Clinico-toxicological effects of ceftriaxone after intramuscular administration of graded doses in Basenji dogs

Purpose: The recent ceftriaxone-induced anaemia and mortalities at the dose of 50 mg/kg in Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Nigeria prompted this study which sought to assess the clinicotoxicological effects of ceftriaxone (CFZ) after intramuscular administration of graded doses in Basenji dogs.Methods: The effects of CFZ on the haematological indices, physiological parameters, liver and kidney functions were assessed in 4 group of dogs (n = 4) designated A – D. They were given CFZ intramuscularly for 21 days at doses of 12, 25 and 50 mg/kg for groups A, B, C, respectively, while thecontrol (group D) received the diluent (lignocaine 0.2 mL)Results: The mean pulse and heart rate of dogs in group C were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those of group A, B and D. Significant (p < 0.05) decrease in red blood cell count (RBC), haemoglobin concentration (Hb) and packed cell volume (PCV) was observed in group C on days 7 and 14, while on day 21, these parameters were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in group D than in the treated groups. On day 14 of CFZ administration, the alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities of dogs in group C was significantly (p < 0.05) elevated than the control group.Conclusion: These findings suggest that CFZ, at the doses of 12.5 - 25 mg/kg, appears safe in dogs as most of the adverse effects observed are reversed following the withdrawal of the drug on day 28. However, CFZ at 50 mg/kg causes anaemia, tachycardia and bilateral paralysis of the hind limbs which did not revert to normal after one week; hence, it is not recommended for use in dogs at this dose

Growth rate, haematology and serum biochemistry of broilers fed diets supplemented with choline chloride

The study evaluated the effect of choline chloride (CC) supplementation on growth rate, haematology and serum biochemistry of broilers. 120-day-old broiler chicks were randomly divided into four groups of 30 birds each and these were further sub-divided into 3 replicates of 10 birds each. Group A served as the control while the diets of groups B, C and D were supplemented with 0.5 g/kg, 0.75 g/kg and 1 g/kg of CC respectively. 6weeks post-supplementation, haematology, serum biochemistry, total weight gain, feed efficiency and carcass characteristics were determined. Group C (0.75 g/kg choline) had a significantly (p0.05) in the mean values of AST, ALT, total protein and creatinine across all groups. However, the ALP and cholesterol values of group D (4.42 U/L and 1.68 mg/dl respectively) were significantly (p0.05) in the relative weights of other organs of all four groups. The values of the breast weight/width, drumstick length/width, wing length and carcass length did not vary significantly across the supplemented-groups, but the breast-length, thigh weight/length/width, drumstick-weight, wing weight/width and carcass-weight of the control group were significantly higher than the supplemented-groups. Choline chloride supplementation at 0.75 g/kg may have contributed to improved feed efficiency but not with a corresponding excellent carcass yield

Reduction of the Adverse Impacts of Fungal Mycotoxin on Proximate Composition of Feed and Growth Performance in Broilers by Combined Adsorbents

Synergistic interaction of adsorbents in reducing the adverse impacts of mycotoxin on performance and proximate composition of broiler feeds was investigated. Fungal growth was induced by sprinkling water on the feed. S. cerevisiae + bentonite, kaolin + bentonite or S. cerevisiea + kaolin adsorbent combinations (1.5 g/kg feed) were added and the feeds were stored in black polythene bags. An untreated group was kept as a positive control while fresh uncontaminated feed was used as a negative control. Mycotoxins were extracted from the feeds and quantified using reverse phase HPLC. Proximate composition, nutrient digestibility of the feeds, feed intake and weight gain of the broilers were measured. Deoxynivalenol (DON) concentration in the contaminated/untreated feed was 347 mu g/kg while aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was 34 mu g/kg. Addition of bentonite and kaolin in the contaminated feed reduced AFB1 and DON to significantly lower levels. Feed intake and weight gain were low in the broilers fed the contaminated feed. The carbohydrate level was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced from 62.31 to 40.10%, crude protein digestibility dropped from 80.67 to 49.03% in the fresh feed and contaminated feed respectively. Addition of the adsorbents (S. cerevisiae and bentonite) significantly (p < 0.05) improved these parameters