The Impact of Translactational Delivered Meloxicam Analgesia on Biomarkers of Pain and Distress after Piglet Processing

Oral meloxicam was administered to sows post-farrowing to investigate a novel route of providing analgesia to processed piglets via translactational drug transfer. Physiologic indicators of piglet pain were analyzed to determine the effects on pain control. An effective meloxicam dosage was reached in 4/5 sow litters with no adverse clinical effects. Both piglet cortisol and cranial skin temperature measured by infrared thermography indicated significant differences in pain biomarkers between treatment groups. This study demonstrates the successful transfer of meloxicam in sow’s milk and description of physiologic pain indicators after processing. It provides the foundation for future research into refining a novel, efficacious, and practical method of providing analgesia to piglets during processing.