The effect of intermittent treatment with sulphadimidine on coccidiosis in preruminant calves |
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| Authors: | L &#;ELEDA Z URBANOVÁ† I PAVLÁSEK‡ J &#;ERN݆ H RA&#;KOVÁ‡ J VANÊ&#;EK A KUBI&#;EK‡ |
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| Institution: | *Institute of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pediatrics, Charles University, Prague;?Institue of Postgraduate Veterinary Medicine, Dukovany;?Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, ?eskéBudêjovice and Prague, Czechoslovakia |
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| Abstract: | Preruminant calves excreted coccidia oocysts in their faeces after 3 weeks of group housing. Two weeks of oral sulphadimidine (SDM) administration, 50 mg/kg on the first day of treatment followed by daily administration of 37.5 mg/kg, under the same housing conditions kept the faeces free of oocysts. Three weeks later, these calves excreted oocysts again. Repetition of the same treatment for 2 weeks controlled the infection again, but a second treatment for 5 days did not suffice. The repeated long treatment affected immunoglobulin levels adversely. SDM given repeatedly at a lower dose rate (30 mg/kg) for 1-week periods with medication-free intervals of 1 week controlled the infection and no adverse effects were noted. In comparison with controls, weight gains were greater in treated calves. |
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