Histopathology of monensin-tiamulin myopathy in broiler chicks

Thirty-six 7-day-old broiler chicks were simultaneously given food containing monensin, and water containing tiamulin, both drugs being at normal levels of usage. Equal numbers of chicks on a basal diet and plain water served as the controls. Anorexia, depression, drowsiness, leg weakness and a decrease in body weight appeared on days 2 to 3 of administration in several treated chicks. These clinical signs and growth retardation were prevalent and severe on days 4 to 7, at which time some chicks became recumbent. From day 9, chicks showed gradual recovery from the clinical signs and growth retardation. Histopathologically, the neck and leg skeletal muscles examined were severely affected in treated chicks, but cardiac and pectoral muscles were intact. Besides hyalinisation and floccular change which appeared infrequently in early stage of the experiment, muscle fibres showing an enlargement of the nuclei and a distention of a pale to basophilic sarcoplasm, suggestive of partial myofibrillar lysis and subsequent reparative change, dominated all affected muscles. These degenerative and reparative changes were considered to be distinctive for monensin-tiamulin myopathy in chicks.