Flunixin : A New threat to the dwindling Vulture population

Pashu Sandesh, 13th January 2020

Vulture though may have the different connotation in English literature but in a real sense, they are considered as the housekeeper of Nature when they remove the dead and decaying from the environment. From a conservationist point of view, this housekeeper scavenger is now in grave danger of extinction. Diclofenac used as an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever in Cattle has led to the death of the Vultures when they feed on the Caracas of the cattle treated with Diclofenac. The reason cited as the renal failure caused by the Diclofenac in Vultures.

Now a new drug is proving fatal to the Vultures. This new drug is Flunixin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), analgesic, and antipyretic used in horses, cattle and pigs. Flunixin may be given orally as a paste or as granules in the feed. Because it targets the inflamed tissue, Flunixin is mainly used for colic pain, musculoskeletal pain, and ocular pain.^[ It is also used as an antipyretic.

Many conservationists working in Tamil Nadu have appealed to the Animal Husbandry Department to stop the use of Flunixin and use an alternative drug.

The importance of Flunixin is that the full analgesic and antipyretic effects usually occur 1–2 hours following treatment, but there is often an effective analgesic effect within approximately 15 minutes which last up to 30 hrs making it a popular choice among vets especially for the use in Horses. 

There are many studies which have proven that Meloxicam can be used as a safe alternative to Diclofenac, Flunixin and Ketoprofen which are widely used in Veterinary. Meloxicam thus should be promoted by the Animal Husbandry Department all over India to save the threatened Vulture population.