Abstract
Objective
Investigate the effects of administration of meloxicam and carprofen on the mobility
of hens with and without keel fractures.
Study design
Within each of two experiments a ‘blinded’ randomised cross over design whereby birds
received either the test drug (carprofen or meloxicam) or saline.
Animals
Two groups of Lohman Brown hens with and without keel bone fractures.
Methods
The first group (n = 63) was treated with carprofen 25 mg kg−1 and saline subcutaneously, twice. The second group (n = 40) was treated with meloxicam (5 mg kg−1) and saline subcutaneously. The latency of birds to fly down from perches 50, 100
and 150 cm above the ground was measured after each treatment. Data from experiment
1 and 2 were analysed separately; the effects of drug treatment compared with saline
on landing time for birds with and without keel bone fractures were evaluated using
MLwiN.
Results
In both experiments latency to fly down from perches was longer in hens with keel
fractures and there was a significant interaction between perch height and fracture
status. For carprofen, at the 50 cm, 100 cm and 150 cm perch heights, birds with fractures
took (mean ± SD) 2.5 ± 2.9, 6.8 ± 9.7 and 11.5 ± 13.2 seconds respectively to fly
down compared with 1.3 ± 0.5, 2.3 ± 1.2 and 4.2 ± 3.1 seconds for birds without fractures.
For meloxicam, at the 50 cm, 100 cm and 150 cm perch heights, birds with fractures
took 2.9 ± 2.5, 49.8 ± 85.4 and 100.3 ± 123.6 seconds respectively compared with 0.7
± 0.5, 2.5 ± 7.1 and 3.0 ± 4.6 seconds to fly down for birds without fractures. There
was no significant effect of carprofen or meloxicam treatment.
Conclusion and clinical relevance
These data provide further confirmation that keel fractures reduce the willingness
of birds to move from perches.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
February 21,
2014
Received:
April 3,
2013
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and the American College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
