Safety of fenbendazole in common peafowl (Pavo cristatus).

The present study was undertaken to find out the safety levels of fenbendazolein common peafowl. This bird, raised on aviaries and zoos, can be severely parasitized with Ascaridia galli(enteric worms) and Syngamus trachea ( gapeworm) along with other parasitic worms. Fenbendazoleis a highly effective benzimidazole-class anthelminticin animals. The objective of this work was to provide target animal safety data in young peafowl and to demonstrate reproductive safety in adult birds. During the experimental study, diets containing fenbendazoleat 0, 100, 200 and 300 ppm were fed for 21 days (three times the normal treatment duration). Data for feed consumption, feed conversion rate, and body weights were recorded for each bird in each group. Drug concentrations in different tissues of birds were determined to correlate concentrations with clinical observations, clinical pathology, and histologic findings. There were no morbidities or mortalities after study day 21. Additionally, there were no statistically significant treatment-related differences among above mentioned parameters. Analysis of fenbendazoleconcentrations in kidney, liver, leg/thigh, and breast muscle and skin with associated fat revealed that, even at the highest dose level used and with no feed withdrawal, fenbendazoleconcentrations were relatively low in these tissues. These findings indicate that fenbendazolehas a relatively wide margin of safety in young peafowl and that the proposed dose of 100 ppm in the feed for 7 consecutive days is well within the margin of safety. In the reproductive safety study, five breeder peafowl farms fed fendbendazole at 100ppm for 7 days and collected data on hatching percentage of peahen eggs before and after treatment. Reproductive performance in peahen was not adversely affected.