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.

In addition to improvements in milk intake, MELtreated calves began consuming calf starter ration significantly earlier after the onset of diarrhea and at a faster rate, and they consumed significantly more water than PLA-treated animals. These effects are likely not the result of differences in the duration of neonatal calf diarrhea complex because the MEL-and PLA-treated calves did not differ for time to resolution of abnormally fluid feces (Todd, 2007) . Thus, one can hypothesize that MEL administration mitigated the sickness behavior response, which in turn resulted in improved appetite for the calf starter ration and increased thirst. The differences in water intake, however, coincide with periods in which MEL-treated calves were consuming significantly larger quantities of starter ration than PLA-treated animals. Given that water and calf starter intake are strongly correlated (Kertz et al., 1984) , the increased consumption of starter ration may have stimulated the calves to consume more water.