Which spontaneous behavior outcome was noted with meloxicam treatment?

Which spontaneous behavior outcome was noted with meloxicam treatment?

• A. Reduced head-shaking response
• B. Increased vocalization
• C. No change in behavior
• D. More pawing at ground

Answer: (A)

Meloxicam is an NSAID that reduces inflammation and pain by lowering prostaglandin production, which dampens nociceptive signaling. In pain models, effective analgesia shows up as a decrease in spontaneous discomfort behaviors, not an increase. A head-shaking behavior is a spontaneous sign of head or ocular discomfort, so when meloxicam provides relief, that head-shaking diminishes. That makes reduced head-shaking the best description of the treatment outcome. Increased vocalization or pawing at the ground would indicate more distress, not relief, and no change would imply no detectable analgesic effect—both less consistent with meloxicam’s expected action in reducing pain-related spontaneous behavior.

Meloxicam is an NSAID that reduces inflammation and pain by lowering prostaglandin production, which dampens nociceptive signaling. In pain models, effective analgesia shows up as a decrease in spontaneous discomfort behaviors, not an increase. A head-shaking behavior is a spontaneous sign of head or ocular discomfort, so when meloxicam provides relief, that head-shaking diminishes. That makes reduced head-shaking the best description of the treatment outcome. Increased vocalization or pawing at the ground would indicate more distress, not relief, and no change would imply no detectable analgesic effect—both less consistent with meloxicam’s expected action in reducing pain-related spontaneous behavior.