Oral dosage of penicillin V in adult horses and foals.

This study investigates the effects and efficacy of administering an oral dosage of penicillin V in adult horses and foals. It intends to determine whether oral penicillin V could serve as an effective substitute or support to injectable preparations in treating systemic infections and respiratory diseases in horses.

Background and Objective

• The research aims to study the application of penicillin V orally in horses. Penicillin is a widely used medicine that makes a significant contribution to the antibacterial therapy in horses, particularly for severe systemic infections and respiratory disease, with the majority of these conditions caused by bacteria sensitive to penicillins.
• The researchers were driven by previous works showcasing the variability of absorption of penicillin from different injection sites and the reactions that occur at these sites.
• They also noted previous studies that oral amoxicillin administered to foals could be effective for some neonatal infections, suggesting that oral administration generally could be effective.
• However, since amoxicillin is less potent than penicillin G and has broad-spectrum activity, the researchers felt it was important to investigate whether penicillin V could be an effective substitute or addition to injectable therapies in horses when given orally.

Previous Findings

• Previous studies had shown that when oral amoxicillin was given at dosage levels of 20 and 30 mg/kg bodyweight, serum levels of the drug were adequately maintained in young Thoroughbred foals for between 5.5 and 6.5 hours respectively.
• Further research showed that the systemic availability of amoxicillin trihydrate was around 36.2 ± 13.1 per cent at the 20 mg/kg bodyweight dose and 42.7 ± 15 per cent at the 30 mg/kg bodyweight dose.
• These results indicated that amoxicillin was absorbed sufficiently well in young foals and that its oral administration could be effective for treating systemic infections caused by microorganisms susceptible to it.

Research Scope

• This study goes beyond amoxicillin and examines the oral administration of penicillin V in adult horses and foals.
• It focuses on determining if oral penicillin V, also as an antibacterial drug, can be a viable alternative or adjunct to injectable therapy paradigms in horses.