HYPOCOAGULABILITY EFFECT OF ADEQUAN IN DOMESTIC CHICKENS (GALLUS GALLUS) AND CHILEAN FLAMINGOS (PHOENICOPTERUS CHILENSIS)

Effective management of articular injuries in avian species is a known and frequent challenge. Potential treatments include many domestic animal therapeutics, such as Adequant, which is used widely in dogs and horses. However, clinical reports have described hemorrhagic diatheses in a variety of avian species treated with varying doses and administration frequency of Adequan. This study investigated the hypocoagulability associated with parenteral administration of Adequan in avian species. Following a pilot dosing study in domestic chickens (Gallus gallus), citrated plasma from Chilean flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis) (n = 42) was spiked with Adequan to represent three dosing regimens (1 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg). The fibrinogen content of plasma samples was determined and thrombin-clotting times (TCTs) were compared for the untreated (control) and spiked flamingo samples. The TCT for control and 1-mg/kg spiked plasma were not significantly different; however, both 5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg spiked samples demonstrated significantly prolonged TCT (P-value, 0.0001) indicating hypocoagulability. These results support that Adequan given parenterally at 1 mg/kg can be utilized safely in clinical case management as an adjunctive treatment for osteoarthritis in flamingos and potentially other avian species.