Canadian-based Solvet has created a new tool to help with livestock castration pain management: latex bands infused with lidocaine. The Lidoband contains 80 mg of lidocaine and a skin permeation enhancer, which allows the anesthetic to seep from the band into the skin tissue.
“By utilizing advanced technology, Lidoband provides lasting lidocaine effects for the duration of the procedure, which offers enhanced comfort to the animals during the process,” the company said.
The novel and patented product delivers lidocaine into the tissue as quickly as two hours and lasts for up to 42 days. This eliminates the need for surgery or the administration of injections, decreasing labor and time costs for producers.
The technology can be used for castration of calves up to 250 pounds and lambs up to 50 lbs. The company plans to make a new version of the band avilable for larger animals.
As Lidoband is a veterinary medical device, Food and Drug Administration approval is not needed.
The price for a box of 40 bands costs approximately $80, according to an online farm supply retailer. Distributors for the band include Durvet, Animal Health International and Amerisource Bergen. For more information, visit www.lidoband.com. — Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
