2. Drugs are administrated in animal husbandry for
various purposes like
– To cure or prevent a disease in animals
– To increase feed efficiency,
– To tranquilize the animals to reduce stress
– To increase growth rate.
• Medication can be administered to animals by
a variety of routes.
• Medication route refers to the way that a drug
is introduced into the body.
4. Route of administration depends on
following factors
• Type of drug
• Quantity of drug
• Required speed of onset of activity
• Duration of activity
• Number of animals to be medicated
• Ease of administration
• Safety
• Cost of the administration method
5. Definitions
• Enteral : In to the intestines , Per oral or per
rectal routes
• Parenteral: In to the tissues directly
• Topical: drug intended for local action at
different areas like eye, ear, skin, uterus etc.,
6. 1.Oral administration
• Placement of a solid or liquid medicine in the
oral cavity.Medicines are administrated in
different forms as drench, bolus, electuary
and powders.
• Drench/haustus: Drench is a liquid medicine
in single dose for oral administration. If the
medicine is divided into number of doses then
it is called as a “mixture”.
7. Precautions
• Avoid drenching during respiratory problems
• Unconscious animals should not be drenched
• While drenching, head should not be rised too high
• Give small quantity of medicine at a time. If the animal
exhibits coughing stop drenching
• Use wooden drenching bottle for the purpose. If glass
bottle is used, extra care should be taken
• For drenching sheep, funnel and rubber tube are used or
automatic drenching guns are used
• In sheep, drenching is usually done for parasitic infections
8. • Bolus: Bolus is a solid mass of medicine in
spherical form weighing 1 ounce and
administered in cattle and sheep.
• Tablets: Tablets are solid disc like preparations
made by compressing drugs mixed usually with
sugar/other materials which will not hinder the
action of the drug and is of definite weight.
• Capsules: These are soluble cases made of either
gelatine, which dissolves in stomach or keratin,
which only dissolves in small intestine, for
enclosing small quantities of medicine.
9. • Pills: Pills are very small spherical bodies of
medicines
• Electuary: These are semi solid medicines
prepared with honey as base. It is the usual way
of giving medicine for respiratory diseases or
when swallowing is difficult.
• Powders or pulvis: Powders are prepared by
reducing drugs to a fine state. Powders are
generally given by dissolving in water/by mixing
with feed.
10. 2.Through Rectum
• Fluid preparations introduced into rectum.
• There are different types of enemata.
11. • 1. Purgative enemata: Given for distension of
rectum so that accumulation of waste is
eliminated with greater ease. These preparations
are made of water and soap or glycerine. The
water is usually introduced into rectum with an
enema can and rubber tube
• 2. Sedative enemata: These are given to
reduce pain. Usually narcotics (chloral hydrates)
are given by rectum.
• 3. Vermifuge enemata: These are useful for
expelling intestinal parasites especially in oxyuris.
12. • 4. Nutrient enemata: Partly
digested/cooked food substances such as milk,
sugar, honey are used in the treatment of
severe diseases of the stomach.
• 5. Suppositories: These are small conical
bodies made of fat/glycerine and containing
drugs intended for introduction into rectum. It
is convenient to give with glycerine or soap to
reduce irritation of rectal mucous membrane.
13. 3.Through Vagina
• Pessaries: These are solid conical bodies
containing compounds of drugs made up of
cocoa butter and some antiseptic elements
which are used for the introduction into
uterus.
14. 4.Through respiratory tract:
• Inhalations: It is a method of applying drug in a
finely divided gaseous state so that on being
inhaled they come into contact with nasal lining,
air passages and lungs.
There are three types of inhalations:
• 1. Volatile inhalation
• 2. Air inhalation
• 3. Steam inhalation
15. • 1. Volatile inhalations: Volatile drugs which become
gaseous at ordinary temperature. Ex: Ammonia
• 2. Air inhalations: A stream of air is passed through a
liquid containing the medicine into a mask fixed to the
animal such that the vapour enters into the lungs. Ex:
Chloroform, ether
• 3. Steam inhalations: The required drugs are mixed in
the hot water and the resultant vapour will be inhaled
directly into lungs. Ex: Balms
16. 5. Injections
• Medicine is directly introduced into animal tissue for quick
action.
• In most of the methods, a syringe and a hypodermic
needle are generally used.
• Routes of injection :
Intra dermal injection (I/D)
Subcutaneous (S/C) or hypodermic
Intra muscular (I/M)
Intra venous(I/V)
Intra peritoneal (I/P)
Intra mammary (I/M)
Intra ruminal (I/R)
17. 6. Skin or Topical application
• Formentation: These are warm applications
usually containing some antiseptics.
• A towel/sponge dipped in hot water, is
squeezed and is applied on the inflammed
part.
• Poultices: These are soft, moist warm
applications used on the surface of the body.
• They act by softening the parts with which
they come in contact. Ex: Glycerin, Kaolin
18. • Blisters: Blisters are counter irritants used in
localized inflammatory conditions.
• These are medicinal substances used for the
purpose of counter irritation for superficial
skin and under lying tissues.
• These are of two types.
– 1. Rubefacients
– 2.Vesicants
19. • The blister may be either in the form of
ointment or fluid.
• Ointment: It is a medicine with lard, paraffin
or lanoline applied externally.
• Lotions: Fluid preparation intended for
washing a part.
