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. 2023 May 10;13(10):1598.
doi: 10.3390/ani13101598.

Clinical Efficacy of a Single Intravenous Regional Limb Perfusion with Marbofloxacin versus Ceftiofur Sodium to Treat Acute Interdigital Phlegmon in Dairy Cows

Gianluca Celani  1 , Paola Straticò  1 , Paolo Albano  2 , Lucio Petrizzi  1 , Carlo Maria Mortellaro  3 , Vincenzo Varasano  1
Affiliations

Clinical Efficacy of a Single Intravenous Regional Limb Perfusion with Marbofloxacin versus Ceftiofur Sodium to Treat Acute Interdigital Phlegmon in Dairy Cows

Gianluca Celani et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

The objective of the study was to compare the clinical efficacy of a single antimicrobial intravenous regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) with marbofloxacin versus ceftiofur sodium to treat naturally occurring interdigital phlegmon (IP) in dairy cows. The study had a randomized parallel-group design. Forty lactating Friesian cows clinically diagnosed with acute IP were enrolled, assigned to one of two treatment groups, and received a single IVRLP with the antimicrobial drug selected (M: 0.67 mg/kg of marbofloxacin; C: 500 mg/animal of ceftiofur sodium). Clinical data for the severity of lameness, digital swelling and local lesion appearance were assessed at diagnosis and at 5, 10 and 15 days post-IVRLP. Clinical resolution was defined as digital swelling disappearance, locomotion score reduction of at least 2/5 points, healed or healing local lesion and no relapse at 15 days after IVRLP. The total daily milk yield of each cow on the day before the clinical detection, on the day of diagnosis and on the day of the clinical follow-up post-IVRLP were registered. Lameness, digital swelling and local lesion severity were not significantly different between groups at any time-point. In both groups, on the fifteenth day after treatment, 17/20 (85%) cows showed a positive outcome, with no significant difference (p > 0.05). The daily milk production of all cows was adversely affected by the clinical onset of IP and gradually returned to a normal level after IVRLP in both groups. These preliminary results support the hypothesis that a single antimicrobial IVRLP procedure, irrespective of the antimicrobial selected (ceftiofur vs. marbofloxacin), has a high success rate and restores milk yield in cases of dairy cattle with acute IP lameness.

Keywords: antimicrobial; cattle; interdigital phlegmon; intravenous regional limb perfusion.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mean locomotion scores of the 2 study groups (n = 20/group). Bars represent the standard error of the mean. Scores range from 1 to 5: 1 = normal, 2 = mildly lame, 3 = moderately lame, 4 = lame and 5 = severely lame [34].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean swelling scores of the 2 study groups (n = 20/group). Bars represent the standard error of the mean. Digital swelling ranges from 0 to 3: 0 = no swelling, 1 = mild swelling, 2 = moderate swelling and 3 = marked swelling.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mean local lesion severity of the 2 study groups (n = 20/group). Bars represent the standard error of the mean. Severity ranges from 0 to 3: 0 = no lesion, 1 = healed/healing open lesion, 2 = active/non-healing open lesion.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Average trend of milk yield in both treatment groups the day before the clinical appearance, the day of diagnosis, and 5, 10 and 15 days post-IVRLP. Bars represent the standard error of the mean.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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