Oral meloxicam given as an ancillary treatment at respiratory disease diagnosis was not associated with growth, clinical scores, or ultrasound scores in preweaned dairy calves.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of a single dose of oral meloxicam as an ancillary therapy to an antibiotic given at the time of respiratory disease identification on average daily gain (ADG), behavioral attitude, clinical respiratory, and lung ultrasound scores in preweaned dairy calves.

Animals: 215 male and female Holstein, Jersey, and crossbred preweaned calves enrolled between 1 and 14 days of age at study enrollment on a single commercial dairy in the western US.

Methods: The study took place from March 4, 2021, to November 21, 2021.