The effects of flunixin meglumine treatment and hoof trimming on lying behavior and locomotion in dairy cows

Abstract

Lameness is a common disorder in US dairy herds and a welfare concern. Compared to non-lame cows, lame cows spend more time lying down. Although regular hoof trimming is often a component of lameness prevention efforts, increased lying time has been observed following hoof trimming, suggesting that it may cause discomfort in dairy cows. Preliminary work suggested that treatment with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug decreases the duration of increased lying time after hoof trimming. The objective of this study was to examine interactions between lameness, hoof trimming, and non-steroidal drug therapy. Our hypothesis was that cows treated with flunixin meglumine before and after hoof trimming would spend less time lying, have improved gait scores, and produce more milk than cows that had their hooves trimmed without concurrent drug treatment.