The effects of Meloxicam application on quality of life and development in calves

Abstract

Although it is stated that there is an increase in calf loss rates at the global level and especially in modern dairy farms, this issue, which is an international animal welfare issue, has not been adequately defined at the national, large farm, or small farm level in most developing Countries. The rate of calf deaths before, during, and after birth is between 2–20% in heifers and cows. Previous studies showed that 75% of deaths occur during birth or within the first hour after birth, 10% before birth, and 15% within 48 hours after birth. This study aimed to determine the effect of Meloxicam administration on the quality of life and development of calves. An experimental method was used to achieve the aim of this research. A total of 60 Holstein calves, 30 in the experimental group and 30 in the control group, were included in the study for the study group. MELOXICAM (0.5 mg·kg-1) was administered to the mother cow and the calf immediately after birth, 2 days before the expected delivery. In this study, an 8 week process was passed to collect the data. It was concluded that Meloxicam did not affect the BHBA values of maternal cows. No calves died from pneumonia and diarrhea–related diseases after being treated with Meloxicam. From the total protein and total albumin values of the calves, it was concluded that Meloxicam did not affect the protein ratio, but did affect the albumin ratio. It was concluded that Meloxicam application increased the vital activity of calves.