside of the cheek via a drench gun – making it an easy, safe application with no need for needles. It starts working in just 15 minutes and is capable of providing long-lasting relief from pain. Butec OTM particularly targets the chronic, slow pain that lasts after the anesthetic wears off and can make the animals reluctant to move and graze.

Why it’s important to use pain relief:

Animal welfare standards in the agriculture sector is under increasing scrutiny, but it’s not the only reason to use pain relied. Pain management also aims to reduce physiological reactions and reduce stress following injury. By improving the animals’ ability to cope with the pain, their return to normal behaviours, such as suckling, grazing, and mothering up, is faster, and wound healing is more efficient, leading to improved productivity. 

It’s been proven to work:

CSIRO principal research scientist, Dr Alison Small, confirmed that the Butec is backed by rigorous scientific testing and development. The product has been available through vet channels for some time, where it’s been proven effective on farms across Australia. CSIRO testing repeatedly confirmed livestock treated with Butec could maintain normal behaviour after the effects of anesthetics wore off. The results of one study showed a seven-fold reduction in Merino lamb pain-related behaviour following tail docking and castration. 

Why we think Butec’s a great option:

• Simply apply blue gel between the molar teeth and inside of the cheek.
• Safe delivery with no needles.
• Long-lasting pain relief that starts working within 15 minutes.1,2,3
• Use for up to 6 months after opening.
• Cost-effective aid in alleviating pain associated with routine husbandry procedures
  • Sheep: Castration, tail docking and mulesing of lambs.
  • Cattle: Disbudding (or dehorning) and castration in calves. It is recommended Butec is used in combination with a cornual nerve block and local anaesthetic at the surgical site to enhance pain relief and minimise tissue damage and distress.
• Handy 450 mL pack size.
• Developed and made in Australia in association with CSIRO, MLA, and AWI.

For more information, check out Butec’s website.