Prescribing for cattle

Contributor:

A H Andrews BVetMed, PhD, MBIAC, MRCVS

While this section provides advice on prescribing for cattle, it is of necessity very brief. Therefore
lack of reference to a particular drug does not necessarily imply safety and efficacy or lack of these
because breed and individual variation should also be considered. The conditions affecting cattle and
their medicinal requirements will differ according to the use (dairy or beef), country, region,
environment, whether the animals are housed or outdoor, and the management system used. Cattle
constitute food-producing animals providing meat, milk, or both for human consumption.
Withdrawal periods for milk and meat stated by the manufacturer should be observed. These are
specific for the stated dose and duration of therapy given in the manufacturers data sheet. Milk
from cows should generally be excluded from human consumption if the animal is ill or in poor
health, particularly if the animal has a reproductive tract infection or mammary gland disease, or is
being fed or treated with any medicament that makes the milk unsuitable for human consumption,
or if the animal has a very low milk yield (less than 2 litres per day). Usage of a medicine authorised
for farm animals but without a stated milk or meat withdrawal time will necessitate application of
standard withdrawal periods. At present, in the UK, this is 7 days for milk or 28 days for meat. Usage
outwith the authorised treatment regimen will necessitate application of a withdrawal period not
less than the minimum standard withdrawal period. This occurs most commonly with intramammary
treatment for mastitis when extra tubes are used, or the treatment length is increased or the
interval between treatments is reduced or the treatment is changed to another product. However,
often medicines are used in combination to treat a disease condition and again in such cases a
withdrawal period at least equal to the minimum standard withdrawal period should be observed. In
the UK, lactating or milking cow intramammary treatments usually provide the withholding time as
milk from treated cows may only be taken for human consumption after a certain number of hours
or number of milkings if cows are milked twice daily. With dry cow intramammary tubes, the
minimum time period from administration to the calving date (minimum dry period, MDP) is stated
and secondly the withdrawal time after calving if MDP or more has occurred. Under The Medicines
(Restrictions on the Administration of Veterinary Medicinal Products) Regulations 1994 (SI 1994/
2987), as amended, if the animal is a food-producing animal, the veterinarian or person acting under
his or her direction may only administer a product that contains substances found in a product
authorised for use in food-producing animals. This can create problems for animal welfare, for
example with general anaesthetics. In addition, the use of drugs and medicines in cattle may be
restricted or prohibited. For example, use of chloramphenicol in food-producing species is not
possible because potential residues in human food may lead to bacterial resistance and, following
contact, aplastic anaemia in humans. The administration of stilbenes is confined to companion and
laboratory animals, and farm animals kept for research purposes because of possible carcinogenicity
in humans. Although in-feed production enhancers are not therapeutic agents, their phasing out
within the EU may result in increased usage of therapeutic agents for some alimentary problems.
Drug administration.

Drugs may be prescribed for individual or group medication in the feed, by drench, or drinking
water. For parenteral administration in cattle, injections may be given subcutaneously,
intramuscularly, or intravenously. Occasionally injections may be given intra-articularly,
intraconjunctivally, or intraperitoneally for specific conditions. In adult cattle when administering
intramuscular injections, not more than 20 mL should be administered at any one site and
proportionally smaller volumes should be given at one site in younger animals. The rate of drug
absorption can vary depending on the site of the intramuscular injection. Wherever there is a choice
of injection site, then the area used should be one which is not used, or little used, for human
consumption.

Vaccines to prevent and control many diseases are available and can be administered by various
routes including subcutaneous, intramuscular, intranasal, and oral administration. In all cases, the
manufacturers instructions on site of injection, dose, and frequency of revaccination should be
followed. In many instances it is an advantage to monitor the efficacy of any herd vaccination
programme by milk or blood testing.

Ruminal boluses that can provide a continuous or pulsatile release of a drug over a prolonged period
have been developed for use in cattle for the delivery of anthelmintics, trace elements, and
magnesium. Ruminal boluses should not be given to cattle weighing less than 100 kg body-weight,
that do not have a functional rumen, or are less than 3 months of age. Operators should be trained
in the correct method of administration of boluses and suitable restraint. Damage from bolus
administration is not always immediately apparent. Pour-on formulations are available as
anthelmintics, endectocides, and ectoparasiticides.