Disposition of tylosin in goats

The disposition kinetics of tylosin was studied in goats after intravenous or intramuscular injection of 15 mg/kg b. wt. Following i.v. injection, tylosin was rapidly and widely distributed in goats (half life of distribution: 0.2 h and volume of distribution: 1.7 l/kg). It was slowly eliminated with a mean elimination half life of 3.04 h and a total body clearance rate of 6.8 ml/kg/min. Following i.m. injection, tylosin was slowly absorbed (T1/2ab of 1.82 h). Tylosin concentration in serum was greater than 1 microgram/ml after 1 h and persisted up to 12 h post-injection. The peak concentration (Cmax, 2.38 micrograms/ml) was obtained after 4.19 h. The systemic bioavailability of tylosin injected intramuscularly was 72.6% and the serum protein bound fraction was 37.6% of the total drug. Tylosin was excreted in milk and urine at concentrations much higher than that in serum. Low concentrations of tylosin were reported in ruminal juice of goats. In conclusion tylosin should be injected every 15 hours to obtain an appreciable concentration in serum, milk and urine.