Drugs for Rumen

List of drugs:

Antimony potassium tartarate

By M. Younus, BVSc, MVSc, SKUAST-K

Antimony potassium tartarate .

  • Rumenotoric drug.

MOA:

  • Antimony potassium tartarate increases rumen motility.

Effects:

  • Normal rumen motility is restored.

Side effects:

  • Not known.

Drug combination:

  • Antimony potassium tartrate+ Ferrous sulphate+ Copper sulphate + Cobalt chloride.
  • This combination enhances rumen activity

Species:

  • Ruminants.

Indication:

  • Simple indigestion.
  • Rumen impaction.
  • With oral Supha drugs.

Dose:

  • 2g- 4g PO BD ×3-4days in adult cattle.
  • 1g-2g PO BD ×3-4days in adult sheep and goat.
  • Give preferably after drinking water.

Contra indication :

  • Emaciated animals.

Brands:

  • Bovirum bolus( Zydus Animal Health India).

Composition:

Each bolus contains:

2 gm Antimony potassium tartrate.

2 gm Ferrous sulphate.

50 mg Copper sulphate anhydrous.

100 mg Cobalt chloride.

  • Sanvirum bolus(Sankur Pharmaceuticals India)

Composition: Antimony Potassium Tartrate With Iron Copper & Cobalt Bolus.

Poloxalene

By M. Younus, BVSc, MVSc, SKUAST-K

Poloxalene( co-polymer of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide).

  • Non-ionic surfactant.
  • Bitter tasting.

MOA:

  • Frothy bloat occurs due to entrapment of gas in the rumen. The mixing of gas with the ruminal fluid leads to formation of a stable foam.
  • Poloxalene lowers the surface tension of the frothy mass so the bubble film is weakened and can no longer contain the gas.

Effects:

  • Collapse of foam.
  • Expulsion of gas through esophagus.

Side effects:

  • No adverse effects reported.

Species:

  • Ruminants.

Indication:

  • Treatment of frothy bloat.
  • Prevention of legume bloat.

Dose:

  • 1g /100kg PO as drench.

Mix with water as per label and administer orally as a drench by stomach tube

Contraindication:

  • Not known.

Brands:

Not available in India.

Available as:

Therabloat 2floz bottle( Zoetis USA).

Composition : Each floz contains 25g poloxalene.

Erythromycin

By M. Younus, BVSc, MVSc, SKUAST-K

Erythromycin (Macrolide antimicrobial).

  • Pro kinetic drug.
  • Erythromycin is FDA-approved for treating shipping fever, pneumonia, foot rot, and metritis at a dosage of 2.2 mg/kg IM.

MOA:

  • Erythromycin binds to motilin receptors in intestinal smooth muscle cells and increases gut myoelectric action in abomasum and duodenum.

Effects:

  • Increases motility of abomasum and small intestine.

Side effects:

  • Swelling, and tissue blemishes at the injection site.

Species:

  • Ruminants.

Indication:

  • Abomasal hypomotility

Dose:

  • 0.1 mg/kg, IV; or 1 mg/kg, IM) increases myoelectric activity in the abomasum and duodenum for > 2 hours.
  • Erythromycin in polyethylene glycol at 10 mg/kg, IM boosts myoelectric activity in the abomasum and duodenum for 6-8 hours.

Contraindication:

  • Not approved for use in lactating dairy cattle (>20 months of age) or calves to be processed for veal.

Brands:

Available as human brands in India.

  • Erythromycin Lactoionate 500mg inj vial ( Livealth India).
  • Erythromycin Lactoionate 1000mg inj vial( SG Pharma India).

Magnesium hydroxide

By M. Younus, BVSc, MVSc, SKUAST-K

Magnesium hydroxide( Antacid).

  • potent alkalinizing agent.
  • Used in rumen acidosis.

MOA:

  • Magnesium hydroxide as alkalinizing agent neutralizes acid in the rumen.

Effects:

  • Increases rumen pH and thus create a hostile environment for rumen protozoa.

Side effects:

  • Metabolic alkalosis.
  • Hypermagnesemia.

Species:

  • Ruminants.

Indication:

  • Carbohydrate engorgement in ruminants.

Drug Combination:

  • Aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide potentiate the effect.

Dose:

  • 100–300 g, PO, every 6–8 hours in cattle.
  • 0–30 g, PO every 6–8 hours in sheep.

Contraindication:

  • Metabolic alkalosis.

Brands:

  • Blot care bolus (Medilogy India).

Composition:

ALGINIC ACID, MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE, DRIED ALUMINIUM HYDROXIDE & SIMETHICONE.

  • Megablota 100ml suspension( Vet Mankind India).

Composition: Each 10 ml contains:

DRIED ALUMINIUM HYDROXIDE GEL 600mg + MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE 300mg+ SIMETHICONE 400mg + SORBITOL 100mg + DILL OIL 50mg

Sodium Bicarbonate

By M. Younus, BVSc, MVSc, SKUAST-K

Sodium Bicarbonate

  • Potent alkalinizing agent.
  • Used in rumen acidosis.

MOA:

  • Sodium Bicarbonate raises blood pH and buffers excess hydrogen ion concentration.
  • Sodium Bicarbonate also alkalinizes the urine.

Effects:

  • Sodium Bicarbonate reverses the clinical manifestations of acidosis.
  • Increases rumen pH and thus create a hostile environment for rumen protozoa.

Side effects:

  • Metabolic alkalosis.

Species:

  • Ruminants ,equines and small animals.

Indication:

  • Carbohydrate engorgement in ruminants.

Drug Combination:

  • Procaine penicillin G( for bacterial rumenitis and liver abscesses)+ Thiamine ( to facilitate metabolism of l-lactate via pyruvate and oxidative phosphorylation ) can be used with Sodium bicarbonate therapy for better results.

Dose:

  • Rapidly infuse 200 to 300 ml of 8.4% solution undiluted using a needle and syringe.

Contraindication:

  • Sodium Bicarbonate is contraindicated in animals losing chloride by vomiting and in animals receiving diuretics known to produce a hypochloremic alkalosis.

Availability:

  • Bionext 100ml inj vial(Vet Steps India)

Composition: 7.5%w/v Sodium Bicarbonate.

  • Acido PH 100ml inj via (Carrwin Pharmaceuticals India)

Composition: 7.5%w/v Sodium Bicarbonate.

Human brands:

  • Sodinate 50ml inj vial( Livealth Biopharma Pvt Ltd India).

Composition: 8.4%w/v Sodium Bicarbonate.

  • Sodabicarb 25 ml inj (Samarth India).

Composition: 8.4%w/v Sodium Bicarbonate.

  • Vercarb 25 ml inj( vernal Biotech India).

Composition: 7.5%w/v Sodium Bicarbonate.

Atropine

By M. Younus, BVSc, MVSc, SKUAST-K

Atropine(Anti Muscarinic agent).

  • Alkaloid , extracted from the Belladonna plants.
  • Racemic mixture of D-hyoscyamine and L-hyoscyamine.
  • Cats profusely drool due to bitter taste of drug.
  • Carnivores species are more sensitive than herbivorous species.
  • Sheep and rabbits are indifferent to atropine in feed because they synthesise the atropine esterase enzyme.
  • Dose of more than 0.01 mg/kg leads to paralytic effect on the gastro-intestinal tract and severe colic can be provoked in horse.

MOA:

  • Atropine binds with all muscarinic receptors of smooth muscles, cardiac muscle and glands.
  • Atropine blocks acetylcholine, reducing responses to parasympathetic nerve impulses.

Effects:

  • Decreased secretion.
  • Increased heart rate and decreased spasm of smooth muscles of intestine.
  • Salivary and cholinergic sweat glands are quite susceptible to small doses of atropine, whereas somewhat larger doses are required for a vagolytic effect upon the heart.
  • Gastrointestinal and urinary tract smooth muscles are less sensitive to atropine, and even larger dosages are required to inhibit gastric secretion.

Side effects:

  • Dry mouth.
  • blurred vision.
  • lack of sweating.
  • Colic in horses.
  • Tachycardia.

Species:

  • Many species.

Dose:

  • 0.03 to 0.06 mg/kg SC in horse and cattle
  • 0.03 to 0.16 mg/kg SC in Sheep.
  • 0.02 to 0.04 mg/kg SC in Pig.
  • 0.5 mg/kg ( 1/4th as IV and rest SC) 3-4 times for organophosphorus poisoning.
  • One drop per eye for dilation.

Indications:

  • Impaired forestomach motility in cattle can be diagnosed by observing a heart rate increase of >16% 15 minutes after administering 40 mg (1% solution) atropine, which may indicate vagal indigestion.
  • Excessive salivation and excessive sweating (cholinergic type).
  • GIT spasm.
  • Organophosphorus and other parasympathomimetic compound poisoning (combination with anticholinesterases).
  • For pupil dilatation in the case of ocular pathology.
  • Inflammatory air way obstruction in horse.
  • To reverse the effect of neuromuscular blocking agents.
  • As pre anesthetic agent to maintain heart rate.

Contra Indication:

  • Gut Colic in animals particularly in horse.
  • Urine retention.
  • Intestinal obstruction and enteritis.
  • Rumen stasis and bloat.
  • Tachycardia.
  • Glaucoma.

Brands:

  • Atral 30ml/100ml inj vial ( Geevet Remidies India).

Composition: Each ml contains 1mg Atropine.

  • Atropine sulphate 100ml inj vial( Morvel India).

Composition: Each ml contains 1mg Atropine.

  • Atropine sulphate 100ml inj vial( Rusoma Pvt Ltd India).

Composition: Each ml contains 1mg Atropine.

Monensin

By M. Younus, BVSc, MVSc, SKUAST-K

Monensin( ionophore).

Key features:

  • Monocarboxylic acid, a cyclic hemiketal, a spiroketal and a polyether antibiotic.
  • Produced by Streptomyces cinnamonensis.
  • Monensin A is the major component of monensin complex.
  • Monensin sodium is used as an antiprotozoal.
  • Given as a feed additive for the prevention of coccidiosis in poultry and as a growth promoter in cattle.
  • Also act as antifungal agent.
  • Possess antibloat property.
  • Increases milk production in dairy cattle by increasing propionic acid production in rumen.
  • Therapeutic window is relatively narrow
  • Horses are highly susceptible to monensin poisoning in comparison with the other domesticated animals.
  • LD 50%: for horse 2-3 mg/kg b.w for cattle 25 mg/kg and for chickens 200 mg/kg.
  • Tiamulin interfers with metabolism of monensin.

MOA:

  • Monensin helps prevent bloat in cattle by changing rumen microbes. This change leads to less gas and reduces frothy bloat, particularly on high-legume pasture.
  • Propionate production is higher than acetate, which helps stabilize the rumen and reduce gas formation.
  • Propionate is a key precursor for glucose synthesis in the liver. It is also a factor in the synthesis of oxaloacetate.
  • Propionic acid in the rumen can help control feed intake in ruminants that eat grains.

Effects:

  • Reduction in methane production in rumen.
  • Increase in milk production.
  • Antibacterial effect.

Side effects:

  • Monensin selectively transfer Na+ ions into cardiac and skeletal muscles .
  • Monensin toxicosis causes an excessive increase in intracellular calcium ions in myocardial muscles. This increase leads to acute cardiac failure.
  • Horses can be poisoned by eating cattle or poultry feed that contains monensin. They may die suddenly without warning.
  • Long-term damage to the heart muscles can cause sudden death even months after exposure.
  • Muscle necrosis and myoglobinuria.
  • Loss of appetite , diarrhea, dullness, weakness, loss of weight are other important adverse effects of monensin toxicity.

Species:

  • Cattle.

Indication:

  • Prevention of bloat.
  • To increase milk production in dairy cattle.
  • To increase weight in cattle.

Dose:

  • 1-2 mg/kg bw/day with feed in cattle.

Contraindication:

  • Horse.
  • Laying hens
  • The use of monensin and tiamulin together can increase toxicity.
  • Monensin can also negatively interact with sulfa drugs and erythromycin.
  • Monesin has a low therapeutic index, so avoid overdosing to prevent toxicity.

Brands:

  • Biosin-M 25kg(Monensin Sodium 20% )grnules(Biochem Pharma India).
  • Moncure 25kg(Monensin Sodium 10% )powder(Konya Life Sciences India).