Short communication: Effects of meloxicam administration on protein metabolism and growth performance in transported Jersey calves

Abstract

Our objective was to investigate the effects of administering the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam (MEL) before transport on various indicators of protein metabolism and growth performance over the first 96 h after transport in Jersey calves. Calves (age ± SD; 2 ± 1 d) sourced from a commercial farm were randomly administered, at 1 mg/kg of body weight, either meloxicam (MEL; n = 11) or a whey protein placebo (CON; n = 10) orally before transport to a calf facility (669 km; 8.5-h road trip). Calves were weighed and rectal temperature was recorded before departure (0 h), on arrival (8.5 h), and 96 h after arrival. Blood was collected at the same time as calves were weighed, and samples were analyzed for total protein (0-h sample), cortisol (0-and 8.5-h samples), haptoglobin (0-and 96-h samples), and amino acids, 3-methylhistidine, and urea-N (96 h). Milk replacer (MR) intake was recorded on arrival and over the next 4 d.

The effect of meloxicam on neonatal dairy calves: Immunoglobulin G uptake and preweaning performance

“…Values for IgG, AEA, and STP are presented in Table 2. Treatment did not affect IgG concentrations, STP concentrations, or AEA at 6, 18, or 24 h. These results are consistent with findings from other research (Murray et al, 2015a,b;Chibisa et al, 2018), which reported that meloxicam administration was not associated with STP concentration. In the current study, at 12 h postpartum, meloxicam-treated calves had lesser IgG concentrations (P = 0.01) and poorer AEA (P < 0.05) than those in the CON group; however, all calves achieved successful transfer of passive immunity.…”

“…In the second study, 6-wk weight gain was also unaffected by meloxicam treatment; however, calves that were assisted at birth and treated with meloxicam were observed to gain more weight in the first week compared with assisted placebo-treated calves. These results are similar to those reported by Chibisa et al (2018) , in which 1- to 3-d-old calves treated with meloxicam before transport experienced greater ADG ( P < 0.02) compared with the control.…”

“…In the current study, this positive effect on milk consumption was not observed; however, these calves were fed just over 4 L of MR per day compared with the 8 to 12 L fed in the study by Murray et al (2015a) and the 6 L fed in the study by Chibisa et al (2018) . As a result, the ability to detect a positive response in milk intake observed by Murray et al (2015a) and Chibisa et al (2018) was limited ( P = 0.04 and P < 0.01, respectively); however, meloxicam-treated animals in the current study compensated for this lack of available MR with a trend for increased starter intake compared with the CON group ( Figure 1 ). These findings are congruous with research by Todd et al (2010) , in which it was reported that calves treated with meloxicam after the onset of diarrhea consumed more starter than those treated with a placebo ( P < 0.01).…”

“…Dosage was prescribed by the IACAUC veterinarian and supported by similar studies that consider the effects of meloxicam administered to calves orally ( Coetzee et al, 2009 ; Allen et al, 2013 ; Chibisa et al, 2018 ; Shock et al, 2020 ). A total of 3 experimental units, or 3 calves, each having received 1 of the 3 different treatments, comprised a complete block.…”

Perspectives on the Management of Surplus Dairy Calves in the United States and Canada

“…Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) produce anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive and anti-pyretic effects. A study that assessed the administration of an NSAID (meloxicam) to young Jersey calves (≤3 d of age) before transportation, found calves that received meloxicam had greater feed intake and growth following arrival to a calf raiser, compared to calves that did not receive meloxicam (97). However, the sample size was small (n = 21) and calves were only monitored for 4 days after arrival to the production facility.…”