Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of bacterial respiratory tract infections of lambs

Respiratory tract infections, which are common in sheep farming, involve interactions between the host's immune system, pathogenic microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, parasites and environmental conditions. Respiratory diseases can affect sheep of any age and breed. However, acute bacterial and viral pneumonia is most common in those aged three to twelve months due to decreased maternal antibody titers. Although lower respiratory tract infections initially started as a condition caused by a single agent, many cases progress to a complex disease involving both bacterial and viral components, making the diagnosis of the disease complicated by the emergence of secondary infections. Although the inflammatory reaction that occurs in respiratory infections is part of the normal healing process, an extreme reaction can impair healing and severely damage the airways. It is optimal to limit the inflammatory reaction by removing the harmful agent, isolating the damaged tissue, and controlling this tissue. In cases of death due to acute pneumonia, antibiotic drugs are used to prevent further deaths and to treat the herd. It has been found that NSAIDs reduce the release of toxic peroxide which causes the proliferation of fibroblasts and the deposition of collagen in inflammatory processes associated with the respiratory tract. It had been reported that clinical findings improve more rapidly when NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) were used together with antibiotics in respiratory system infections. In this review, the importance of using NSAIDs in the respiratory tract infections of sheep has been mentioned.