Investigation of the clinical efficacy, safety and palatability of meloxicam (Metacam) treatment in horses with musculosceletal disorders

Abstract

SummaryThis GCP(v) multi centre blinded positive controlled study investigated under field conditions the clinical efficacy, safety and palatability of meloxicam in horses suffering from musculoskeletal disorders. The efficacy of meloxicam (Metacam ® ) at the recommended dose of 0.6 mg/kg body weight administered once daily was investigated (n=100) in comparison to vedaprofen (Quadrisol ® , n=97). Lameness at a trot, walk and rest was recorded before initiation of therapy on Day 1, after a 5, 10 or 14 day treatment period and during the follow-up examination, performed 2 to 4 days after the respective last treatment. The duration of treatment (5, 10 or 14 days) was decided by the veterinarian depending on the clinical condition. Furthermore palatability and relapse rates were recorded. Significantly better results (p≤0.01) for "lameness at a trot" (primary clinical variable) after 14 days of treatment, and at the follow-up examination (p≤0.001), were found in the meloxicam group compared to the reference group. Significant differences (p≤0.05) in "lameness at walk" occurred in favour of meloxicam at the follow-up examination on Day 14. A significant superiority in lameness at a trot (p≤0.001) and walk (p≤0.01) was revealed in favour of meloxicam for the evaluation at the time point when therapy was judged no longer necessary. Fewer meloxicam cases showed relapse to lameness (p≤0.05). Furthermore, meloxicam was superior (p≤0.001) with regard to overall efficacy and palatability. No adverse events occurred in the meloxicam group compared to two cases in the reference group. The results indicate that 0.6 mg meloxicam/kg bodyweight administered orally once daily is an efficacious, safe, easy to use, and highly palatable NSAID treatment for reduction of inflammation and relief of pain associated with lameness in both acute and chronic musculoskeletal disorders and soft tissue lesions. Keywords

Effects of meloxicam (Metacam®) on post-farrowing sow behaviour and piglet performance

“…In contrast, Kelley and Curtis (1978) found higher RT in primiparous sows during farrowing, but not from the birth of the last piglet until 3 or 4 days post partum. Although meloxicam treatment increased feed and water intakes in calves with neonatal calf diarrhoea complex (Todd et al, 2010), and improved feed intake in pigs with non-infectious locomotor disorders (Friton et al, 2003), in comparison with placebo treatment, no effect was found in this study in the appetite of the sows after farrowing. It is, however, difficult to objectivate an increase in feed consumption in sows just after farrowing, especially in primiparous sows.…”

“…Meloxicam, an NSAID of the oxicam class, acts by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis (Engelhardt and Trummlitz, 1990) and inducible cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2; Engelhardt, 1996), thereby exerting anti-inflammatory, antitoxic, antiexudative, analgesic and antipyretic effects (Friton et al, 2006). Meloxicam is used for noninfectious locomotor disorders in pigs, by reducing the signs of lameness and inflammation (Friton et al, 2003), the porcine respiratory disease complex in growing pigs (Georgoulakis et al, 2006) and for the relief of post-operative pain associated with minor soft tissue surgery such as castration (Keita et al, 2010). In sows, meloxicam is used as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of mastitis-metritis-agalactia syndrome (MMA) with appropriate antibiotic drugs (Hirsch et al, 2003).…”

A Review of Pain Assessment in Pigs

“…Mustonen et al (123) looked at two doses of oral ketoprofen compared to a placebo to treat non-infectious lameness, which they scored on a 5-point scale from no lameness to severe lameness. Both studies saw a significant improvement with drug treatment, compared with the placebo (122, 123). Nonetheless, some caution is needed, as locomotor disorders do not necessarily result in pain, with individuals possibly affected by a biomechanical abnormality in the absence of pain.…”

“…A clinical lameness score, combining lameness at rest and at walk, was used to assess the efficacy of an intramuscular injection of meloxicam compared to a placebo to treat non-infectious locomotor disorders (122). Mustonen et al (123) looked at two doses of oral ketoprofen compared to a placebo to treat non-infectious lameness, which they scored on a 5-point scale from no lameness to severe lameness.…”

Lameness in piglets – should pain killers be included at treatment?

“…If the pain cannot be effectively treated, culling may be the only practical option in pig farming [18]. Thus, the therapy of lame piglets ought to include measures aimed to decrease pain and thereby also minimize any adverse effect on feed intake [19]. …”