title: Comparative efficacy of enrofloxacin and tulathromycin for treatment of preweaning respiratory disease in dairy heifers.
abstract: Preweaning respiratory disease continues to have a substantial effect on the current and future productivity of dairy replacement animals. Establishing an effective treatment plan for the preweaned calf may have a significant effect on well-being and lifetime productivity by limiting any early development of chronic disease. The primary objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of treatment with tulathromycin (TUL) or enrofloxacin (ENR) on the risk of re-treatment, with a secondary objective of investigating the effect of disease and subsequent treatment choice on average daily gain (ADG). A total of 1,141 Holstein heifers from 4 farms were observed and systematically scored for evidence of respiratory disease from birth through weaning or the time of death. At the time of diagnosis, calves were randomly and blindly allocated into 2 treatment groups. The overall incidence of respiratory disease was 60.9%. In the univariable analysis, the incidence of re-treatment between 7 and 10d of initial therapy for calves treated with ENR was greater than that in calves treated with TUL (27.6 vs. 21.2%). After adjusting for farm ID, clinical score at first treatment, and weight at first treatment, the odds of re-treatment were 1.5 times higher for calves treated with ENR than with TUL. The percentage of calves that required more than one re-treatment was higher for calves that received ENR compared with those that received TUL (9.3 vs. 4.1%). We observed no difference in ADG between calves treated with ENR or TUL, and no difference in ADG between calves that were treated for respiratory disease and those that were not treated for respiratory disease. Appropriate drug therapy for preweaning respiratory disease may have an important role in reducing the odds of re-treatment during the preweaning period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens 30602. Electronic address: bheins.dvm@gmail.com.
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Heins
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Nydam
authors.affiliation: Department of Large Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens 30602.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Woolums
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens 30602.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Berghaus
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens 30602.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Overton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001835:Body Weight; D002417:Cattle; D004187:Disaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077422:Enrofloxacin; D005260:Female; D024841:Fluoroquinolones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014886:Weaning; D018942:Macrolides
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D004187:Disaccharides; D000077422:Enrofloxacin; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; C485204:tulathromycin; D018942:Macrolides
keywords: bovine; preweaning; respiratory disease; treatment