Avoiding violative flunixin meglumine residues in cattle and swine.

JAVMA • Vol 250 • No. 2 • January 15, 2017 Flunixin meglumine is an NSAID that is approved by the FDA for the treatment of inflammatory conditions in cattle, horses, and swine and alleviation of pain associated with musculoskeletal disorders and colic in horses; it is not labeled for alleviation of pain in food-producing animals. Currently, there are no FDAapproved drugs for the treatment of pyrexia, inflammatory conditions, or pain in minor food-producing species such as sheep and goats. Owing to the lack of alternatives, veterinarians often administer food-producing animals products containing flunixin in an extralabel manner for the treatment of signs of pain. In the United States, NSAIDs are among the most frequently administered drugs for analgesia in cattle; however, such use is considered extralabel and must be in accordance with AMDUCA.1 In a 1995 survey2 of dairy veterinarians, NSAIDs (eg, flunixin, aspirin, phenylbutazone, and dipyrone) were the second most frequently prescribed class of drugs behind antimicrobials, and the majority of respondents listed flunixin as one of the top 20 most frequently prescribed drugs. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs possess analgesic, antipyretic, and antiinflammatory activities, which are produced through inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis secondary to inhibition of the cyclooxygenase enzyme.3,4 Avoiding violative flunixin meglumine residues in cattle and swine