Poster
Lung ultrasonography assessment of florfenicol and meloxicam therapy in moderate and severe bovine respiratory disease in veal calves
Anastasia Lisuzzo, Giorgia Taio, Damien Achard, Alessio Valenza, Riccardo Compiani, Elisa Mazzotta, Brigitte Trezzani, Alda Natale, Federico Martignano, Veronica Barichello, Matteo Gianesella, Enrico Fiore
Publication information
Word Buiatrics Congress 2026
Background and objective
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) can affect up to two-thirds of veal calves. Antimicrobial treatment is recommended when active bronchopneumonia (with both bacterial infection and inflammation) is identified. Lung ultrasonography (LUS) could be useful to identify lesions as pleurisy and fluid alveolograms/bronchograms that could be more indicative of bacterial infections. Moreover, pneumonia were recently divided according to lesion depth in moderate (1 cm ≤ lesion < 3 cm) and severe (lesion ≥ 3 cm) pneumonia with different recovery rate. Specifically, short-term cure (defined as complete reaeration) was 50.2% and 32.7%, respectively.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a single dose of florfenicol and meloxicam in the treatment of active bronchopneumonia in veal calves.
Materials and Methods

Results



Both clinical scores reduced +1d after treatment with values comparable to CTR calves.

- The MP group was comparable to CTR calves from +9d for both US and LLS
- The SP group was comparable to CTR calves from +21d and +14d for US and LLS, respectively
Conclusions
In high risk calves with moderate to severe pneumonia of mixed origin, treatment with florfenicol plus meloxicam rapidly reduced clinical scores and resulted in an high complete lung recovery.
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