Farmers are being encouraged to speak to their vet about the role of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) in their medicine cabinets.

The move follows a recent cattle vet conference and round table meeting, hosted by Ceva Animal Health, which revealed that some vets and farmers are not speaking the same language when it comes to pain relief in the nation’s herd.  Indeed, the vet delegates at the ‘Break the Pain Conference and Round Table’ event, which took place at The Mount Hotel in Wolverhampton on Wednesday 26 June, reported that they often assumed that farmers knew what NSAIDs were and their many benefits, yet anecdotal feedback from delegates was that there was much confusion in the farming community on the differences between antibiotics and NSAIDs, and the important role that NSAIDs play in the treatment of pain and welfare.

Featuring presentations on the extensive role of NSAIDs in pain relief at calving, during the treatment of digital dermatitis and for pain associated with lameness, vet delegates at the conference concluded that farmers are keen to provide pain relief for their animals, with cost not the primary barrier.  Vets and farmers should, therefore, be investing time in discussing pain relief for their herds during farm visits to gain an understanding of the farmer’s aims and objectives with advice on management and treatments such as NSAIDs as an outcome.

Esteemed speakers at the conference included Nicola Gladden, Farm Animal Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham; Georgios Oikonomou, RCVS Specialist in Cattle Health and Production and Professor of Cattle Health and Welfare at the University of Liverpool and James Wilson, Foot Health Consultant at Herd Health Consultancy, with Nick Bell, Director of Herd Health Consultancy facilitating the round table discussion.

Katherine Timms, ruminant veterinary advisor at Ceva Animal Health, which manufactures the NSAID Ketofen, also spoke at the conference and comments: “The Stride UK dairy mobility report 2024 revealed that 7% of dairy farmers were not using NSAIDs in any lame cow, yet foot care and lameness management should be included in their herd health plans to meet the Red Tractor Dairy Standards and the standards of their milk buyer.

“Farmers want an effective and cost-efficient solution when it comes to offering pain relief to their herds due to other priorities on farm and using NSAIDs strategically have shown a substantial return on investment of £1.66 for every £1 invested1.  Farmers should speak to their vet about pain relief with the goal of providing gold standard care for the long-term health and welfare of their herd.”

Information on the role of NSAIDs in the treatment of pain in cattle can be found by visiting www.wavegoodbyetopain.co.uk.