The effect of flunixin meglumine on eating and rumination variables in cows after omentopexy for correction of left displaced abomasum.

Abstract

Eating and rumination variables were recorded using a pressure sensor integrated into the noseband of a halter in 60 cows with left displaced abomasum (LDA) before and after postoperative administration of flunixin meglumine (FM). Group 1 comprised 9 healthy control cows that were used to establish reference intervals. Group 2 included 60 cows with LDA that received one of the following three treatments: intravenous saline solution (2A, n=20), 1.1 mg/kg FM (2B, n=20) or 2.2mg/kg FM (2C, n=20) once daily for 3 days after right-flank omentopexy. Median eating times on the day before surgery were 93 (2A), 80 (2B) and 114 (2C) min, which were below the reference interval (246 to 381 min). On the day after surgery, eating times had increased significantly to 201 (2A), 172 (2B) and 216 (2C) min, after which time they continued to increase. Eating and rumination times, numbers of regurgitated feed boluses per day and chewing cycles per bolus did not differ among treated groups. Postoperative administration of FM did not affect eating and rumination variables in this study, and normalisation of these variables was attributable to surgical correction of LDA.