Testing the compatibility of a combination of tiamulin/chlortetracycline 1:3 premix (Tetramutin-Novartis) given in feed at different levels with salinomycin in chickens.
The compatibility of salinomycin (SA) (60 mg/kg feed) and Tetramutin (TM), a combination of tiamulin (TI) and chlortetracycline (CTC) in a 1:3 ratio, included in varying concentrations, was tested in broiler chickens. Assessment was based on clinical signs, body weight gain, feed conversion efficiency, gross pathological lesions and histological lesions in liver, heart and pectoral muscles, as well as analysis of blood for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate dehydrogenase (AST) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) activity. It was shown that chickens can be safely treated in feed for 7 days with TM containing TI concentrations of 33 or 55mg/kg feed together with SA at 60mg/kg. However, higher levels of TI (100 and 150 mg/kg feed) caused some adverse effects. There was no mortality but there was mild depression, 'leg weakness' accompanied by specific histological lesions in pectoral muscles (obliteration of cross-striation and swelling of muscle fibres, nuclei of muscle cells, hyalinization and destruction of sarcoplasm), a mild increase of AST activity, and a significant increase of CPK and LDH activity in blood. These latter two parameters can be used as an early indication of TI and SA incompatibility.
a Veterinary Medical Research Institute , Hungarian Academy of Sciences , Budapest, XIV , H-1581 , Hungary.
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Stipkovits
b Central Veterinary Institute , Budapest , Hungary.
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Salyi
b Central Veterinary Institute , Budapest , Hungary.
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Glavits
c Novartis Animal Health UK Ltd. , Whittlesford , Cambridge , CB2 XW , UK.
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Burch