Effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on pain-related behaviour in a model of articular pain in the domestic fowl

The optimum doses of carprofen, flunixin, ketoprofen and sodium salicylate for the treatment of inflammatory pain were determined in domestic fowl using the microcrystalline sodium urate model of articular pain. The response criteria were the changes in pain-related behaviour over 60 min commencing 1 h after an intra-articular injection of sodium urate and an intramuscular injection of a range of doses of each of the drugs. The minimum effective doses for carprofen, flunixin and ketoprofen, respectively, were 30, 3 and 12 mg kg −1. The minimum dose for sodium salicylate ranged from 100 to 200 mg kg −1 and did not fully restore normal behaviour.