Relative efficacy of two oxytetracycline formulations and doxycycline in the treatment of acute anaplasmosis in splenectomized calves.

The efficacy of 3 antibiotic formulations was measured in the treatment of artificially induced anaplasmosis in the early stages of an ascending parasitemia (1% to 4%) in 23 splenectomized calves. Group 1, consisting of 5 calves, served as nontreated controls. Four calves (group 2) were treated 1 time with 10 mg of oxytetracycline (T-50)/kg of body weight IM; 5 calves (group 3) were treated 3 times with 10 mg of T-50/kg IM; 5 calves (group 4) were treated 1 time with 20 mg of an experimental oxytetracycline (T-200)/kg IM; and 4 calves (group 5) were treated 1 time with 10 mg of a synthetically derived antibacterial agent, doxycycline (D-100)/kg IM. All control calves died and 1 of 4 calves died that was treated 1 time with T-50. Other deaths did not occur. All treatments were effective in moderating the infective process, but T-50 given 3 times and T-200 given 1 time were markedly more effective than T-50 and D-100 given 1 time. There appeared to be little or no difference in therapeutic efficacy between T-50 and D-100 given 1 time and between T-50 given 3 times and T-200 given 1 time.