Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/18948
Title: Palatability and pharmacokinetics of flunixin when administered to sheep through feed
Contributor(s): Marini, Danila  (author)orcid ; Pippia, Joe (author); Colditz, Ian  (author); Hinch, Geoffrey  (author)orcid ; Petherick, Carol J (author); Lee, Caroline  (author)
Publication Date: 2016
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1800Open Access Link
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/18948
Abstract: Applying analgesics to feed is a potentially easy method of providing pain-relief to sheep and lambs that undergo painful husbandry procedures. To be effective, the medicated feed needs to be readily accepted by sheep and its consumption needs to result in therapeutic concentrations of the drug. In the present experiment, pelleted feed was supplemented with flunixin (4.0 mg/kg live weight) and offered to eight sheep. To test the palatability of flunixin, the individually penned sheep were offered normal feed and feed supplemented with flunixin in separate troughs for two consecutive days. A trend for a day by feed-type (control versus flunixin supplemented) interaction suggested that sheep may have had an initial mild aversion to pellets supplemented with flunixin on the first day of exposure, however, by on the second day there was no difference in consumption of normal feed and feed supplemented with flunixin. To test pharmacokinetics, sheep were offered 800 g of flunixin supplemented feed for a 12 h period. Blood samples were taken over 48 h and plasma drug concentrations were determined using ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography, negative electrospray ionisation and tandem mass spectrometry. The mean - S.D. time required to reach maximum concentration was 6.00±4.14 h and ranged from 1 to 12 h. Average maximum plasma concentration was 1.78±0.48 mg/mL and ranged from 1.61 to 2.80 mg/mL. The average half-life of flunixin was 7.95±0.77 h and there was a mean residence time of 13.62±1.17 h. Free access to flunixin supplemented feed enabled all sheep to obtain inferred therapeutic concentrations of flunixin in plasma within 6 h of starting to consume the feed. Provision of an analgesic in feed may be an alternative practical method for providing pain relief to sheep.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Source of Publication: PeerJ, v.4, p. 1-12
Publisher: PeerJ, Ltd
Place of Publication: United Kingdom
ISSN: 2167-8359
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: 079999 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences not elsewhere classified
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: 300304 Animal protection (incl. pests and pathogens)
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: 970107 Expanding Knowledge in the Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: 280101 Expanding knowledge in the agricultural, food and veterinary sciences
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Appears in Collections:Journal Article

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