Dosing of Oxytetracycline

[Barnyard Antics]

How do you know it's fowl cholera? Did you have testing done to confirm it? I'm only asking because a lot of diseases can have those same respiratory symptoms, and testing is the only way to tell them apart. And each disease has antibiotics that are more effective against it than others.

What are the symptoms you are seeing?

If you haven't had testing done, I would start by getting it done. If you have a dead bird, you can send it off for a necropsy. If not, you can take a swab from a bird showing symptoms and send it to Zoologix Labs and have them run their Poultry Respiratory Panel on it to see which disease it is. The cost is $98, which is far less than what testing through most vets will cost you.

While Cholera and m. synoviae aren't included in this test, if you suspect m. synoviae they can test for that too. Fowl cholera they don't have a test for, but if you got the test and it didn't come back positive for anything else, that would basically rule everything else out for you, at least.



Just to do the math for you, if you're giving 50 mg/kg, that would mean you need to give .55 mls per pound of body weight.

However, the normal dosage I've seen for oxytetracycline in birds is 5 mg/kg 1-2 times a day. If you were following that rule, then you'd give .055 ml per pound of body weight twice a day. That is quite the difference, and I don't know if there's a reason this particular medication might need to be given at such a high dose more spread out. I'll tag @casportpony to see what she recommends



Luckily, this is one of the kinds of medicine that can be given orally. Because of the possibility of injection site necrosis, I'd give this orally, instead of as an injection.

Would giving oxytetracycline be the same dosage as if giving as injection?
I’d like to give it orally- but not sure how and it if it works the same orally.
My hens average weight is 5lbs.
Any help would be highly appreciated.

 

[Lortiz]

Thanks Kathy! I wonder why the dosage recommendations are so all over the place depending on where you look.

It depends on the form of oxytetracycline you are giving. Some are long acting and are given every 3 days, and others are not an need to be given more often.

 

[Eggcessive]

Would giving oxytetracycline be the same dosage as if giving as injection?
I’d like to give it orally- but not sure how and it if it works the same orally.
My hens average weight is 5lbs.
Any help would be highly appreciated.

Giving it orally can work as well as long as the dosage is the same. Many antibiotics are hard to get without a prescription, except for Long Acting (LA) oxytetracycline for cattle. LA products are usually given by injection once or again in 3 days. Can you tell us what product you have or are planning to get? What are you treating and what are the symptoms?

 

[Eggcessive]

Giving oxytetracycline orally, it is poorly absorbed by the body, according to most literature I have seen. In fact a lot of the drug is excreted into the droppings. If using an LA injectable, such as LA 200 or 300, I would probably give 40 mg per kilogram (2.2 pounds) or 18 mg per pound either as a shot into the breast muscle or under the skin on the back of the neck. Repeat in 3 days if the chicken still has not improved. Use a 22 gauge needle, and inject 1/4 inch.