Comparison of carprofen and flunixin meglumine as adjunctive therapy in bovine respiratory disease

• Published in: The veterinary journal (1997) Vol. 154; no. 3; pp. 233 - 241
• Main Authors: Balmer, T V, Williams, P, Selman, I E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-11-1997
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Body Weight - physiology; Carbazoles - therapeutic use; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - drug therapy; Cattle Diseases - epidemiology; Cattle Diseases - physiopathology; Clonixin - analogs & derivatives; Clonixin - therapeutic use; Disease Outbreaks - veterinary; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Therapy, Combination; Fever - physiopathology; Fever - veterinary; Injections, Intravenous - veterinary; Injections, Subcutaneous - veterinary; Lung Diseases - drug therapy; Lung Diseases - physiopathology; Lung Diseases - veterinary; Respiration - physiology
• ISSN: 1090-0233
• DOI: 10.1016/S1090-0233(97)80028-7

In an open, controlled, multi-centre clinical field trial, seven 'naturally occurring' outbreaks of acute febrile (rectal temperature > or = 39.5 degrees C) respiratory disease in housed calves were treated with a single antimicrobial agent, and either the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) carprofen (n = 95) or flunixin meglumine (n = 92) on an alternate basis. Carprofen was administered as a single subcutaneous injection at a mean dosage of 1.4 mg kg-1 (range 1.2 to 1.9 mg kg-1) body weight on the first day and flunixin meglumine by intravenous injection at a mean dosage of 2.0 mg kg-1 (range 1.2 to 2.6 mg kg-1) body weight on the first 3 consecutive days. All calves were examined clinically immediately prior to initial treatment and on three occasions up to 1 week after the end of treatment. There were no statically significant differences between NSAID groups in reduction of clinical parameters between examinations, or in overall efficacy. This trial demonstrated that a single dose of carprofen was equally effective as three daily doses of flunixin meglumine as adjunctive therapy to antimicrobial treatment in acute respiratory disease in calves.