ALLEVIATING PAIN FROM ROUTINE HUSBANDRY PROCEDURES SUCH AS CASTRATION AND DISBUDDING/DEHORNING IN CATTLE REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN FOR PRODUCTION INDUSTRIES, VETERINARIANS, AND CONSUMERS. THUS, THERE IS A CRITICAL NEED TO IDENTIFY EFFECTIVE DRUGS TO REDUCE PROCEDURAL PAIN IN CATTLE AND TO GAIN REGULATORY APPROVAL FOR THEIR USE BY THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. MELOXICAM, A PROMISING NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUG, APPEARS TO HELP RELIEVE CASTRATION AND DISBUDDING PAIN IN CATTLE FOR SEVERAL DAYS WITH A SINGLE ORAL DOSE AND IS LOW IN COST. HOWEVER, EXISTING STUDIES SHOW THAT THERE IS A LOT OF VARIABILITY IN MELOXICAM DRUG LEVELS IN CATTLE AND IN MEASURED OUTCOMES RELATED TO PAIN, WHICH HINDERS THE DEVELOPMENT AND RECOMMENDATION OF ORAL MELOXICAM USE IN CATTLE TO RELIEVE PROCEDURAL PAIN. THE VARIABILITY IN MELOXICAM LEVELS IN CATTLE AFTER DOSING AND DRUG RESPONSE COULD BE DUE TO FACTORS UNEXAMINED IN EXISTING STUDIES INCLUDING SEX AND GENETICS (SUB-SPECIES AND BREED). SEX AND GENETICS ARE KNOWN TO INFLUENCE DRUG LEVELS AND DRUG RESPONSE IN OTHER SPECIES, INCLUDING HUMANS. OBSERVED VARIABILITY IN RESPONSE MAY ALSO BE DUE, IN PART, TO INCONSISTENCIES IN WHAT, WHEN, AND HOW PAIN OUTCOMES ARE MEASURED. THESE INCONSISTENCIES MAKE COMPARISONS BETWEEN STUDIES LIKE COMPARING APPLES TO ORANGES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF SUB-SPECIES (ZEBU VS TAURINE), BREED (DAIRY VS BEEF), AND SEX (MALE VS FEMALE) ON MELOXICAM LEVELS IN CATTLE AND EFFICACY IN RELIEVING PROCEDURAL PAIN USING STANDARDIZED PAIN MEASUREMENTS. THE RESEARCH STRATEGY INVOLVES (1) DETERMINING THE EFFECT OF SUB-SPECIES, BREED, AND SEX ON MELOXICAM LEVELS FOLLOWING ORAL DOSING; (2) DETERMINING THE EFFECT OF SUB-SPECIES AND BREED ON MELOXICAM-TREATED PAIN FROM CASTRATION USING A STANDARD SET OF PAIN MEASUREMENTS; AND (3) DETERMINING THE EFFECT OF SEX ON MELOXICAM-TREATED PAIN FROM DISBUDDING USING A STANDARD SET OF PAIN MEASUREMENTS. OVERALL, THIS PROJECT WILL HELP TO OPTIMIZE MELOXICAM DOSING REGIMENS TO MAXIMIZE PAIN RELIEF IN CATTLE, IDENTIFY ROBUST AND SENSITIVE MEASURES OF PAIN IN CATTLE THAT CAN BE USED TO AID THE DEVELOPMENT OF PAIN-RELIEVING DRUGS FOR CATTLE, AND MAINTAIN CONSUMER CONFIDENCE IN CATTLE PRODUCTION PRACTICES KEEPING AMERICAN AGRICULTURE COMPETITIVE.