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Both the economic loss and welfare implications of lameness affect the dairy industry. Currently no analgesic drugs are approved to alleviate lameness-associated pain in lactating dairy cattle in the United States. In this randomized controlled trial, 48 lactating Holsteins were enrolled to evaluate the effect of oral meloxicam and i.v. flunixin meglumine on induced lameness. Cows were allocated to 1 of 4 treatment groups (n = 12 per group): lameness and flunixin meglumine (LAME + FLU); lameness and meloxicam (LAME + MEL); lameness and placebo (LAME + PLBO); or sham induction and placebo (SHAM + PLBO). Six hours before treatment, arthritis-synovitis was induced in the distal interphalangeal joint with 20 mg of amphotericin B, whereas SHAM cows were given an intra-articular injection of an equal volume (4 mL) of isotonic saline. Cows in LAME + FLU received 2.2 mg/kg flunixin meglumine i.v. and whey protein placebo orally; LAME + MEL were administered 1 mg/kg meloxicam orally and 2 mL/45 kg sterile saline placebo i.v.; LAME + PLBO were administered 2 mL/45 kg sterile saline placebo i.v. and whey protein placebo orally; and SHAM + PLBO received 2 mL/45 kg sterile saline placebo i.v. and whey protein placebo orally. The initial treatment of MEL, FLU, or PLBO was identified as time 0 h and followed by a second dose 24 h later with data collection for 120 h. The methods used to assess analgesic efficacy were electronic pressure mat, visual lameness assessment, visual analog score, plasma cortisol concentration, plasma substance P concentration, mechanical nociception threshold, and infrared thermography imaging. Linear mixed effect modeling was the primary method of statistical analysis. Visual lameness scoring indicated a lower proportion of the FLU + LAME group was lame at the T2 h and T8 h time points in comparison to the positive controls, whereas MEL therapy resulted in a lower proportion of lame cows at the T8 h time point. Cortisol area under the effect curve was lower following FLU therapy compared with LAME + PBLO for the 0–2 h (LSM difference = 35.1 ng·h/mL, 95% CI: 6.8, 63.3 ng·h/mL), 2–8 h (LSM difference = 120.6 ng·h/mL, 95% CI: 77.2, 164.0 ng·h/mL), and 0–24 h (LSM difference = 226.0 ng·h/mL, 95% CI: 103.3, 348.8 ng·h/mL) time intervals. Following MEL therapy, cortisol area under the effect curve was lower than LAME + PLBO for both the 2 to 8 h (LSM difference = 93.6 ng·h/mL, 95% CI: 50.2, 137.0 ng·h/mL) and 0 to 24 h time intervals (LSM difference = 187.6 ng·h/mL, 95% CI: 64.9, 310.4 ng·h/mL). Analysis of data from other assessment modalities failed to discern biologically relevant differences between treatment groups. We conclude that meaningful differences were evident for visual lameness assessment and cortisol from MEL and FLU treatment versus the positive control. Further clinical research is needed toward development of a model that will create reproducible events that are more pronounced in severity and duration of lameness which can be validated as a substitute for naturally occurring lameness cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both the economic loss and welfare implications of lameness vastly impact the dairy industry. There is a need for effective modalities of analgesia to minimize welfare concerns regarding lameness associated pain in lactating dairy cattle. To date, there are no labeled products with pain control indications available for lactating dairy cattle in the United States. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like meloxicam and flunixin meglumine, are commonly used by veterinarians for pain management. Data is limited as to their efficacy in lameness-associated pain management. The overarching goal of this study was to compare the analgesic effects of flunixin meglumine (IV) and meloxicam (PO) in lactating dairy cattle with experimentally induced lameness via intra-articular injection of amphotericin B. We hypothesized that lameness would improve under meloxicam treatment compared to flunixin meglumine or no treatment control. A double blinded, randomized controlled trial involving positive and negative controls created the framework to assess efficacy parameters. Parameters included pressure algometry, pressure mat analysis, lameness score, infrared thermography imaging, substance P, and cortisol concentrations of 48 lactating Holstein cows across a six-day time period. Intra-articular injection with amphotericin B resulted in mild transient lameness. Results indicated statistically significant treatment by time effects for several parameters. Visual lameness scores showed flunixin meglumine was equally effective to meloxicam and both more effective than the positive control (P < 0.0001). Flunixin meglumine administered animals displayed lower cortisol levels to that of meloxicam treated cows and both more effective than the positive control (P = 0.0008). The cows treated with meloxicam withstood a greater force created by mechanical nociception threshold than cows administered flunixin meglumine and both more effective than the positive control (P = 0.0008). The impact of NSAID use as a therapeutic treatment of lameness is insurmountable in combatting welfare concerns in the dairy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is little knowledge of the prescription of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and whether their prescription varies between countries., Objective: To describe prescription practices of NSAIDs in equids in the United Kingdom (UK), United States of America (USA) and Canada., Study Design: Descriptive observational study., Methods: Free-text electronic medical records from 141,543 equids from 10 equine practices in the UK, 255,777 equids from 7 equine practices with 20 branches from the USA and 2 practices with 7 branches from Canada were evaluated. A validated text-mining technique was used to describe the proportion of equids prescribed NSAIDs at least once in these countries. The choice of NSAIDs in orthopaedic and colic cases was evaluated., Results: The prescription of NSAIDs is more common in the USA (42.4%) and Canada (34.2%) than in the UK (28.6%). Phenylbutazone and flunixin meglumine were the drugs mostly prescribed in all countries. While flunixin meglumine was most prescribed with colic cases in all countries, a proportion received phenylbutazone despite this drug being licensed for use only with musculoskeletal disease. Phenylbutazone was the most commonly prescribed drug in cases with orthopaedic disease followed by flunixin meglumine in all countries. Only a small proportion of cases received meloxicam, ketoprofen or firocoxib., Main Limitations: The retrospective design might have resulted in an unknown number of incomplete records, particularly in the reporting of colic and orthopaedic disease. Although the data set is large, the relatively small number of practices recruited from each country may introduce bias., Conclusions: Clinical practice can differ between countries although the influence of individual practitioners and practice-specific policy on apparent intercountry differences requires further research. Despite several other NSAIDs being available and a substantial effort being made to evaluate their efficacy, the prescription of NSAIDs other than phenylbutazone and flunixin meglumine remains rather limited., (© 2018 EVJ Ltd.)