Pros and Cons of Using Darts to Treat Cattle

The use of remote drug delivery devices is likely here to stay.
The use of remote drug delivery devices is likely here to stay.
(Kansas State University)

Whether you are for or against the use of darts – remote drug delivery (RDD) devices – to administer pharmaceutical products to cattle, the tools have gained traction in livestock production practices over the years and are likely here to stay.

In a survey Bovine Veterinarian conducted this past summer, 369 veterinarians and producers weighed in to share their preferred ways to treat cattle on pasture. Respondents ranked their preference for using darts second only to walking the animals to a nearby barn or facility for treatment. The latter was preferred by only a slim margin – 128 votes to 124 votes.

Survey participants’ votes for the other treatment options presented included trailering (47) to a facility, roping (64) or doing nothing (6).

A study by USDA, completed in 2017 and updated in March 2023, found a range of use among cow-calf operations across the country. As a positive, the study noted, "pneumatic darts can be used to administer antibiotics and other injectable medications to cattle to reduce the need to run animals through a chute or use other immobilization practices such as roping."

Use of the darts varied considerably by size of operation. During a 12-month period USDA found that “4.3% of small, 15.8% of medium, and 32.8% of large operations used at least one pneumatic dart to deliver injections. Across all cow-calf operations, 8.1% used at least one pneumatic dart to deliver injections. Overall, 1.1% of cattle were injected with pneumatic darts (data not shown), and this percentage did not differ substantially by herd size.” 

The USDA summary offers one of the key risks associated with using RDDs: “There is risk that the intended target may be missed with a pneumatic dart and instead hit a location that could compromise an animal’s welfare. Because of this, and other reasons, the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program has an advisory statement against the use of pneumatic darts.” An overview of the USDA survey is available here.  

Is Dart Use Ever Advisable?

Josh Newton’s perspective is RDDs are just one more tool in the toolbox that can help ensure sick cattle get the treatment they need.

“I think veterinarians and producers find the value in an RDD because it empowers them to deliver various medications at a distance safely and effectively to those animals in need,” says Newton, cervid livestock division manager for Pneu-Dart, Inc., based in Williamsport, Pa. The 50-plus-year-old company provides a variety of RDD systems for livestock producers, wildlife managers and conservationists.

“(An RDD) can be used for a variety of different products and situations,” Newton says. “I try to tailor it for specific use cases. My No. 1 (use) is for capture work or sedation when you need to restrain the animal’s movement and no facility is available to do that.” 

Along those same lines, South Dakota State University Extension says the use of RDDs can be a good option when there are safety considerations for people and animals. 

Newton adds: “When there’s a better treatment option for the animal that doesn't involve remote delivery, that's the right way to go.”

Pneu-Dart offers a variety of training videos and other resources on how to use RDDs via its website at https://www.pneudart.com/

‘Just Don’t Do It’
Some veterinarians believe the use of RDDs is never a good idea. “Darting is a no-go for me because there’s too many foreign objects found (once the cattle reach) packing plants,” says Brian Lubbers, DVM and associate professor of food animal therapeutics outreach at Kansas State University. 

“From a pharmacology perspective, I can’t be assured the product is actually getting into the animal,” Lubbers adds.

Lubbers’ colleagues, Drs. Bob Larson and Brad White, respectively, are in agreement with him. Their preference, they said during a recent BCI Cattle Chat podcast, would be to trailer or walk the animal to a nearby facility or location for treatment.

Dee Griffin, DVM, MS, sought to discourage the use of RDDs during his presentation at the 2020 American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) conference. He offered three, concise words of advice: “Don’t do it.” 

A handful of the reasons Griffin cited for why he recommends not using darts to treat cattle included concerns that:

*Not all darts comply with FDA medication use requirements or BQA medication use requirements.

*Some darts and/or dart components are confirmed to have been found in carcasses at packing plants.

*There are confirmed reports of injection site abscesses from medication dart usage. These are likely caused by using unsterile darts and/or contamination
while filling the dart with medication.

*Confirmed fatal cases of phlegmonous cellulitis have occurred from contaminated needles.

*There are confirmed reports of violative drug residues being traced to medication dart usage.

A PDF of the proceedings from Griffin’s presentation at AABP, “Darts to deliver medications is a serious BQA challenge,” is available here

Best Management Practices And Considerations

For veterinarians looking to help producers do the best job possible using RDDs, consider the questions and information posted in a 2019 article written by then Utah State University veterinarians, David J. Wilson and Kerry Rood:

Is the drug delivered to the correct tissue as labeled (e.g., SQ or IM)? Using remote delivery may not ensure proper placement of medication by route. It would be best to use a product that has both a SQ and IM label. •

Is the injection site recommended by BQA? When administering medications by darts, accurate placement into a small space takes practice and some operator skill. Some producers might be tempted to target injection sites that are not recommended by BQA. 

How sure can the producer or veterinarian be that foreign objects such as broken needles do not embed in the tissues? Carefully check equipment to ensure that micro-cracks or defects are not appearing in the needle or syringe. Also, needles may develop a burr which may contribute to abscess formation. 

Does my dart have adequate volume to inject the dose needed? Carefully review the volume that is required for the different medications intended for delivery by dart. The volume required may exceed the single dart capacity and require multiple dartings. 

More information on the use of RDDs is available from Drs. Wilson and Rood, respectively, at: Medication Darts Are Gaining in Popularity 

 

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