Efficacy of amprolium for the treatment of pathogenic Eimeria species in Boer goat kids

This study evaluated the efficacy of two different doses of amprolium in goats heavily infected with pathogenic Eimeria species. Forty Boer goat kids ranging from 3 to 5 months of age with naturally occurring coccidiosis were randomly divided into 2 groups and treated orally with amprolium at doses of 10 mg/kg daily for 5 days (n = 20) or 50 mg/kg daily for 5 days (n = 20). The Eimeria oocyst per gram concentrations were significantly reduced on day 7 in the kids that received amprolium at 50 mg/kg, however oocyst concentrations were not significantly reduced in goats that received the 10 mg/kg dose. Out of 100 Eimeria oocysts identified from a pooled fecal sample, E. christenseni was the most frequently identified (52%) coccidial species present. The results of this trial indicate that amprolium can be an effective treatment for pathogenic Eimeria species in goat kids, however higher and extralabel doses (50 mg/kg) should be used.