mobic and Dystocia

The post partum use of analgesics in cows has increased in consequence to society's increased awareness of animal welfare. However, it is known that the post partum administration of a subset of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to cows may lead to an increased rate of retained placenta. Therefore, the aim of this study was clarify, whether a single administration of meloxicam to cows that experienced dystocia results in an increased rate of this disease.. The study was conducted in 63 Holstein-Friesian cows in 4 farms with random allocation into 2 groups: In animals of the treatment group (n = 27) a single subcutaneous injection of meloxicam (0.5 mg/kg) was administered within 2-8 hours after calving. The animals of the control group (n = 36) received the same volume of a bovine infusion solution (Amynin. In cows of the treatment group, retained placenta was not observed more frequently than in cows of the control group.. A single administration of meloxicam to cows that experienced dystocia does not increase the incidence of retained placenta.. Die Gabe von Schmerzmitteln an Kühe nach der Geburt hat im Rahmen der gesellschaftlichen verstärkten Beachtung von Tierwohl zugenommen. Von einigen nicht steroidalen Antiphlogistika ist bekannt, dass sie bei Applikation direkt nach der Geburt zu einer erhöhten Anzahl von Kühen mit Retentio secundinarum führen. Deshalb war es Ziel dieser Arbeit zu überprüfen, ob die Gabe von Meloxicam nach Dystokie die Inzidenz der Nachgeburtsverhaltung bei Kühen steigert.. Die Untersuchung erfolgte an 63 Holstein-Friesian-Kühen aus 4 Milchviehbetrieben nach einer Dystokie. Tieren der Behandlungsgruppe (n = 27) wurde innerhalb von 2–8 Stunden nach dem Kalben einmalig das nicht steroidale Antiphlogistikum Meloxicam (0,5 mg/kg) subkutan verabreicht. Die Tiere in der Kontrollgruppe (n = 36) erhielten subkutan das gleiche Volumen einer Infusionslösung für Rinder (Amynin. Die behandelten Kühe entwickelten nicht häufiger eine Nachgeburtsverhaltung als die Kontrolltiere.. Die einmalige Gabe von Meloxicam an Kühe nach Dystokie steigert nicht die Inzidenz der Nachgeburtsverhaltung.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Dystocia; Female; Incidence; Injections, Subcutaneous; Meloxicam; Placenta, Retained; Pregnancy

Parturition is often a stressful period, when the incidence of disease is high after calving, which has been associated with an uncontrolled inflammatory response. Therefore, the objective of this study was to test the effect of the administration of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (meloxicam) on the behavior, health, and production of peripartum cows. Meloxicam was dosed at 1 mg/kg of body weight, and an empty gel capsule served as a placebo. Both were administered orally with a balling gun. Dairy cows and heifers were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups: (1) meloxicam administration before calving, with a placebo administered after calving (MEL-PRE, n = 60), (2) placebo administered before calving, and meloxicam administered after calving (MEL-POST, n = 69), and (3) a placebo administered before calving and after calving (CTL, n = 65). To identify imminent calving events, a vaginal thermometer was inserted approximately 2 wk before the expected calving date and a drop in temperature was used to identify cows close to calving. Calving events were monitored via video cameras, and the amount of time that elapsed between the appearance of the amniotic sac at the vulva until delivery of the calf was used to determine calving difficulty score. Eutocic calving events were defined as cows that calved in ≤70 min, and dystocia was defined as cows that took longer than 70 min to calve. Milk yield and components were measured for the first 15 wk of lactation and accelerometers were used to record activity and lying behaviors. The effects of treatment, breed, parity, calving difficulty, and, when applicable, a repeated measure, along with interaction terms, were analyzed in mixed models. Regardless of the time of administration, dystocic cattle that received meloxicam were less active than dystocic CTL. Dystocic animals displayed more lying bouts on the day of calving and then displayed fewer lying bouts and were less active during the days following calving. No effect of treatment was noted on any health outcomes. Eutocic MEL-PRE animals produced 6.8 kg/d more milk than eutocic CTL. Regardless of calving difficulty, MEL-PRE animals produced more milk fat, protein, and lactose (kg/d) than CTL. In conclusion, meloxicam administration before calving appears promising in increasing milk yield in eutocic cows.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Behavior, Animal; Body Temperature; Body Weight; Cattle; Dystocia; Female; Health Status; Lactation; Meloxicam; Milk; Parity; Parturition; Peripartum Period; Pregnancy; Random Allocation; Reproduction; Vagina

Parturition is a necessary event for production in dairy cattle, and assistance at calving is common. There is limited use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs for the alleviation of calving pain and a paucity of research on the effects of these drugs on postpartum health and performance. This randomized triple blind clinical trial involved Holstein cows (n=42) and heifers (n=61) that experienced an assisted parturition. These animals received either 1 injection of meloxicam (0.5mg/kg of body weight) or placebo subcutaneously 24h following calving. Outcome measures included dry matter intake (DMI) and milk production for the first 14d in milk, blood metabolites sampled over 12d, health events for the first 60d in milk, as well as lying and feeding behavior 24h following injection. Continuous data were analyzed using multivariable regression models. Binary outcomes were analyzed using a mixed logistic model with cow modeled using a random intercept. This study failed to show any significant effects of treatment on DMI, milk production, blood metabolites, or health events. A possible explanation for the lack of treatment differences could be that the meloxicam was administered too late after calving. Meloxicam increased feeding time as well as bunk visit frequency in the 24h following injection. Regardless of treatment, animals that had retained fetal membranes produced less milk and had higher serum haptoglobin concentrations. Future research is warranted to examine the effects of antiinflammatory drugs administered closer to the time of calving on health and production.

Topics: 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Behavior, Animal; Body Weight; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Dystocia; Eating; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; Feeding Behavior; Female; Lactation; Meloxicam; Milk; Pain; Parturition; Placebos; Pregnancy; Thiazines; Thiazoles

A promising strategy to improve newborn calf survival could be the administration of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) especially in cases of low vitality calves born from difficult calvings. The objective of this clinical trial was to determine the effect of a single-dose meloxicam treatment [target dosage = 0.5 mg/kg ad usum veterinarium (A.U.V.) injection] on parameters of lying behavior of Holstein-Friesian dairy calves (n = 180) born to eutocic (n = 98) compared with dystocic dams (n = 82). Animal-based measures included newborn calf vitality (low, 1-6 scores; normal, 7-12 scores, scored immediately after birth), calf sex and birth weight, parity of the dam, and early maternal behavior (the time spent licking the calf). Parameters of the complex lying behavior were recorded during the first 48 h after delivery and included (1) the time spent standing, (2) lying down frequency, (3) the longest standing bout, (4) the average duration of standing bouts, (5) the first successful standing, and (6) the first attempt to stand. None of the parameters related to lying behavior were influenced by the parity of the dam, calf sex, or birth weight and maternal grooming behavior. The latency and the first attempt to stand were not influenced by the NSAID treatment; however, the time spent standing, the longest standing bout, and the average duration of standing indicated increased standing ability of meloxicam-treated calves with low vitality, but not in normal-vitality calves. The latency to stand and first attempt to stand were both increased by dystocia. Based on the present findings, sensory measurement of parameters of lying behavior during the immediate neonatal period might be useful to evaluate the efficiency of NSAID protocols. A single-dose meloxicam treatment showed considerable promise for improving standing ability of low-vitality calves.

Topics: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Cattle; Dystocia; Female; Meloxicam; Parity; Parturition; Pregnancy