Effect of flunixin meglumine on the amelioration of lameness in dairy steers with amphotericin B-induced transient synovitis-arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize amphotericin B-induced lameness in cattle and to ascertain the analgesic effects of flunixin meglumine by use of multimodal assessment.


METHODS
10 healthy Holstein steers free from musculoskeletal disease.


METHODS
Steers were randomly allocated to a treatment or negative control group. Amphotericin B was injected into the distal interphalangeal joint of the lateral claw of the left hind limb of all steers. Treatment steers received flunixin meglumine at the time of synovitis-arthritis induction and at 12 hours after induction. Control steers received no medication. Multimodal analysis included vital parameters, visual lameness score, behavioral monitoring with accelerometers, pressure mat analysis, and plasma cortisol determination before and after induction. Data were analyzed by use of linear mixed models with treatment and time designated as fixed effects, accounting for repeated measures on individual calves.


RESULTS
Amphotericin B injection induced moderate, transient lameness. Control steers were more than twice as likely to be lame as treatment steers (mean ± SD lameness score, 92.2 ± 8.1 % vs 40.7 ± 2.5%). Treatment steers placed significantly greater force and contact area on the affected foot and greater force, impulse, and contact area on the paired claw, compared with control steers. Furthermore, treatment steers spent considerably less time in recumbency than controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Amphotericin B successfully induced synovitis-arthritis in dairy steers that was transient in nature. Flunixin meglumine was efficacious in providing analgesia for these steers.
Ruminant Models Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
Kara L
KL
Schulz
David E
DE
Anderson
Johann F
JF
Coetzee
Brad J
BJ
White
Matt D
MD
Miesner
D000666:Amphotericin B; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001168:Arthritis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003002:Clonixin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular / Q000662:veterinary; D007275:Injections, Intravenous / Q000662:veterinary; D007794:Lameness, Animal / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D013585:Synovitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000666:Amphotericin B; C014558:flunixin meglumine; D003002:Clonixin; D006854:Hydrocortisone