6th May, 2006: USA - Alpharma Inc., Fort Lee, N.J., recently announced a new U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval that allows the use of Aureomycin (chlortetracycline) and Bovatec (lasalocid sodium) in the same cattle feed. This is expected to help producers optimize weight gain and feed efficiency while controlling anaplasmosis, coccidiosis and the leading causes of bacterial enteritis and pneumonia.
In an 82-day trial conducted by Kansas State University, grazing steers fed Aureomycin (350 mg per head daily) and Bovatec (30 grams per ton of feed) achieved an average daily gain that was 10 percent higher than unmedicated controls (2.64 pounds of gain per day vs. 2.40).
FDA has approved varying combinations of Aureomycin (50, 70, 90 and 100 grams per pound formulations) and Bovatec (20 grams per pound liquid and 68 and 91 grams per pound formulations) for use in Type B and Type C medicated cattle feeds.
Depending on dose rate, Aureomycin may be used for treating bacterial enteritis caused by Escherichia coli and bacterial pneumonia caused by Pasteurella multocida in calves, beef and non-lactating dairy cattle. In beef cattle, it can also be used to control active infection of anaplasmosis caused by Anaplasma marginale, an infectious parasite, and bacterial pneumonia associated with shipping fever complex caused by Pasteurella sp.
Bovatec can be fed at various dose rates to improve feed efficiency and rate of weight gain in cattle fed in confinement or on pasture for slaughter (stocker, feeder cattle, dairy and beef replacement heifers). In addition, Bovatec can be used to control coccidiosis caused by Eimeria bovis and E. zuernii in cattle weighing up to 800 pounds.
