METACAM is the single shot, long-acting pain and inflammation reliever1 – supporting a faster, more comfortable return to the milking herd

METACAM® 20 is the single shot, long-acting pain and inflammation reliever1 - supporting a faster, more comfortable return to the milking herd.

METACAM® 20 is highly effective in relieving inflammation and pain associated with mastitis. In addition, when given alongside standard antibiotic therapy, Metacam has been shown to deliver:

  • Better cure rates2.
  • More cows pregnant first time2.
  • Higher 6-week in-calf rates2.

Talk to your local vet about Metacam 20 effective pain relief now.

See product labels for full claim details and directions for use. METACAM® is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, used under license. ACVM Registration Nos. A007982, A011754. Restricted Veterinary Medicine. Available only under a veterinary authorisation.

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New Zealand and overseas studies have shown that mastitis is associated with lower reproductive rates, and that the use of Metacam concurrently with antibiotics for the treatment of mastitis has improved 1st service conception rates, improved pregnancy rates around the 6 week in calf period, lowered removal for failing to conceive, and lowered culling / loss rates. The following calculator uses data from MINDA* treatment records to extrapolate the European Research findings for New Zealand conditions. Conservative estimates have been used to extrapolate the expected benefits of concurrent treatment with Metacam (see assumptions below)1,2,3.

* MINDA® is a registered trademark of LIC.

Use the calculator below to see how much better off you could be by using METACAM, (default values are based on New Zealand average farm numbers - override these with the values applicable to your farm).

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Number of Mastitis Cases (calving to end of mating):

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Your results

Expected 6WICR Change

Expected 12WICR Change

Lower Culling / Loss Rate (non-repro)

TOTAL INCOME FROM IMPROVEMENTS

METACAM COST

NET BENEFIT

Values based on DairyNZ figures of + $ per % increase in 6WICR, and + $ per % decrease in NICR

This equates to a Return On Investment

Value of Milk diverted from the VAT (3.5 days) -

Net Benefit to farm -

Net ROI =:1

1st Service Conception Rate:

In a European study METACAM increased conception rates in mastitis cows from 21% to 31%2. Average European CR's are 40%, so the addition of METACAM reduced the CR losses by 52.6%.

In NZ with a Three-Week CR gap of 2.5% (MINDA data)1, METACAM should conservatively increase CR by 1.32% (52.6% x 2.5% = 1.32%).

Lower Removal for Failing to Conceive (12WICR equivalent):
  • A New Zealand Study showed cows treated with METACAM had 37% of the odds of being removed for failing to conceive3. In the study this was a 5% absolute lower rate.
  • Using the MINDA figures of a 5.9% lower 12WICR1, (using the odds above) this would equate to a 3.7% more cows in calf in the treatment group.
Improved 6WICR (NZ equivalent of pregnant after 120 days):
  • The European study data showed a 9% increase in 120d pregnancy rates in METACAM treated group compared to the control2.
  • To extrapolate this figure to NZ we can look at the effect of the conception rate difference (+1.32%) to conservatively estimate the 6WICR difference given the following farm-specific data (as entered to the calculator): 3WSR - default value of 79.3% (NZ 2022 average figure); Conception Rate - default values of 50.9% (NZ 2022 average figure) NB: An assumed cycle (submission) rate of non-pregnant animals in weeks 3-6 will be made at 90%.
Lower Culling / Loss Rate:
  • The 11.8% reduction in absolute culling / loss was from a NZ study3, and included both empty cows and culls. If we remove the extra losses from failing to conceive (5%), then there was a 6.8% lower culling / loss rate in the METACAM treated cows (over and above reproductive losses).
Calculator References:
  1. Fankhauser S, Luckman R. (2024). Early season mastitis and reproductive outcomes – a metadata approach. NZVA Conference proceedings.
  2. McDougall, S., et al. (2016). Addition of meloxicam to the treatment of clinical mastitis improves subsequent reproductive performance. J. Dairy Sci., 99: 2026-2042.
  3. McDougall, S., et al. (2009). Effect of treatment with the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory meloxicam on milk production, somatic cell count, probability or re-treatment, and culling of dairy cows with mild clinical mastitis. J. Dairy Sci., 92: 4421-4431.
  4. Mason WA, et al. The effect of meloxicam at the time of treatment of hoof-horn lameness in pasture-grazing dairy cattle on time to lameness soundness, pregnancy risk, and time to conception: A randomized control trial. J Dairy Sci. 2025;108(4):3991-4004.
Jersey-Milking-Cows-in-a-field-at-the-foot-of-Mount-Taranaki-showing-Metacam-results-in-mastitis-treatment

Studies have shown when administered with mastitis antibiotic treatment, a single shot of METACAM reduced somatic cell count and improved cure rates faster compared to using antibiotic treatment alone2. 

The addition of METACAM to antibiotic therapy has been demonstrated in studies to reduce:

  • Repeated antibiotic use.
  • Somatic cell counts.
  • Total on-farm antibiotic use.
Graph-showing-METACAM-reduces-production-losses-from-culling

Inflammation and pain associated with mastitis don't just impact welfare, they have significant implications for recovery, milk production and milking future.

New Zealand and overseas studies have shown that mastitis is associated with lower reproductive rates and increased culling rates2,3.

Studies have shown that relieving pain and inflammation in mastitis with METACAM reduced the chance of culling by 12% when used alongside antibiotic treatment.

Graph-showing-METACAM-improved-reproductive-outcomes

A 2016 study demonstrated that by providing relief from inflammation, the addition of METACAM to mastitis treatment resulted in a 10% improvement in first service conception rates resulting in 9% more cows pregnant around the 6 weeks in calf target compared to treatment with antibiotics alone2.

  • 10% higher first service conception rate2.
  • 9% more cows pregnant around six-week in-calf target2.
David and Lisa Ritchie Brookby farmers testimonials on Metacam effectiveness

Brookby farmers Dave and Lisa Ritchie can attest to the effectiveness of using METACAM in their mastitis treatment regimen. As standard practice, Dave now reaches for METACAM at the same time as an antibiotic mastitis treatment when isolating infected cows.

“We started using METACAM two years ago. I would see cows come in with mastitis, clearly so sore with red, hot, swollen udders, walking in pain. I believe we get better antibiotic response as a result too. So you don’t get compromised cow recovery.”

Dave says after 24 hours the cows he has treated will often appear much more settled, walking more evenly, grazing, and on the way to a happier recovery. He agrees farmers don’t always link mastitis with pain relief, but says the “one shot” nature of METACAM with only 84 hours milk withholding fits well with typical mastitis antibiotic treatment routines.

Black-Holstein-dairy-cow-grazing-in-a-green-pasture

Farmers and farm staff play a crucial role in observing cows and identifying changes in the herd.

Mastitis associated changes may include:

  • Heat, pain or swelling of the udder.
  • Changes in the milk (clots, changed appearance or blue milk).
  • Changes in temperament.
  • Walking differently.
  • Changes to milking behaviour.

It is important to identify mastitis cases early and understand the link between mastitis, inflammation and pain.

Learn More
Metacam-Mastitis-Full-Pain-Score-Graph

There is strong evidence, and agreement from the farming and veterinary community, that mastitis is painful regardless of how severe it is.

Farmers play a crucial role in picking up changes in their herd. Observable behaviours that indicate pain and soreness associated with mastitis may include:

  • Changes in temperament
  • Walking differently
  • Separation from herd
The chance of pregnancy is reduced in cows with clinical mastitis

Infertility is the greatest reason for culling1,2

Poor reproductive performance in the dairy herd is one of the most common reasons for culling in NZ and around the world.

When mastitis can’t be avoided, farmers need to minimise its impact on fertility.

Cows that have had a case of clinical mastitis:

  • Demonstrate a lower first service conception rate3
  • Have a longer calving to conception interval4
  • Display an increased risk of embryo loss or early abortion5,6