The effect of cefepime injection on clinical findings, gross lesions and some biochemical parameters in Rose Ringed Parakeet

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of cefepime injection, a fourth generation cephalosporin drug, on clinical finding, gross lesions and some biochemical parameters in Rose Ringed Parakeet in high of the increasing use of medical antibiotics in avian medicine. Ten Rose Ringed Parakeets were randomly allocated into two groups of control and treatment each consisting of 5 birds with the same age, environmental and nutritional conditions. In the treatment group, 100 mg/kg cefepime was injected intramuscularly every 12 hours for 3 days while in the control group equal values of normal saline solution was injected similarly during the injection period, the birds were evaluated clinically. Blood samples of all bird were collected from the jugular vein 24 hours after the last injection, their sera separated following centrifugation and the levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), glucose, uric acid, creatinine, sodium, potassium, phosphorus and calcium were measured using the spectrophotometer and flame photometry techniques. Necropsy was also carried out following blood sampling to assess gross lesions. Comparison of the results of the biochemical parameters between treatment and control groups indicated a significant increase (p<0.05) in AST and ALT values and a significant decrease (p<0.05) in serumic levels of ALP, sodium and potassium in the treatment group. No significant alterations were noted in the other parameters. In conclusion, cefepime injection in the studied species did not induce any clinical symptoms or gross lesions but significantly increased or decreased some of the enzyme representing liver function in comparison with the control group although these alterations were within the normal reference ranges