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Home / Equine Research Bank / BMC Vet Res / Evaluation of the efficacy of meloxicam for post-operative m...
BMC veterinary research2015; 11; 113; doi: 10.1186/s12917-015-0427-4

Evaluation of the efficacy of meloxicam for post-operative management of pain and inflammation in horses after orthopaedic surgery in a placebo controlled clinical field trial.

Abstract: The benefit of pre and post-operative administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the relief of post-operative pain and control of inflammation in horses following orthopaedic surgery has not been previously investigated in controlled clinical field trials, and the utility of such treatment is a matter of ongoing dispute. Recently the utility of post-operative pain management was emphasized. It was therefore our aim to determine the efficacy of meloxicam in horses following partial resection of fractured splint bones. This condition was selected since the limited extent of the insult and the defined surgical intervention allowed the conduct of a randomized, double blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel group, multi-centre clinical field study in a homogenous patient population. Results: Sixty-six client owned horses requiring unilateral partial splint bone resection were recruited in 15 centres in Germany and were allocated in a 1:1 ratio to receive meloxicam, 0.6 mg/kg for 5 days. Lameness at trot grades prior to surgery were similar in the meloxicam and placebo treatment groups but were significantly lower in the meloxicam group on day 6 post surgery. Clinical scores for soft tissue swelling and assessment of analgesic and anti-inflammatory efficacy by the investigators at the end of the study were significantly better for the meloxicam compared to the placebo group. No treatment-related adverse reactions were observed. Conclusions: The administration of meloxicam i.v. once prior to surgery followed by once daily oral administration for four consecutive days is efficacious for the control of post-operative pain and inflammation in horses undergoing orthopaedic surgery.
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Publication Date: 2015-05-15 PubMed ID: 25976845PubMed Central: PMC4430923DOI: 10.1186/s12917-015-0427-4Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research is about comparing the effectiveness of Meloxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, to a placebo in managing post-operative pain in horses after orthopedic surgery.

Objective of the Research

  • The research aims to ascertain the efficacy of Meloxicam in pain and inflammation management in horses after undergoing orthopedic surgery. The researchers particularly tested the effectiveness of the drug following partial resection of fractured splint bones.

Research Methodology

  • A total of 66 horses were recruited for the study. These animals all needed to undergo unilateral partial splint bone resection. The research was conducted across 15 centres in Germany.
  • The horses were divided into two groups – one receiving Meloxicam and the other a placebo. The division was carried out at a 1:1 ratio.
  • Meloxicam was administered intravenously one time before the surgery, followed by once daily oral administration for four consecutive days.
  • The research was designed as a randomized, double blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel group, multi-centre clinical field study, making the patient population homogeneous.

Results of the Research

  • Before the surgery, the level of lameness in the horses in both the Meloxicam and placebo group was similar. However, the lameness significantly decreased in the Meloxicam group on day 6 after the surgery.
  • The clinical scores for soft tissue swelling, the assessment of analgesic and anti-inflammatory effectiveness indicated significant improvement in the horses in the Meloxicam group compared to those in the placebo group at the end of the study.
  • No treatment-related adverse effects were observed during the study.

Conclusion

  • The results of the study proved that administering Meloxicam intravenously once before surgery followed by once daily oral administration for four consecutive days, significantly controls post-operative pain and inflammation in horses undergoing orthopedic surgery.
  • This study provides a new understanding of post-operative pain management in horses and validates the use of Meloxicam in such context.

Cite This Article

APA
Walliser U, Fenner A, Mohren N, Keefe T, deVries F, Rundfeldt C. (2015). Evaluation of the efficacy of meloxicam for post-operative management of pain and inflammation in horses after orthopaedic surgery in a placebo controlled clinical field trial. BMC Vet Res, 11, 113. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-015-0427-4

Publication

BMC veterinary research
ISSN: 1746-6148
NlmUniqueID: 101249759
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 11
Pages: 113
PII: 113

Researcher Affiliations

Walliser, Ulrich
  • Clinic for Horses Kirchheim, Nuertingerstrasse 200, 73230, Kirchheim, Germany. dr.walliser@pferdeklinik-kirchheim.de.
Fenner, Albrecht
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, 55216, Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany. albrecht.fenner@boehringer-ingelheim.com.
Mohren, Nicole
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, 55216, Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany. nicole.mohren@boehringer-ingelheim.com.
Keefe, Thomas
  • Department of Environmental & Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA. thomas.keefe@colostate.edu.
deVries, Frerich
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, 55216, Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany. frerich.de_vries@boehringer-ingelheim.com.
Rundfeldt, Chris
  • Drug-Consulting Network, 01445, Coswig, Germany. chris.rundfeldt@t-online.de.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Horse Diseases / drug therapy
  • Horse Diseases / etiology
  • Horses
  • Inflammation / drug therapy
  • Inflammation / veterinary
  • Male
  • Meloxicam
  • Orthopedics / veterinary
  • Pain, Postoperative / drug therapy
  • Pain, Postoperative / veterinary
  • Thiazines / therapeutic use
  • Thiazoles / therapeutic use

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Citations

This article has been cited 5 times.
  1. Flood J, Stewart AJ. Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Associated Toxicities in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2022 Oct 26;12(21).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12212939pubmed: 36359062google scholar: lookup
  2. Rahmani M, Bahraminejad N, Rezaei M. The Effect of Family-Oriented Educational Intervention on Postoperative Pain after Orthopedic Surgery. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res 2020 Jan-Feb;25(1):47-52.
    doi: 10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_127_18pubmed: 31956597google scholar: lookup
  3. Mendoza FJ, Serrano-Rodriguez JM, Perez-Ecija A. Pharmacokinetics of meloxicam after oral administration of a granule formulation to healthy horses. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Mar;33(2):961-967.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.15433pubmed: 30768821google scholar: lookup
  4. Hayward A, Bensel T, Mazdiyasni H, Rogner J, Kirtane AR, Lee YL, Hua T, Bajpayee A, Collins J, McDonnell S, Cleveland C, Lopes A, Wahane A, Langer R, Traverso G. Scalable Gastric Resident Systems for Veterinary Application. Sci Rep 2018 Aug 7;8(1):11816.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-30212-3pubmed: 30087406google scholar: lookup
  5. Rudd S, Lomax S, White PJ, Van der Saag D. Self-Administration of Meloxicam via Medicated Molasses Lick Blocks May Improve Welfare of Castrated Calves. Animals (Basel) 2025 Feb 5;15(3).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15030442pubmed: 39943212google scholar: lookup
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