Dr Sarah’s tip: you should always give pain relief, no matter what the age

You can give pain relief to young stock of any age. Options include:

• long-acting oral meloxicam that absorbs across the gums (an ibuprofen-style drug);

• injectable meloxicam;

• injectable local anaesthetic;

• numbing cream.

Talk to your vet about pain relief options for when you're docking or castrating baby stock at home. The same young stock will also need vaccinations and anti-tetanus shots, so it's a good idea to give those at the same time.