Comparison of the effect of tildipirosin administered alone or in combination with transdermal flunixin on the performance, health, activity, and well-being of transported feedlot calves on arrival at the feedlot

Abstract

Long distance transportation can be a significant source of stress to cattle and is associated with increased risk of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). The administration of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) has been shown to reduce stress following long distance transport. The objective of this study was to compare performance, health, accelerometer activity, and well-being between calves receiving either tildipirosin (Zuprevo 18%; Merck Animal Health, Madison, NJ) alone or in combination with transdermal flunixin (BANAMINE Transdermal Pour-on Solution; Merck Animal Health, Madison, NJ) on arrival at the feedlot. Three hundred eighty-four polled, Continental × English, and English crossbred bulls (n = 199) and steers (n = 185) were enrolled into one of two treatments: 1) tildipirosin administered in the neck as a single dose of 4 mg/kg only (PLBO) 2) tildipirosin in combination with transdermal flunixin applied to the dorsal midline at a dose of 3.3 mg/kg (FTD). Outcomes measured were average daily gain (ADG), dry mater intake (DMI), gain to feed, morbidity, mortality, accelerometer activity data, and a daily visual analog scale (VAS) assessment of well-being. Body weight (BW) was determined by weighing individual animals; ADG was calculated as initial BW—final BW / total days on feed; DMI was calculated as daily pen feed allocation—feed remaining at next feeding / number of calves in the pen; and gain to feed was calculated as pen level ADG / pen level DMI. The VAS used was a 100 mm line anchored at each end by descriptors of “no pain” or “severe pain”. Statistical analysis was performed using JMP 13 computer software using pen as the experimental unit, lot number as a random variable, and treatment as a fixed variable. There was no treatment effect on DMI (P = 0.51). During the first 14 d on feed, FTD calves had a lower ADG of 0.90 kg/d compared with 1.33 kg/d in the PLBO group (P = 0.05). There were no differences observed in morbidity and mortality between groups (P = 0.29). There were no treatment differences from activity data (P = 0.19). The VAS assessment showed a significant time × treatment interaction (P < 0.001). During the first 36 h after treatment administration, the FTD-treated calves had lower VAS scores [6.23 (95% CI: 5.27–7.20) compared with 7.28 (95% CI: 6.32–8.24)] than PLBO (P < 0.05). Results suggest that FTD-treated calves showed less signs of pain the first 36 h postdrug application relative to PLBO calves.

Assessment of pain associated with bovine respiratory disease and its mitigation with flunixin meglumine in cattle with induced bacterial pneumonia

“…VAS scoring is a more subjective outcome but may be more sensitive to pain relative to CIS based on treatment differences being detected by VAS that were not detected with CIS. This may be due to CIS being designed to assess the severity of undifferentiated respiratory disease by signs of depression, lowered head, and ability to rise ( Perino and Apley, 1998 ), whereas the VAS used quantified depression, stance, head carriage, spinal alignment, movement, and ear carriage ( Martin et al, 2020 ) which may have captured more specific pain behaviors identified by Gleerup et al (2015) .…”

“…A VAS score was assigned by two trained evaluators blinded to treatment allocations using methods adapted from Martin et al (2020) . The VAS used was a 100 mm (10 cm) line anchored at each end by descriptors of “No Pain” or “Severe Pain.” Seven parameters were used to assess pain: depression, tail swishing or flicking, stance, head carriage, spinal alignment, movement, and ear carriage also adapted from Martin et al (2020) . No pain was characterized by being alert and quick to show interest, no tail swishing, a normal stance, head carriage above spine level, a straight spine, moving freely around the pen and ears forward.…”

“…Accelerometers were removed at the conclusion of the study and data were downloaded from the accelerometers for analysis. Steps, standing, lying, lying bouts, and motion index data were collected via the accelerometers and analyzed as described in Martin et al (2020) .…”

Assessment of diagnostic accuracy of biomarkers to assess lung consolidation in calves with induced bacterial pneumonia using receiver operating characteristic curves

“…A total of 312 VAS scores made up the data set. As described in Martin et al (2020a) , a daily VAS pain assessment was conducted by two trained evaluators blinded to treatment allocations. The VAS used was a 100-mm (10 cm) line anchored by descriptors of “No Pain” on the left (0 cm) and “Severe Pain” on the right (10 cm).…”

The effect of transdermal flunixin meglumine on blood cortisol levels in dairy calves after cautery disbudding with local anesthesia

“…The calculated doses of flunixin transdermal solution were based on actual BW measurements. A range of 3.21 to 3.84 mg/kg (mean 3.45 mg/kg) has been reported when the dosing chamber was used (Martin et al, 2020). To ensure that the solution was not accidentally removed during the disbudding procedures, placebo or transdermal flunixin meglumine was applied directly after disbudding.…”