Evaluation of the efficacy of tulathromycin as a metaphylactic antimicrobial in feedlot calves.
The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of tulathromycin (DRAX) versus tilmicosin (MIC) or oxytetracycline (TET) as a metaphylactic antimicrobial in feedlot calves. Calves that received DRAX had significantly (P<.05) lower initial undifferentiated fever (UF) treatment and relapse rates; lower overall chronicity, overall mortality, and cause-specific mortality rates; higher average daily gains; and improved quality grades. However, calves that received DRAX also had poorer (P<.05) yield grades compared with calves that received MIC or TET and worse feed conversion compared with calves that received MIC. Net advantages in the DRAX group were 3.79CanDollars/animal and 16.96CanDollars/animal compared with the MIC and TET groups, respectively. Based on these results, DRAX is a more efficacious and cost-effective metaphylactic antimicrobial than MIC or TET in feedlot calves at ultra-high risk of developing UF. In addition, this study presents a comparison between two methods ("deads out" and "deads in") of calculating feedlot performance variables.
Booker
Calvin W
CW
Feelot Health Management Services Ltd., Okotoks, Alberta, Canada. calvinb@feedlothealth.com
Abutarbush
Sameeh M
SM
Schunicht
Oliver C
OC
Jim
G Kee
GK
Perrett
Tye
T
Wildman
Brian K
BK
Guichon
P Timothy
PT
Pittman
Tom J
TJ
Jones
Corey
C
Pollock
Colleen M
CM
D000821:Animal Feed / Q000191:economics; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002170:Canada; D002417:Cattle / Q000254:growth & development*; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004187:Disaccharides / Q000191:economics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds / Q000191:economics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018942:Macrolides; D008460:Meat / Q000592:standards; D010118:Oxytetracycline; D011897:Random Allocation; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015645:Tylosin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D015430:Weight Gain
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004187:Disaccharides; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D018942:Macrolides; C485204:tulathromycin; D010118:Oxytetracycline; C052319:tilmicosin; D015645:Tylosin