Robenidine treatment of rabbits naturally infected with coccidia

Are microbes and metabolites influencing the parental consumption of nestlings' feces in gray-backed shrikes?

The behavioral video recordings of the gray-backed shrike Lanius tephronotus revealed that parent birds eat the feces produced by their nestlings. "Parental nutrition hypothesis" attributes the origin of this behavior to nutrition-recovery and cost-saving, respectively. However, the presence of usable nutrients in the nestlings' feces is unknown because of traditional technology. In this study, we analyzed all the metabolites and the variations in the diversity and content of microbes in the feces of gray-backed shrike nestlings. We aimed to report the changes in microbes and metabolites with the age of nestlings and point out that the parent birds that eat the feces may gain potential nutrition benefits. The results showed that the relative abundances of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidota, changed significantly when the nestlings were 6 days old. The relative abundances of 6 probiotics, which are involved in digestion, metabolism, and immunity-related physiological functions, decreased in the nestlings' feces gradually with age; therefore, these probiotics may be obtained by parent birds upon ingestion of the feces of young nestlings. Among the metabolites that were detected, 20 were lipids and some had a role in anti-parasitic functions and wound healing; however, their relative contents decreased with age. These beneficial substances in the nestlings' feces may stimulate the parents to swallow the feces. Moreover, there were many aromatic metabolites in the newly hatched nestlings' feces, but the content of bitter metabolites increased as they grew up. Therefore, our results are in accordance with the nutritional hypothesis.

Influence of three coccidiostats on the pharmacokinetics of florfenicol in rabbits

In-feed Medication has been used for a long time to prevent coccidiosis, a worldwide protozoal disease in rabbits. Florfenicol (FFC) has been widely used in veterinary clinics for bacterial diseases treatment. Therefore, the use of combinations of coccidiostats with FFC in rabbits is common. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of three coccidiostats, sulfaquinoxaline (SUL), robenidine (ROB), and toltrazuril (TOL), as feed additives on the pharmacokinetic profile of FFC in rabbits. The disposition kinetics of FFC in rabbits were investigated after a single intravenous injection (25 mg/kg) in rabbits fed anticoccidial-free diets or feeds containing SUL (250 ppm), ROB (66 ppm), or TOL (2 ppm), respectively, for 20 days. Plasma FFC concentrations were determined by the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The pharmacokinetic parameters of FFC were analyzed using a non-compartmental analysis based on the statistical moment theory. The results demonstrated that ROB feeding resulted in an obvious decrease in plasma FFC level as compared with anticoccidial-free feeding. The terminal elimination half-life (t_1/2z), area under the concentration–time curve (AUC), area under the first moment curve (AUMC), and mean residence time (MRT) significantly decreased, whereas the elimination rate constant (λ_z) and total body clearance (CL_z) obviously increased in rabbits pretreated with ROB. However, we did not find that SUL or TOL feeding had any effect on the pharmacokinetic profile of FFC. Our findings suggested that more attention should be paid to the use of FFC in rabbits supplemented with ROB.

Comparison of toltrazuril and sulphadimethoxine in the treatment of intestinal coccidiosis in pet rabbits

Treatment of intestinal coccidiosis was studied in domestic pet rabbits. In 45 rabbits aged four months or more, coccidial oocysts were observed in the faeces of 35 rabbits at a mean density of 806 opg (range 50 to 6800 opg). Eimeria magna was the dominant species, with Eimeria media and Eimeria intestinalis also being common. The presence of the hepatic species Eimeria stiedae was not recorded. A single oral dose of 2.5 mg/kg or 5.0 mg/kg toltrazuril, or a single oral dose of 50 mg/kg sulphadimethoxine followed by its inclusion in drinking water at 1 g/4 l for nine days, were all found to significantly reduce the faecal oocyst count by 73 to 99 per cent. The extent of oocyst reduction in the faeces was not dependent on the dose of toltrazuril. Oocyst counts began to rise again in the days after treatment ceased.

Evaluation of the anticoccidial efficacy of Cycostat® in experimentally infected breeding rabbits housed under conventional conditions

<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';" lang="EN-US">The present study was designed in order to evaluate the effi cacy and safety of Cycostat® 66G in the prevention and control of coccidiosis in breeding does after experimentally induced infection with common </span><em><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';" lang="EN-US">Eimeria </span></em><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';" lang="EN-US">spp. at the age of 18 wk. The inoculum was prepared based on faecal samples collected on farms in the Czech Republic. A total of 94 young and pregnant does were divided into 4 groups and enrolled in the study. The zootechnical, clinical and parasitological results of 2 control groups were compared, a non-infected non-treated (NI-NT) and an infected non-treated (I-NT), and 2 infected and dietary supplemented groups, with 50 (I-50) and 66 mg/kg (I-66) robenidine, respectively. Does in the I-NT group showed a significant drop in weight gain and feed intake during the fi rst 14 d after inoculation. No treatment related effects on the weight development of the does were observed, although does in the I-NT group always had approximately ± 200 g lower body weight. Litter size (live born) was not signifi cantly different at either the fi rst or second parturition and amounted to 9.0, 8.2, 10.1 and 9.8 (1st litter) and 11.3, 10.4, 10.1 and 11.0 (2nd litter) in NI-NT, I-NT, I-50 and I-66 does, respectively. At weaning, both in the 1st and 2nd cycle, the highest litter weight was obtained in the I-50 and I-66 groups. Litter weaning weight values for I-66 (litter 2) were higher but not significant (</span><em><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';" lang="EN-US">P=</span></em><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';" lang="EN-US">0.069) compared to the NI-NT litters. The lowest young mortality was also observed in the I-66 litters, both in the first and second cycles. Between 6 to 11 d after inoculation, the oocyst excretion of both supplemented groups was reduced by more than 90% in comparison to the I-NT. Supplementation with Cycostat® 66G diminished the excretion of </span><em><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';" lang="EN-US">E. flavescens </span></em><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';" lang="EN-US">and </span><em><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';" lang="EN-US">E. intestinalis</span></em><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';" lang="EN-US">, the most pathogenic species, by 100%. The excretion of </span><em><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';" lang="EN-US">E. magna </span></em><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';" lang="EN-US">was reduced by &gt;90 and 100% for the I-50 and I-66 groups, respectively. The reduction in oocyst excretion of </span><em><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';" lang="EN-US">E. media </span></em><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif';" lang="EN-US">was less pronounced. It was concluded that Cycostat® 66G supplemented in the feed at a concentration of 50 or 66mg/kg was able to prevent coccidiosis in breeding does after experimental inoculation.</span>

Efficacy of narasin against hepatic and intestinal coccidiosis in rabbits

The anticoccidial effect of narasin against Eimeria flavescens, E. intestinalis, E. magna, E. perforans and E. stiedai was tested in experimentally infected rabbits. The drug was highly effective in reducing oocyst output and in preventing clinical signs. Maximum activity as measured by oocyst discharge was achieved with feed levels from 12 to 24 p.p.m.; there was no influence on oocyst sporulation. Optimal weight gain and food consumption were obtained with levels between 8 and 12 p.p.m.; at higher levels there was an adverse effect on growth, food intake, relative liver and heart weights and on serum potassium and glucose.