ABSTRACT
(1) Background: It has been well established that castration and tail docking are both painful during and following the procedure, yet there are limited convenient and effective products to address both short-term and long-term pain. Lidocam Topical Gel (LTG) (4% lidocaine and 0.3% meloxicam) was developed to address industry needs for an effective and safe product to address animal welfare concerns regarding castration and tail docking in piglets. (2) Methods: Study 1: Male piglets aged 4-8 days of age were treated with LTG (n = 30) or a control gel (n = 30). Approximately 30 min after application of the gel, the piglets were surgically castrated and tail docked. The efficacy of pain control during the surgical procedures and post-procedure (24 h) pain and inflammation control were evaluated using both behavioral and physiological measurements. Study 2: Meloxicam residue depletion following LTG treatment was followed for 28 days. Study 3: Clinical and pathological safety were evaluated in five groups of eight piglets receiving LTG with: (1) no treatment, (2) nominal topical dose, (3) two times the nominal topical dose, (4) three times the nominal topical dose, and 5) one times the nominal topical dose and 2 mL of LTG by oral gavage daily for 3 days. (3) Results: LTG-treated piglets had a significant reduction in electrocutaneous stimulation response before the procedures and 4 and 24 h post-procedures. Stress vocalization intensity and duration were less in piglets receiving LTG during the surgical procedures. Plasma cortisol and substance P were significantly lower in LTG-treated piglets 3 h after castration and tail docking. The weight and average daily gain were significantly increased in piglets receiving LTG. LTG did not interfere with wound healing or cause irritation at the application sites. There were no abnormal clinical or pathological findings associated with the use of LTG at three times the nominal dose given daily for three days. As meloxicam persisted in the application site tissue, a slaughter withdrawal time of 24 days was determined. (4) Conclusions: When applied to the skin 30 min before castration and tail docking, LTG is effective in surgical pain control and provides post-surgical pain control for up to 24 h. LTG is safe for use in piglets and provides an acceptable withdrawal time for commercial use. LTG is a potentially effective product for commercial use for piglet castration and tail docking.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Castration is one of the most common procedures performed on beef and dairy cattle. The objective of the study was to determine the efficacy of meloxicam oral suspension in reducing pain and inflammation in calves following band or surgical castration. METHODS: Two identical trials with the exception of the method of castration (Band Castration Study 1 and Surgical Castration Study 2) were conducted. Sixty (60) healthy Holstein calves 4 to 5 months of age (138-202 Kg) were used. Animals received either Meloxicam Oral Suspension at a dose of 1 mg/kg BW (n = 15 Study 1 and 15 Study 2) or Saline (n = 15 Study 1 and 15 Study 2) 2 h before castration. Physiological (Heart Rate, Plasma Cortisol and Plasma Substance P) and Behavioral (Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Accelerometers and tail Pedometers) evaluations were conducted before (day -1) and after Castration (Day 0, 1, 2, 3). Inflammation was evaluated daily by providing an individual animal score (Study1) or with a measurement of scrotal thickness (Study 2). RESULTS: Heart rates were significantly greater in control animals following band and surgical castration. Plasma cortisol and substance P were significantly reduced in animals receiving Meloxicam Oral Suspension. Control animals had significantly greater VAS scores. Accelerometers showed that meloxicam treated animals had a significantly greater motion index and number of steps as well as less % time lying and number of lying bouts. The scrotal inflammation (based on scrotal swelling) was significantly decreased in the meloxicam treated animals compared to the control animals on day 1, day 2 and 3. CONCLUSION: Meloxicam Oral Suspension was able to significantly reduce the display of painful behaviors and physiological responses to pain in band castrated and surgical castrated calves for up to 72 h following a single oral treatment of 1 mg/kg body weight. Meloxicam Oral Suspension was able to significantly reduce scrotal inflammation in band castrated and surgical castrated calves.
