The efficacy of amoxicillin and metronidazole and their combination (Flagymox® ) in controlling experimental Clostridium perfringens infection in broiler chickens were investigated in two hundred and forty apparently healthy, one day old unsexed Hubbard broiler chicks. The chicks were divided into 8 groups and all treatments were orally administered in drinking water for five consecutive days. Group 1; uninfected untreated. Group 2; uninfected and treated with therapeutic doseofamoxicillin(20 mg/kg b. wt). Group 3; uninfected and treated with therapeutic dose of metronidazole (40 mg/kg b.wt). Group 4; uninfected and treated withFlagymox® (amoxicillin 10 mg/kg b. wt.plus metronidazole 20 mg/kg b. wt.). Group 5; infected and untreated. Group 6; infected and treated with therapeutic dose of amoxicillin. Group 7; infected broiler chicks and treated with therapeutic dose of metronidazole. Group 8; infected broiler chicks and treated with therapeutic dose of amoxicillin plus metronidazole (Flagymox ® ) in drinking water for 5 successive days. The efficacy of used drugs were determined on the basis of clinical symptoms, mortality rate, body weight, body weight gain, gain percent, feed consumption, feed conversion rate and scores ofintestinal lesions.Changes in serum biochemical parameters were also determined. The in vitro MIC of amoxicillin or metronidazole against Clostridium perfringens were 2 and 1 µg/ml, respectively. It could be concluded that administration amoxicillin and metronidazole combination (Flagymox® ) is of a considerable value in medication of Clostridium perfringens infected broiler chickens than using amoxicillin or metronidazole separately. |
