Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy for neonatal calf diarrhea complex: Effects on calf performance

Todd, C. G.; Millman, S. T.; McKnight, D. R.; Duffield, T. F.; Leslie, K. E.

The study results indicate that treatment with MEL was associated with an improved appetite for milk, as evidenced by the greater odds of calves consuming the entire daily milk allowance. The differences in milk intake between MEL-and PLA-treated calves may have been due to the anti-inflammatory activity of MEL. Enteric infection would likely have stimulated the release of proinflammatory cytokines into the periphery, which would have communicated with the CNS to induce anorexia and sickness behavior (Johnson, 1998) . However, administering MEL to calves at the onset of diarrhea may partially block the proinflammatory cytokine pathways and, accordingly, inhibit the inflammatory response. Central and peripheral proinflammatory cytokine concentrations were not measured in this study; therefore, it cannot be confirmed that these mechanisms were involved in, or responsible for, the differences in milk consumption between MEL-and PLA-treated calves. Despite these questions about the proximate mechanisms behind this behavioral response, the results clearly demonstrate that during an episode of neonatal calf diarrhea complex, MEL therapy was important in enabling a strong appetite for milk.