Toxicity and therapeutic value of monensin in ovine coccidiosis
Bergstrom, R.C.; Jolley, W.R.
Veterinary Medicine-Small Animal Clinician 72(6): 1052-1053
1977
ISSN/ISBN: 0042-4889 PMID: 586075 Document Number: 120940
Of 26 wether lambs 3 to 5 months old, 16 were each given 18,000 sporulated oocysts of Eimeria ninakohlyakimovae. The infected lambs were divided into 6 groups of 2, 2, 2 and 10 and given monensin at 8, 4, 2 and 1.0 mg/kg body-weight, respectively, on 2, 4 and 4 consecutive days, and once weekly for 4 weeks, respectively. The remaining uninfected and untreated lambs served as controls. One lamb given 8 mg/kg died and doses of 2 and 4 mg/kg caused listlessness and anorexia. Weight-gain was suppressed at all dose levels. Packed cell volume decreased slightly. No drug-related lesions were found. Numbers of oocysts of E. ninakohlyakimovae in faeces began to decrease 7 days after treatment, disappeared after day 30, and reappeared 10 days after treatment ceased.