The Effect of Oxytetracycline Administration on Tissue Disposition of Diminazene Aceturate in Apparently Healthy Sahel Goats

This study aims to determine the effect of oxytetracycline administration on tissue disposition of diminazene aceturate in apparently healthy Sahel goats. Eighteen animals were used for the experiment. Sixteen of the animals were grouped into two with eight animals in each group. The first group was given only diminazene aceturate at 3.5 mg/kg intramuscularly, and the second group received diminazene aceturate (3.5 mg/kg) in combination with 20% oxytetracycline (20 mg/kg) intramuscularly. Diminazene aceturate was administered 30 minutes after the administration of 20% oxytetracycline. Two goats were sacrificed from each group at 5, 10, 15, and 20 days post-administration of the drugs. The two untreated goats were sacrificed to prepare the control tissues and standards. The concentration of diminazene aceturate in various tissues was determined using a chemical assay. Diminazene aceturate administered alone or in combination with oxytetracycline was absorbed and detected in various organs of the treated Sahel goats, with the liver and the kidney recording the highest concentrations. Tissues harvested from goats that received the drug combination presented higher concentrations than the goats treated with diminazene aceturate alone. Drug residues were detected twenty days after drug administration in most tissues of the experimental goats. Diminazene aceturate was found to be present in the tissues of goats for more than 20 days after treatment, hence, 20% oxytetracycline was found to alter the excretion style of diminazene aceturate in goats treated with 20% oxytetracycline.