A comparison of prophylactic efficacy of tilmicosin and a new formulation of oxytetracycline in feedlot calves.

Two replicated-pen field studies were performed under commercial feedlot conditions in western Canada to compare the administration of long-acting oxytetracycline at 30 mg/kg body weight (BW) versus tilmicosin at 10 mg/kg BW to feedlot calves upon arrival at the feedlot. Ten thousand nine hundred and eighty-nine, recently weaned, auction market derived, crossbred beef steer and bull calves were randomly allocated upon arrival at the feedlot to one of 2 experimental groups as follows: oxytetracycline, which received intramuscular long-acting oxytetracycline (300 mg/mL formulation) at a rate of 30 mg/kg BW; or tilmicosin, which received subcutaneous tilmicosin (300 mg/mL formulation) at a rate of 10 mg/kg BW. There were 20 pens in each experimental group. In Study 1 and in the combined analysis, the initial undifferentiated fever (UF) treatment rate was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the oxytetracycline group as compared with the tilmicosin group. There were no significant (P > or = 0.05) differences in first UF relapse, second UF relapse, third UF relapse, overall chronicity, overall rail, overall mortality, bovine respiratory disease (BRD) mortality, hemophilosis mortality, arthritis mortality, or miscellaneous mortality rates between the experimental groups in either study or in the combined analysis. In addition, there were no significant (P > or = 0.05) differences in initial weight, final weight, weight gain, days on feed, daily dry matter intake, average daily gain, or the dry matter intake to gain ratio between the experimental groups in either study or in the combined analyses. In the economic analysis, there was a net economic advantage of $5.22 CDN per animal in the oxytetracycline group, due to a lower prophylactic cost, even though the UF therapeutic cost was higher.

An evaluation of the relative efficacy of a new formulation of oxytetracycline for the treatment of undifferentiated fever in feedlot calves in western Canada.

A field trial was performed under commercial feedlot conditions in western Canada to compare the efficacy of a new formulation of long-acting oxytetracycline (LA 30) to a standard long-acting oxytetracycline formulation (LA 20) and florfenicol (FLOR) for the treatment of undifferentiated fever (UF) in calves that received metaphylactic tilmicosin upon arrival at the feed-lot. Seven hundred and ninety-seven recently weaned, auction market derived, crossbred, beef calves suffering from UF were allocated to 1 of 3 experimental groups as follows: LA 30, which received intramuscular long-acting oxytetracycline (300 mg/mL formulation) at the rate of 30 mg/kg body weight (BW) at the time of allocation; LA 20, which received intramuscular long-acting oxytetracycline (200 mg/mL formulation) at the rate of 20 mg/kg BW at the time of allocation; or FLOR, which received intramuscular florfenicol administered at the rate of 20 mg/kg BW at the time of allocation and again 48 hours later. Two hundred and sixty-six animals were allocated to the LA 30 group, 265 animals were allocated to the LA 20 group, and 266 animals were allocated to the FLOR group. The relative efficacy of the LA 30 group, as compared with the LA 20 and FLOR groups, was assessed by comparing relapse, chronicity, wastage, and mortality rates. The overall mortality (RR = 0.50) rate in the LA 30 group was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than in the LA 20 group. However, the overall chronicity (RR = 2.56) and overall wastage (RR = 6.97) rates of the LA 30 group were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than in the LA 20 group. There were no significant (P > or = 0.05) differences in UF relapse rates or cause specific mortality rates between the LA 30 and LA 20 groups. In the economic analysis, there was an advantage of $28.59 CDN per animal in the LA 30 group compared with the LA 20 group. The overall chronicity (RR = 2.25) and overall wastage (RR = 2.80) rates of the LA 30 group were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than the FLOR group. There were no significant (P > or = 0.05) differences in UF relapse rates, overall mortality rates, or cause specific mortality rates between the LA 30 and FLOR groups. In the economic analysis, there was an advantage of $12.90 CDN per animal in the LA 30 group compared with the FLOR group. In summary, the results of this study indicate that it is more cost-effective to use a new formulation of long-acting oxytetracycline (300 mg/mL formulation administered at a rate of 30 mg/kg BW) than a standard long-acting oxytetracycline formulation (200 mg/mL formulation administered at a rate of 20 mg/kg BW) or florfenicol for the treatment of UF in feedlot calves that have previously received metaphylactic tilmicosin upon arrival at the feedlot.