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Case Reports
. 2024 Jan 23;69(1):18-29.
doi: 10.17221/100/2023-VETMED. eCollection 2024 Jan.

Accidental salinomycin intoxication in European fallow deer (Dama dama L.)

Martin Svoboda  1 , Oto Huml  2 , Petr Chomat  3 , Alena Honzlova  4 , Josef Illek  5 , Zdenka Svobodova  6 , Lada Hofmannova  7 , Helena Modra  8
Affiliations
Case Reports

Accidental salinomycin intoxication in European fallow deer (Dama dama L.)

Martin Svoboda et al. Vet Med (Praha). .

Abstract

Salinomycin, belonging to ionophore antibiotics, has been used as a feed additive for poultry for its coccidiostatic effect. Poisoning by ionophore antibiotics has been reported in cattle and other sensitive animals due to the replacement of medicated feed and/or accidental overdoses. The aim of this paper is to report the toxicity of salinomycin for fallow deer and to describe the different levels of sensitivity of cervids to this substance. In the presented case study, a medicated feed containing ivermectin used for deworming red deer and fallow deer was accidentally contaminated with sodium salinomycinate in a concentration of 252.6 mg/kg. The contaminated feed was consumed by the animals over a period of four days. The mortality of fallow deer within 12 days was 58%. No mortality was recorded in the red deer. In the affected animals, clinical signs associated with acute and congestive heart failure were observed. The biochemical examination indicated prerenal azotaemia caused by circulatory insufficiency and ion imbalance. The histological examination revealed pronounced focal acute cardiomyopathy and massive subacute myopathy in the skeletal muscles.

Keywords: creatin kinase; deer farm; hyperkalaemia; hypochloraemia; urea.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Pronounced skeletal muscle myopathy – disintegration and uneven strength of muscle fibres, their focal disintegration and replacement by proliferating tissue with polymorphonuclear cells
Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E), magnification 10 ×
Figure 2
Figure 2. Swelling of muscle fibres with loss of their internal structure, oedema of the endomysium with focal polymorphonuclear cell infiltration
Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E), magnification 20 ×
Figure 3
Figure 3. Focal granulation to necrosis of the muscle fibres with a mild cellular reaction in their surroundings
Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E), magnification 40 ×
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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