Switching Drugs for Livestock May Help Save Critically Endangered Asian Vultures

Abstract

The article discusses the rapid decrease of vulture populations due to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), diclofenac, in India. Meloxicam, the only NSAID that had been used extensively on vultures with no evidence of kidney damage, was then tested to find an anti-inflammatory that could treat livestock without killing vultures. Results of the study suggest that the recovery of Asian vultures depends on the replacement of diclofenac with meloxicam. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)