Effects of meloxicam administration at birth on blood gas, acid-base status, and predictive value of early cardiac autonomic variables for postnatal adaptation in Holstein-Friesian calves.

Background: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are increasingly administered at birth to neonatal dairy calves, yet the interaction between periparturient meloxicam treatment and calving difficulty on vitality recovery and acid-base normalization has not been prospectively examined. The predictive value of early cardiac autonomic variables for compromised postnatal adaptation also remains unclear. Methods: In a quasi-randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial on 151 Holstein-Friesian calves (NSAID Results: A significant three-way interaction (NSAID × time × calving difficulty) was detected (χ Conclusion: Periparturient meloxicam may modulate neonatal vitality recovery in a calving difficulty-dependent manner without directly reversing perinatal acidosis. Early HRV does not provide clinically useful prediction of compromised postnatal adaptation, and adds no incremental discriminative value beyond calving difficulty; calving difficulty score is the primary determinant. These findings suggest that targeted periparturient NSAID administration may be most justified for calves born after obstetrical assistance, although the quasi-randomized design warrants confirmation in a fully randomized trial.