title: Assessment of plasma concentrations and potential adverse effects of doxycycline in cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) fed a medicated pelleted diet.
abstract: Doxycycline hyclate was mixed with soybean oil and then added to a low-fat pelleted diet that contained approximately 2.4% fat, which produced a final diet that contained a calculated 6.4% fat and 300 mg doxycycline per kilogram of diet. The medicated diet was fed to 9 healthy adult cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) for 47 days; a control group of 6 birds received the identical diet without doxycycline. Trough doxycycline plasma concentrations were measured 7 times during treatment and ranged from 0.98 to 3.83 microg/mL with an overall median of 2.09 microg/ mL. The birds were observed daily, weighed, and examined at least weekly, and selected plasma biochemical parameters were measured before treatment and at days 21 and 42. No adverse effects were noted, except one treatment bird became obese. This medicated diet may be suitable for treating spiral bacteria and Chlamydophila psittaci infections in cockatiels that will consume a pelleted diet.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 4700 Hillsborough St, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA.
authors.forename: Keven
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Flammer
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 4700 Hillsborough St, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA.
authors.forename: J Gregory
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Massey
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 4700 Hillsborough St, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA.
authors.forename: Caroline J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Meek
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 4700 Hillsborough St, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA.
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Papich
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D046410:Cockatoos / Q000097:blood*; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D005511:Food Handling; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004318:Doxycycline