Intas Polivet 21 (1): 107-109 Clinical Article

Therapeutic Efficacy of Tolfenamic Acid in Bovine Lameness

M.K. Patil, A.P. Somkuwar and P.V. Patil1
Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology
College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University (MAFSU)
Udgir
Dist. Latur - 413517 (Maharashtra)

Abstract
Therapeutic efficacy of Tolfenamic acid (8 percent) was evaluated in ten bovines exhibiting signs of lameness. Tolfenamic
acid @ 2 mg/ kg b. wt. at 48 hours intervals in repeated or single doses as per recovery as an adjuvant to other drugs used
in treatment. Lameness, swelling, pain on palpation, animal movement and general health condition were considered as
parameters to evaluate recovery from lameness. The results indicated that swelling and pain on palpation was completely
reduced to nil on second day and lameness was completely reduced on seventh day of treatment. General health condition
was not much more affected due to lameness. The study proves therapeutic efficacy of Tolfenamic acid in lameness of
bovines with no adverse effect recorded.
Keywords: Bovine; efficacy; lameness; tolfenamic acid
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Introduction lameness, pain on palpation and swelling along with

Lameness has a major impact on the productivity of adverse effects like swelling and irritation at the site
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dairy cattle, reducing milk production, decreasing of injection was recorded. It was also recorded about
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fertility, increasing likelihood of other diseases such general health condition, appetite and reluctant for
as mastitis and risk of culling (Peeler et al., 1994, movements. All results were analyzed and
Rajala Schultz and Grohn, 1999). It also causes interpreted.
significant suffering and compromises the welfare
of cattle (Anonymous, 1997). Tolfenamic acid is a Results and Discussion
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and Table 1 and 2 shows respectively the improvement
Cyclooxygenase inhibitor. Therefore in the present in degree of lameness and pain on palpation
study, an attempt was made to study the efficacy of qualitatively (5+: very high, 4+: high, 3+: medium,
Tolfenamic acid (8 percent) in lameness in bovines 2+: low and 1+: nil) after treatment. It was observed
and adverse effect at the site of injection. that degree of lameness was recorded on an
average of about 80 percent which reduced to 28
Materials and Methods percent after three days of treatment and was
A total of ten (10) bovines suffering from lameness recorded as nil on seventh day after treatment.
were selected for this study. Cases of lameness were Similarly, pain on palpation was recorded to be
identified based on clinical symptoms such as degree almost nil after second day of treatment. As shown
of lameness, pain on palpation, swelling if any. Also, in Table 3, swelling was also recorded to be normal
animals under study were observed for general after two days of treatment.
health conditions, appetite and reluctant to move.
Regarding general health condition was not much
All selected bovines were administered with more affected due to lameness and thus was no
Tolfenamic acid (8 percent) @ 2 mg/ kg b. wt. at the much deviation recorded as shown in Table 4. A
intervals of 48 hours in repeated or single doses as little appetite reduction was recorded before
per recovery as an adjuvant to other drugs used in treatment which resumed to its normal level by the
the treatment namely Vitamin B 1 , B 6 and B 12 , second day after treatment as mentioned in Table 5.
Antihistaminics used. Observations were recorded Animals due to lameness were reluctant to
qualitatively based on improvement in degree of movement to a tune of about 50 percent as shown in
Table 6 but after treatment there was recorded a
1. Corresponding author. significant improvement and after seven days of
E-mail: [email protected] treatment almost complete recovery was recorded.

107
 Tolfenamic acid in bovine lameness

Table 1: Degree of lameness - before Table 3 : Swelling - before and after treatment
and after treatment
  Treatment 
  Treatment  Case On
Case On No. presen- After
No. presen- After tation 1st
2nd 3rd 7th
tation 1st 2nd 3rd 7th day day day day
day day day day
1 3+ 2+ 1+ 1+ 1+
1 4+ 3+ 2+ 1+ 1+ 2 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+
2 4+ 3+ 2+ 1+ 1+ 3 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+
3 3+ 2+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 4 4+ 4+ 3+ 2+ 1+
4 5+ 4+ 4+ 2+ 1+ 5 3+ 2+ 1+ 1+ 1+
5 4+ 3+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 6 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+
6 4+ 2+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 7 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+
7 4+ 2+ 2+ 1+ 1+ 8 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+
8 4+ 3+ 2+ 2+ 1+ 9 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+
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9 4+ 4+ 3+ 3+ 1+ 10 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+
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10 3+ 3+ 2+ 1+ 1+ Mean 1.7+ 1.5+ 1.2+ 1.1+ 1+

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Mean 3.9+ 2.9+ 2+ 1.4+ 1+

5+ : Very High, 4+ : High, 3+ : Medium, 2+ : Low,1+ : Nil
5+ : Very High, 4+ : High, 3+ : Medium, 2+ : Low,1+ : Nil
Table 4 : General condition - before
Table 2 : Pain on palpation - before and after treatment
and after treatment   Treatment 
  Treatment  Case On
Case On No. presen- After
No. presen- After tation 1st
2nd 3rd 7th
tation 1st
2 nd
3 rd
7th day day day day
day day day day
1 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+
1 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 2 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+
2 2+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 3 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+
3 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 4 3+ 4+ 5+ 5+ 5+
4 4+ 3+ 2+ 1+ 1+ 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+
5 4+ 3+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 6 4+ 4+ 5+ 5+ 5+
6 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 7 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+
7 3+ 2+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 8 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+
8 3+ 2+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 9 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ 5+
9 3+ 2+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 10 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+
10 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+ 1+ Mean 4.5+ 4.6+ 4.8+ 4.8+ 4.9+
Mean 2.3+ 1.7+ 1.1+ 1+ 1+
1+ : No Improvement, 2+ : Low Improvement
3+ : Medium Improvement 4+ : Good Improvement,
5+ : Very High, 4+ : High, 3+ : Medium, 2+ : Low,1+ : Nil 5+ : Very Good Improvement

108
 Patil et al.

Table 5: Appetite - before and after treatment Table 6: Reluctant to move - before
and after treatment
  Treatment 
Case On   Treatment 
No. presen- After Case On
tation 1st 2nd 3rd 7th No. presen- After
day day day day tation 1st 2nd 3rd 7th
day day day day
1 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+
1 2+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 5+
2 4+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+
2 2+ 3+ 4+ 5+ 5+
3 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+
3 3+ 4+ 4+ 5+ 5+
4 4+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+
4 2+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 5+
5 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+
5 2+ 3+ 4+ 5+ 5+
6 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+
6 2+ 3+ 4+ 5+ 5+
7 4+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+
7 2+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 5+
8 4+ 5+ 5+ 5+ 5+
8 2+ 3+ 4+ 4+ 5+
9 4+ 4+ 5+ 5+ 5+
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9 1+ 2+ 3+ 4+ 4+
10 4+ 4+ 5+ 5+ 5+
10 1+ 2+ 3+ 4+ 5+
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Mean 4.4+ 4.8+ 5+ 5+ 5+

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Mean 1.9+ 2.9+ 3.8+ 4.4+ 4.9+

1+ : No Improvement, 2+ : Low Improvement
3+ : Medium Improvement 4+ : Good Improvement 1+ : No Improvement, 2+ : Low Improvement
5+ : Very Good Improvement 3+ : Medium Improvement 4+ : Good Improvement,
5+ : Very Good Improvement

In all animals treated for lameness neither irritation Part III: The Welfare Book, Farm Animal Welfare Council,
nor swelling was recorded at the site of injection of London, UK.
Tolfenamic acid (8 percent). Grandemange, E., Pheulpin, S., Woehrle, F. and Boisramé,
B. (2004). Field assessment of the efficacy of Tolfenamic
Grandemange et al. (2004) reported that Tolfenamic
acid in the treatment of lameness in dairy cows. 23rd World
acid improved comfort of dairy cows suffering from Buiatrics Congress, Quebec City, Canada, July 11-16,
lameness by reducing the pain element, and thus 2004. 213 (2403).
making it an appealing option for treatment of
lameness in dairy cattle.  Rajala-Schultz, P.J. and Grohn, Y.T. (1999). Culling of
dairy cows, Part II: Effects of diseases and reproductive
References performance on culling in Finnish Ayreshire cows. Prev.
Anonymous (1997). Report on the Welfare of Dairy cattle Vet. Med. 41: 279-94.
Received on: 15.04.2020
Accepted on: 01.06.2020

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