Sensitivity and fatality of salinomycin to saudi dromedary camels: A pilot study

Sensitivity and fatality of salinomycin to Saudi dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) was studied. The clinical symptoms and analysis of feed content pointed at salinomycin as the possible causative agent. In a small trial (n=7), we tested the effect of doses of salinomycin, 15mg/kg every second day on dromedary camels of local strain. We observed a mortality rate of 100% after just a few days of treatment and the camels showed great sensitivity to salinomycin. Clinically, camels showed signs of severe fatigue and sickness. Treatment severely affected physiological parameters of the heart rate and respiration. That was associated with a dramatic change in biochemical and enzymes level. At the post mortem analysis, we found severe tissue necrosis and severe haemorrhage. Organs that are severely damaged were the heart, kidney and liver.