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  Discussion on Feeding Metronidazole
Author Message
Member:
lynnland

Posted on Thursday, Jul 1, 2010 - 8:18 am:

Hi Gang,

Just wondering how you guys got this stuff into your horses. I did one week of it a while back (3 times/day) and it was a real challenge. Obviously after the first time I mixed it with molasses and he was naive enough to eat it, that tactic didn't work again. In the end I ended up mixing it with apple sauce to make a paste and used a huge syringe to get it onto the back of his tongue. Hard not to get your hand in the way of sharp molars this way. Anyone know if it can be dissolved in water?

Thanks

Lynn
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Jul 1, 2010 - 5:14 pm:

I may be wrong but I don't think it dissolves well at the average ph of tap water. It certainly can be "suspended" in the water. Just be sure you shake the suspension well before dosing.
DrO
Member:
lynnland

Posted on Friday, Jul 2, 2010 - 7:55 am:

Thanks Dr. O,

How do you generally get all this drug into the horses you need to do? Also, drugging a horse 3-4 times per day when you board at a non-commercial facility (i.e., the owners are off to their real jobs every day) is really difficult. Have you had any success doing 2x/day at higher doses? What dosages were you using?

Thanks

Lynn
New Member:
jdonohue

Posted on Friday, Jul 2, 2010 - 12:46 pm:

Hi Lynn, I asked one of our pharmacists here at Wedgewood and they had offered the following information: There are 3 common metronidazole's: metronidazole base, metronidazole hcl, and metronidazole benzoate. Only the hcl salt is soluble in water to an appreciabe amount (this form is used for injections). Metronidazole base is extremely bitter tasing as is the metronidazole hcl. The benzoate salt is much less bitter (better choice for animals, can easily flavor a paste or suspension and it be palatable, but you have to adjust for the salt form). I would recommend using the benzoate salt in a flavored suspension or paste.
Member:
lynnland

Posted on Friday, Jul 2, 2010 - 3:16 pm:

Hi Jodi,

Thanks for the input. My vet is looking into a liquid version for me. I came across the bezoate formulation but then found an article (actually just the abstract) that suggests that the metronidazole benzoate compound might not work as well (https://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119837208/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0). Any experience with it?

Lynn
New Member:
jdonohue

Posted on Friday, Jul 2, 2010 - 4:40 pm:

Hi Lynn,
The article you've referenced indicates that there may be some cases where the benzoate salt may not be as effective, specifically when the site of the infection is in the gut itself. You should discuss with your veterinarian the site of the infection and also his(her) experience with using metronidazole for this type of infection.
Have a great weekend!
Jodi
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Jul 3, 2010 - 9:26 am:

If I cannot get them to eat it using sweeteners I suspend it in yogurt and place it in a large oral dosing syringe with yogurt as a suspending material. Some use apple sauce.

Thank your for the information Jodi, I was not aware of the more tolerable flavor of the benzoate salt. Welcome to Horseadvice.

As to differential activity of the various salts Lynn, I was unable to reach the above link without lessening the security level of my browser, can you copy the salient points here.
DrO
Member:
lynnland

Posted on Monday, Jul 5, 2010 - 7:31 am:

Hi Dr O.,

I found the article wondering whether the apparently flavourless benzoate formulation would be as effective. Given that my horse issue appears to be gastro-intestinal and it would be given orally, the article is of interest. I have included the abstract below. The article is from the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapautics 19(1):31-34. Unfortunately I cannot access a copy of the full article from here.

Stability of metronidazole benzoate in suspensions

M. Mathew, V. Das Gupta, C. Bethea

A stability-indicating HPLC assay method has been developed to quantify metronidazole benzoate in suspensions. A study of the stabilities of two suspensions (16-0 mg/ml) of metronidazole benzoate in commercially available vehicles, Ora-Plus and a mixture of Ora-Plus and Ora-Sweet, showed that both suspensions were stable for at least 90 days at room temperature. The mobile phase required to elute metronidazole benzoate contained 40% acetonitrile versus approximately 10% for the free base. The solubility of the ester in water at 25C was found to be approximately 0-1 mg/ml versus 10 mg/ml for the free base. The ester did not hyDrOlyse significantly to the free base after storage for 8 h at 37C in simulated gastric fluid, and 5 h at 37C in simulated intestinal fluid. The bitter tasting metronidazole may not be satisfactorily substituted with its tasteless ester in the treatment of local gastrointestinal infections.
Member:
lynnland

Posted on Monday, Jul 5, 2010 - 7:37 am:

Oops,

Seems the typos are slipping in this morning. Make that the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 6, 2010 - 9:55 pm:

It is as you say LL, the article suggests that the stomach ph might not hyDrOlyze the benzoate salt to the active form and therefore not be effective in the bowel. I continue to look for support or refutation of this.
DrO
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