Plasma and histological changes in furazolidone treated chickens

Chickens were treated orally with furazolidone at dose rates of 40 or 80 mg kg-1 for five days or fed the drug at concentrations of 0.04 per cent w/w or 0.08 per cent w/w for 10 days. Plasma constituents, liver, heart, kidney, cerebrum, cerebellum and testes were examined. Furazolidone at the recommended therapeutic dose rate of 0.04 per cent w/w for 10 days or at a dose rate of 40 mg kg-1 for five days produced no significant changes in morphology or plasma parameters measured. At a dose rate of 0.08 per cent w/w for 10 days or 80 mg kg-1 for five days, furazolidone produced significant decreases in the concentrations of total protein and cholesterol and tended to increase the activity of cholinesterase. In the plasma, concentrations of potassium increased and concentrations of sodium decreased. Histologically, congestion and some degenerative changes were observed in the tissues examined.