ABSTRACT

Three male and three female red-eared slider turtles, Trachemys scripta elegans, were given an intramuscular (IM) injection of enrofloxacin (5 mg/kg body weight). Blood was obtained from a peripheral vein, and plasma concentrations of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin were measured at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hr post injection. After a period of six weeks, the same animals were given oral doses of enrofloxacin (10 mg/kg body weight). Blood was obtained and plasma concentrations of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin were measured at 1, 2, 5, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 hr post oral dosing. The highest mean concentrations of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin were 6.28 μg/ml 2 hr and 0.42 μg/ml 7.4 hr after IM injection and 3.44 μg/ml 5 hr and 0.35 μg/ml 6 hr after oral administration. The mean apparent elimination half-life of enrofloxacin was 17.6 hr after IM injection and 32.8 hr after oral administration. The half-life for ciprofloxacin was 28.4 hr post IM administration and 59.6 hr post-oral administration. This study demonstrated that therapeutic blood levels of enrofloxacin could be achieved in red-eared sliders when administered at 5 mg/kg IM or 10 mg/kg orally.