Efficacy of ceftiofur hydrochloride sterile suspension administered parenterally for the treatment of acute postpartum metritis in dairy cows.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of ceftiofur hydrochloride sterile suspension administered parenterally for treatment of acute postpartum metritis (APM) in dairy cows. DESIGN: Multilocation, randomized block, field trial. ANIMALS: 406 cows in the first 14 days postpartum. PROCEDURE: Cows with rectal temperatures > or = 39.5 degrees C (103.1 degrees F) without clinical signs of respiratory or gastrointestinal tract disease and with a fetid vaginal discharge were allocated randomly in blocks of 3 to 3 treatment groups: sterile saline (0.9% NaCl) solution administered at a dosage of 2 mL/45.4 kg (2 mL/100 lb), SC or IM, once daily for 5 days (control); or ceftiofur hydrochloride administered at a dosage of 1.1 or 2.2 mg of ceftiofur equivalents (CE)/kg (0.5 or 1 mg/lb, respectively), SC or IM, once daily for 5 days. Cows were evaluated on days 6, 10, and 14, and clinical cure or failure to cure was determined. Clinical cure was defined as no additional antimicrobial treatment administered, rectal temperature < 39.5 degrees C, and absence of a fetid vaginal discharge. RESULTS: On day 14, clinical cure rates were 77%, 65%, and 62% for the 2.2 mg of CE/kg, 1.1 mg of CE/kg, and control groups, respectively. No significant differences were detected in clinical cure rates between control and treatment groups on day 10 or 6. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Ceftiofur hydrochloride administered at a dosage of 2.2 mg of CE/kg, SC or IM, once daily for 5 days was efficacious for treatment of APM in dairy cows.

Feedlot performance of steers treated concurrently with ceftiofur crystalline-free acid subcutaneously in the posterior aspect of the ear and a growth-promoting implant.

Ceftiofur crystalline-free acid sterile suspension (CCFA-SS), a long-acting formulation of ceftiofur formulated for subcutaneous injection in the middle third of the posterior aspect of the ear, is being developed for the control and treatment of bovine respiratory disease. A study was designed to evaluate average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency (FE) for cattle through 140 days in the feedlot after CCFA-SS was administered concurrently in the same ear with a growth-promoting implant. On Day 0, steers (n = 207) averaging 189 kg in weight were randomly assigned to the following treatments: Revalor -S implant (120 mg trenbolone acetate and 24 mg estradiol per implant; Hoechst-Roussel Agri-Vet Company) (n = 64); CCFA-SS at 6.6 mg ceftiofur equivalents/kg and a Revalor -S implant (n = 64); untreated control (no CCFA-SS or implant) (n = 63); or CCFA-SS only (n = 16). On Day 56, an Implus-S implant (200 mg progesterone USP plus 20 mg estradiol benzoate; Pharmacia and Upjohn Animal Health) was administered to all cattle. Tolerance of administration of all materials was observed visually and by palpation of the treated ears. Average daily gain and FE from Day 0 through Day 56 were significantly (P <.001) better for steers of both groups with an implanted growth-promotant than for untreated controls. From Day 0 through Day 140, ADG was significantly (P <.05) better for cattle given an implant or an implant plus CCFA-SS than for untreated controls and FE was significantly (P <.05) better for cattle given an implant plus CCFA-SS than for controls. Mild or moderate, transient swelling of the treated ear was observed in two cattle (CCFA-SS plus implant) on Day 52. On Day 56, 88 % of cattle treated with CCFA-SS, 84 % of the cattle treated with an implant plus CCFA-SS, and 100 % of cattle in other groups were normal. Administration of CCFA-SS in the middle third of the posterior aspect of the ear at the same time as growth-promoting implants did not affect performance of cattle in the feedlot and was well tolerated by the animals.

Dose determination and confirmation for ceftiofur crystalline-free acid administered in the posterior aspect of the ear for control and treatment of bovine respiratory disease.

Three studies were conducted to determine and confirm the effective dosage rate of ceftiofur crystalline-free acid sterile suspension (CCFA-SS, 200 mg ceftiofur equivalents [CE]/ml), a long-acting ceftiofur formulation, for control and treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). In each study, CCFA-SS was administered once by subcutaneous (SC) injection in the middle third of the posterior aspect of the ear. Study 1 was conducted using an intratracheal challenge with Mannheimia (formerly Pasteurella) haemolytica and dosages ranging from 0 to 8.8 mg CE/kg to select a dosage for further field testing. In Study 2, a single dose of CCFA-SS at 0.0, 4.4, or 6.6 mg CE/kg was administered when uniform clinical signs of BRD were present in feedlot cattle. Study 3 was conducted in several feedlots to evaluate the efficacy, practicality, and safety of CCFA-SS at 4.4 or 6.6 mg CE/kg compared with a placebo control or tilmicosin for preemptive control of BRD. In Study 1, the effective dose was determined to be 5.35 mg CE/kg; therefore, 4.4 and 6.6 mg CE/kg were selected as the dosages for further field testing. Administration of CCFA-SS at 4.4 or 6.6 mg CE/kg improved treatment success compared with negative controls (P < or =.05 for both doses) in Study 2. In Study 3, a single administration of 4.4 or 6.6 mg CE/kg was comparable to tilmicosin (P <.001) and was significantly better than placebo (P <.001) for the control of BRD. Using the ear as an administration site was acceptable under field conditions and was well tolerated by all animals. These studies demonstrated that a single administration of CCFA-SS by SC injection in the middle third of the posterior aspect of the ear at 4.4 or 6.6 mg CE/kg is effective, safe, and practical for preemptive control and treatment of the bacterial component of BRD in feedlot cattle. Administration in an inedible tissue results in a short withdrawal time and no injection-site trimming at slaughter.