Effects of postpartum acetylsalicylic acid on uterine diseases and reproductive performance in dairy cattle

Effects of Willow Bark (Salix Extract) on Pain and Stress Following Disbudding of Organic Dairy Calves

Cautery disbudding is a painful procedure and major welfare concern in organic dairy production, which lacks effective and easily implemented methods of pain control. Willow bark (WB) has been used to treat chronic pain in humans, but there is no scientific evidence that WB has an analgesic effect in dairy cattle. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of an oral WB bolus on heart rate, salivary cortisol concentration, ocular temperature, and lying behavior (time, bouts, and bout duration) of 42 Holstein and crossbred calves. Heifer calves were born at the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, MN organic dairy. Calves were disbudded from 4 to 7 weeks of age (42 ± 3 d) and randomly assigned to one of three treatments (n = 14 calves/treatment): hot iron disbudding with lidocaine (LID; 5 mL per horn bud), hot iron disbudding with oral WB (200 mg/kg), or sham disbudding (SD). Saliva samples and thermal images were collected 1 h before disbudding, at disbudding, and 5 min, 10 min, and every 30 min until 240 min after disbudding. Cardiac monitors recorded heart rates continuously throughout the 5 h study period. HOBO loggers recorded lying behavior during the 72 h following disbudding. The variables included in the statistical model for analyses were fixed effects of treatment, time, and the interaction between treatment and time, and calf was a random effect. The mean heart rate of LID calves (123.3 ± 2.8 beats/minute) and WB calves (124.5 ± 3.2 beats/minute) were higher than SD calves (110.8 ± 2.3 beats/minute). Salivary cortisol concentrations were higher for the LID calves (103.8 pg/mL) and for the WB calves (103.4 pg/mL) than for the SD calves (85.5 pg/mL). The ocular temperature was not affected by treatment group. There were fewer lying bouts 24 to 48 h after disbudding compared to the first 24 h after disbudding in both the LID and WB treatment groups. Treatment group did not affect lying time or lying bout duration. Neither LID nor WB alleviated the pain of calves throughout the post-disbudding period. The results highlighted the need to discover suitable options for pain mitigation of calves in organic livestock production.

Prepartum anti-inflammatory therapies in Holstein dairy cows blocked by parity and body condition score group: Effects on metabolic stress, systemic inflammation, performance, and health

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of prepartum administration of anti-inflammatory therapies on body condition score (BCS), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentration, haptoglobin (HP) concentration, milk yield, milk components, rumination time, clinical health events and reproductive performance in Holstein dairy cows. At 14 d before the expected calving date, cows (PAR; n = 170) and heifers (nulliparous [NUL]; n = 63) were blocked by BCS group (optimal = 3-3.5 [OPT]; over-conditioned cows [OVERC; BCS ≥ 3.75 pts.]) and parity (NUL; PAR) and randomly allocated to one of 3 treatment groups: 1) ASA (n = 78): receive one oral administration of acetylsalicylic acid (4 boluses; 480 grain/bolus); 2) MEL (n = 76): receive one oral administration with meloxicam (1mg/kg of BW), or 3) PLC (n = 77): receive one oral treatment with gelatin capsules filled with water. Body condition score was assessed, and blood samples were collected, weekly starting one week before treatment until 3 weeks after calving. Daily milk yields and daily rumination times were collected from on-farm computer records. Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA) monthly test data were collected to assess milk yield, somatic cell counts, and milk components. Furthermore, health events, culling rate, and reproductive performance data were collected from on-farm computer records. The data were analyzed using MIXED, GLIMMIX, and LIFETEST procedures of SAS as a randomized complete block design. On average, MEL-NUL cows produced 4.77 ± 0.93 kg/d and 4.81 ± 0.92 kg/d more milk from wk 6 to wk 21 of lactation compared with ASA-NUL and PLC-NUL cows, respectively. Similarly, there was a week by treatment by body condition group interaction (P = 0.01), where OVERC cows treated with MEL produced more milk from wk 10 to wk 15 of lactation compared with ASA- OVERC and PLC-OVERC cows. Parous cows treated with ASA had lower BCS compared with PAR cows treated with MEL or PLC. A lower percentage of OVERC cows treated with ASA became sick in the first 60 DIM compared with MEL- OVERC and PLC- OVERC cows (ASA = 23.88 ± 7.26%, MEL = 46.36 ± 8.57%; PLC = 46.74 ± 8.53%; P = 0.04). Parous cows treated with ASA had (P = 0.03) a higher hazard ratio to become pregnant by 300 DIM compared with PAR MEL cows. Although the study was not sized for finding treatment differences in blocking criteria groups, these results suggest that treatment with prepartum anti-inflammatory therapies may have positive effects on milk yield and postpartum health in specific groups of cows, such as NUL and OVERC cows, while it may not be recommended for other animal categories, such as parous cows and cows with optimal BCS. Larger studies are needed to strengthen the associations observed in this study.

Uterine Disease in Dairy Cows: A Comprehensive Review Highlighting New Research Areas

Uterine disease is an intensely studied part of dairy cattle health management as it heavily affects many commercial dairy farms and has serious economic consequences. Forms of the disease, pathophysiology, pathogens involved and the effects of uterine disease on the health and performance of cows have already been well described by various authors. Lately, researchers' attention has shifted towards the healthy microbiome of the uterus and the vagina to put emphasis on prevention rather than treatment. This aligns with the growing demand to reduce the use of antibiotics or-whenever possible-replace them with alternative treatment options in farm animal medicine. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the last 20 years of uterine disease research and highlights promising new areas for future studies.

Use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Attitudes to Pain in Pasture-Based Dairy Cows: A Comparative Study of Farmers and Veterinarians

Pain is a significant welfare concern within the dairy industry. Recognizing and managing pain are important factors for safeguarding animal welfare. A questionnaire was sent via post to Irish dairy farmers and large animal veterinarians to assess attitudes to pain and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in pasture-based dairy cows. The questionnaire could also be completed online. A total of 1,002 surveys were received from dairy farmers and 116 from livestock veterinarians. Veterinarians and farmers generally perceived the same conditions and procedures as the most painful. However, farmers scored surgical procedures significantly higher than veterinarians, and veterinarians scored lameness-related conditions, mastitis (clots in milk only) and hock hair loss significantly higher than farmers. Higher pain scores for conditions and procedures given by dairy farmers and veterinarians were associated with increased NSAID use. However, the use of NSAIDs was low, relative to the pain score, for Burdizzo castration (farmers and veterinarians), white line separation (farmers and veterinarians) and abscess (veterinarians), mastitis with clots in milk only (farmers) and calving with no assistance (farmers). Veterinarians who graduated less recently had significantly lower odds of using NSAIDs, and farmers that completed the survey online, had a larger herd size, completed education up to level four or five (as opposed to level three) and those who seemed to have less knowledge on analgesics, had significantly lower odds of using NSAIDs. Empathy was not found to be associated with NSAID use and no correlation was found between pain and empathy scores. Veterinarians perceived cost as more of a barrier than farmers did; therefore, NSAIDs should be offered more readily. For those working with dairy cows, there is a need to continue education on the benefits of analgesia, especially for conditions and procedures that have low NSAID use relative to pain score. The habituation of humans to pain in animals needs to be prevented to enable pain to be recognized and managed appropriately. Pain scores can be used as a benchmark for veterinarians and farmers to determine how their perception of pain compares to others, and see how this may influence their NSAID use.

Effects of a single transdermal administration of flunixin meglumine in early postpartum Holstein Friesian dairy cows: Part 1. Inflammatory and metabolic markers, uterine health, and indicators of pain

The objectives of this study were to assess the effects of a single transdermal administration of flunixin meglumine (FM) in early postpartum Holstein Friesian dairy cows on serum concentrations of inflammatory and metabolic markers, uterine health, and indicators of pain. The hypothesis was that the anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and analgetic effects of the pharmaceutic agent would reduce systemic inflammation, resulting in improved metabolic and inflammatory profile, diminished incidence of metritis, and reduced expression of pain. A total of 500 cows (153 primiparous, 347 multiparous) from 3 different commercial dairy farms in the northeast of Germany were included in a randomized controlled clinical trial. Farms were preselected based on high haptoglobin concentrations in their fresh lactating cows. Cows were excluded if they had experienced dystocia, stillbirth, or twin birth, or if they showed any signs of milk fever, retained fetal membranes, or fever (>40°C). The cows were treated once with either FM (3.33 mg/kg) or a placebo as control (CON) through transdermal administration between 24 to 36 h postpartum (d 2). General health examinations were performed (daily from d 2-8 and additionally on d 15 postpartum), vaginal discharge was assessed using the Metricheck device (d 8 and 15 postpartum) and serum samples were analyzed for inflammatory and metabolic markers (d 2, 4, and 6 postpartum). Effects of treatment, parity, sampling day, and their interactions were evaluated using mixed effects models. Primiparous cows treated with FM showed lower serum haptoglobin concentrations (0.90 ± 0.08 vs. 1.17 ± 0.07 g/L; ± standard error of the mean) and higher serum albumin concentrations (35.5 ± 0.31 vs. 34.8 ± 0.31 g/L) on d 6 postpartum. They also had a lower risk for purulent vaginal discharge with or without a fever compared with CON cows on d 15 postpartum (odds ratio for CON vs. FM: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.26-2.00), and body temperature was lower throughout the first 15 d in milk (39.1 ± 0.11 vs. 39.2 ± 0.11°C). Multiparous cows treated with FM had lower serum β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations on d 4 postpartum (0.71 ± 0.05 vs. 0.78 ± 0.05 mmol/L) and d 6 postpartum (0.74 ± 0.05 vs. 0.80 ± 0.05 mmol/L). Regardless of parity, FM-treated cows were significantly less likely to abduct their tail from their body (14.3 vs. 23.6%) and show an arched back (27.9 vs. 39.7%) on the day after treatment compared with CON cows. It can be concluded that FM treatment slightly reduced inflammation and diminished the risk for metritis in primiparous cows, improved metabolic profile in multiparous cows, and reduced expressions of pain in all cows.

Effects of oral white willow bark (Salix alba) and intravenous flunixin meglumine on prostaglandin E2 in healthy dairy calves

White willow bark (WWB) is commonly used in combination with other medicinal herbs and analgesics to alleviate inflammatory pain in disbudded calves under organic management, but there is no evidence to confirm an effect of WWB on inflammatory biomarkers in calves. The objective of this study was to determine whether WWB affects the inflammatory biomarker prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in healthy dairy calves. A randomized crossover trial with 2 periods and 5 treatments was used for this experiment. A 7-d washout period was used to minimize carryover effects. The treatments were (1) 57.6 mg/kg oral WWB (low dose; L-WWB), (2) 115.1 mg/kg oral WWB (medium dose; M-WWB), (3) 230.3 mg/kg oral WWB (high dose; H-WWB), (4) 2.2 mg/kg i.v. flunixin meglumine (FM), or (5) no treatment (NT). Calves (n = 25) were randomly assigned to receive 1 of the 25 treatment sequences. Blood samples were collected at 1, 2, and 4 h after administration to determine PGE2 and salicylic acid plasma concentrations. The WWB had 2,171 μg/g (± 4.3% relative standard error) salicin (0.22%). On average, calves in the FM (721 ± 274 pg/mL) treatment had lower PGE2 than calves in all other treatments. Calves in the NT (2,606 ± 271 pg/mL), L-WWB (2,509 ± 276 pg/mL), M-WWB (2,343 ± 270 pg/mL), and H-WWB (3,039 ± 270 pg/mL) treatments had similar PGE2 averaged across sampling times. Calves in the L-WWB (23.4 ± 1.9 ng/mL), M-WWB (21.5 ± 1.9 ng/mL), and H-WWB (23.3 ± 1.9 ng/mL) treatments had similar maximum salicylic acid plasma concentrations. Results from this study indicate that the WWB doses used in this experiment were ineffective at achieving dose-dependent PGE2 and salicylic acid plasma concentration responses.