Benzathine penicillin G and procaine penicillin G in piglets: comparison of intramuscular and subcutaneous injection.

The disposition of penicillin G in piglets is described after intramuscular or subcutaneous injection of depot preparations. The piglets were injected with 33,000 IU/kg or 100,000 IU/kg benzathine + procaine penicillin G intramuscularly or subcutaneously, or 100,000 IU/kg procaine penicillin G intramuscularly or subcutaneously. Intramuscular injection of benzathine + procaine penicillin resulted in higher maximum concentrations in plasma (Cmax) than did subcutaneous injection. The mean residence time (MRT) of penicillin G was longer when the drugs were injected subcutaneously rather than intramuscularly. The plasma concentration versus time profiles of the subcutaneous injections of benzathine + procaine penicillin revealed secondary peaks, possibly reflecting a certain degree of inflammation at the injection site.

Plasma erythropoietin in newborn lambs.

In the present study early postnatal changes in erythropoietin (Epo) level and hemoglobin concentration in 8 lambs were examined. Plasma Epo was estimated by a monoclonal enzyme-immunoassay (ELISA), developed for human Epo. In all the lambs, except one, Epo was low, or undetectable, immediately after birth. Within 6-12 h after birth, a marked increase in plasma Epo was found in 4 of the lambs. Within 3-7 days after birth, Epo was back to low levels. In the lamb with high Epo levels at birth, drastic decreases were observed during the next 6 h. There was no obvious correlation between the hemoglobin concentrations and the changes in plasma Epo.

An evaluation of iron-dextran supplementation in piglets administered by injection on the first, third or fourth day after birth.

The aims of the study were to evaluate the effect of iron-dextran injection given on the first, third or fourth day after birth on haematology in piglets. An advanced automated blood analyser; Technicon H*1, which performs a complete blood cell count and leukocyte differential counts was used to analyse the blood. Six litters of Norwegian Landrace x Yorkshire piglets were included in the study. The day after birth (day 1), half of the piglets in each litter (split litters) were injected subcutaneously with 180 mg iron as iron-dextran (1.5 ml Idofer). The untreated piglets from two of the litters were injected with the same amount of iron-dextran on day 3, and those from the remaining four litters on day 4. The piglets were weighed and blood samples collected on days 1, 3 or 4, 7, 14 and 21. Erythropoiesis, but not leukocyte count, responded to injection on day 1 compared with injection on the third or fourth day. The difference between groups in haematological parameters was greatest on day 7. The two groups of piglets treated on day 1 had a haemoglobin concentration (Hb) +/-SD of 92 g litre-1(+/-9) and 94 g litre-1(+/-9), and the piglets treated on day 3 had a Hb of 81 g litre-1(+/-7) and the one treated on day 4 had a Hb of 78 g litre-1(+/-7) on day 7. On days 14 and 21 there were no differences between groups. This study indicates that some piglets were anaemic and responded to subcutaneous iron injection on day 1.

Effect of an oral starter dose of iron on haematology and weight gain in piglets having voluntary access to glutamic acid-chelated iron solution.

Six litters of Norwegian Landrace piglets were included in the study. The day after birth (day 1), half of the piglets (split litters) were given 52 mg glutamic acid-chelated Fe (4 ml of a 50% solution of Super Fe-MAX) perorally. All the piglets had free access to a 3% solution of Super Fe-MAX from this day until weaning at 5 weeks. The piglets were weighed and blood samples collected on days 1, 4, 7, 14, 21 and 35, and weighed only on days 28 and 49. The production of erythrocytes and haemoglobin was greater in the first week after birth in piglets given extra iron perorally on day 1, compared to those with voluntary access to iron. The extra peroral iron administration did not prevent some of the piglets from becoming anaemic later. Weight gain was similar in the 2 groups.

Clinical biochemistry, haematology and body weight in piglets.

Reference ranges for clinical biochemical parameters commonly investigated in pigs were determined in one- (day 1), 21- and 35-day old piglets. The mean and standard deviation were also estimated for body weight, and haematological and clinical biochemical parameters at these ages. The piglets were divided into 2 investigation groups according to whether they had a haemoglobin concentration < or = 80 g/l ("anaemic group") or > 80 g/l ("normal group") on days 14, 21 and 28. The "anaemic group" was compared to the "normal group" on days 21 and 35. Many of the clinical biochemical parameters varied according to age. Some of the enzymes had high average values and wide reference ranges in piglets, especially on day 1, compared to the reference ranges for sows given in the literature. The reference ranges for some of the metabolic parameters were broader on day 1 than later in the preweaning period. The reference ranges for albumin, total iron-binding capacity and serum iron were, however, lower and more narrow on day 1. On days 21 and 35, relatively high values for phosphorus must be considered "normal" compared to the figures given in the literature for adult pigs. The other minerals seemed to be quite unaffected of age, but some were affected by anaemia. The anaemic piglets had lower average serum iron but higher total iron-binding capacity than the "normal" piglets on days 21 and 35. However, variation between piglets gave wide reference ranges, indicating that these parameters will only have limited usefulness in detecting iron deficiency anaemia in piglets. The electrolytes seemed also to be affected by the existence of anaemia. The body weight and leukocyte counts were significantly lower in the "anaemic group" than the "normal group" on day 35, while the greatest differences in clinical biochemical parameters between the groups were found on day 21, when the piglets in the "anaemic group" were most severely anaemic. Although these piglets suffered from severe iron-deficiency anaemia, only a few clinical biochemical parameters were affected, and the differences between groups were mostly small.

The effect of peroral administration of amino acid-chelated iron to pregnant sows in preventing sow and piglet anaemia.

Two trials were performed in 2 different pig herds. In Trial 1, 9 pregnant Norwegian landrace sows were given a supplement in the feed of about 300 mg iron daily as amino acid-chelated iron (Bio-plex) during the last 3 weeks of gestation. Ten sows were included as controls. In Trial 2, 10 sows were fed a supplement of about 650 mg iron daily as glutamic acid-chelated iron (Super Fe-MAX) during the same period of pregnancy as in Trial 1. Twenty-two sows were included as controls. Blood samples were taken from the sows at the start of the experiment and on the day after parturition. The sows in Trial 1 were also bled at weaning 5 weeks after parturition. The piglets were weighted and blood samples collected 24 +/- 12 h after birth. Livers were taken from 65 piglets, which were either still-born or which died or were euthanised as one-day olds, and examined for iron content. The erythrocyte count (RBC), haemoglobin concentration (HGB), mean cell volume (MCV), erythrocyte distribution width (RDW), and haemoglobin distribution width (HDW) in blood were measured. Haematocrit (HCT), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH), and mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were also estimated. Blood serum was analysed for total proteins, albumin, serum Fe, and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC). A slight increase in HGB and RBC in the piglets from the iron-treated sows compared with the controls was found in Trial 1, but this was considered to be of no practical importance. None of the other measured parameters were influenced by treating the pregnant sows with amino acid-chelated iron.

Evaluation of the efficacy of perorally administered glutamic acid-chelated iron and iron-dextran injected subcutaneously in Duroc and Norwegian Landrace piglets.

The goals of this study were to evaluate the effect of orally administered amino acid-chelated iron (Fe) compared to injected Fe-dextran on haematology and weight gain in two different breeds raised under commercial conditions. Altogether 92 Duroc (D) pigs and 84 Norwegian Landrace (L) pigs from two different herds were included in the study. The day after birth the litters were divided in two groups (split litters). Group (Gr.) 1 was given 4 ml of a 50% solution of Super Fe-MAX (52 mg glutamic acid-chelated Fe in a water solution) orally, while Gr. 2 was subcutaneously (s.c.) injected with Idofer (180 mg Fe as ferridextran). Until weaning at 5 weeks, all the piglets had free access to a 3% solution of Super Fe-MAX (0.78 mg Fe/ml), access to pelleted food being given from 1 week of age. The piglets were weighed and bled before treatment the day after birth (day 1) and on days 4, 7, 14, 21 and 35. All piglets were weighed on days 28 and 49, while 72 of the L pigs were also weighed on days 77, 98 and 119. At weaning D pigs in Gr. 1 and Gr. 2 had a mean body weight of 8.64 kg and 8.30 kg, respectively, the corresponding figures for the L pigs being 10.82 kg and 10.34 kg. As regards the 72 L pigs followed to day 119, the mean weight in Gr. 1 and Gr. 2 was 80.6 kg and 80.2 kg, respectively. A significantly lower weight gain in the piglets with a birth weight below 1.2 kg in Gr. 2 compared with Gr. 1 indicated that excess administration of Fe to small piglets may have a detrimental effect on weight gain. From day 7 (D pigs) and on days 14 and 21 (L pigs), Gr. 2 had a significantly higher haemoglobin concentration (Hb) than Gr. 1. Nevertheless, Hb levels were also adequate in Gr. 1 in both breeds. There was a negative correlation between changes in Hb during the first weeks and the initial value. Though haematological values seemed to show inter-breed differences, with higher average erythrocyte counts (RBC) and Hb and lower mean cell volume (MCV) in the D pigs, the ability to avoid Fe deficiency nevertheless appeared to be the same in both breeds.

Babesiosis in a six-day-old calf.

Babesiosis was diagnosed in a six-day-old calf born indoors to a heifer which had been on a tick-infested pasture until 14 days before calving. The calf had typical symptoms of haemolytic anaemia and died after three days despite a blood transfusion. The erythrocytes in a blood smear made on the day it became ill were heavily infected with Babesia divergens and the lesions observed post mortem were similar to those described in babesiosis in adult cattle.