PHARMACOKINETICS OF DOXYCYCLINE AFTER PARENTERAL ADMINISTRATION IN THE HOUBARA BUSTARD (CHLAMYDOTIS-UNDULATA)

Fourteen adult Houbara bustards (Chlamydotis undulata) infected with Chlamydia psittaci were administered doxycycline at 100 mg/kg body weight in seven intramuscular or subcutaneous injections at intervals of 7, 7, 7, 6, 6, and 5 days. Blood levels of doxycycline were measured after the first and seventh injections at the following intervals: 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, 168, and 180 hours. During these two periods, most of the birds showed plasma doxycycline levels in excess of 1 mug/ml, demonstrating effective doxycycline levels for 45 days. A multifactorial analysis of variance revealed no significant differences between males and females, between the two routes of administration, or among all four factors.