Title
CIRCULATING ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL FOLLOWING INTRAMUSCULAR OR ORAL VITAMIN-E ADMINISTRATION IN SWAINSONS HAWKS (BUTEO-SWAINSONII)
Author(s)
MAINKA, SA; DIERENFELD, ES; COOPER, RM; BLACK, SR
Published
1994
Publisher
Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine
Abstract
Alpha-tocopherol (alpha-TOC, as D-alpha-tocopherol) administered both intramuscularly (i.m.) and orally (p.o.) to a captive group of five Swainson's hawks (Buteo swainsonii) at doses of 15 or 30 mg/kg body mass resulted in markedly different serum responses. Neither i.m. dose significantly altered serum concentrations within a week from an average baseline value of 28.4 +/- 3.2 mug/ml. A single p.o. dose (15 mg/kg body mass) without food significantly increased circulating serum concentration from 30.0 +/- 8.7 to 57.9 +/- 27.4 mug/ml by 192 hr; values plateaued at elevated levels for up to 62 days postadministration. This apparently represented serum saturation, as a subsequent oral dose of 30 mg/kg effected no changes in serum concentrations measured over 32 days. A suggested therapy for raptor patients suspected to be vitamin E deficient includes p.o. (15 mg/kg body mass) doses of alpha-TOC without food, followed by dietary supplementation to maintain status.
Keywords
RAPTORS; PLASMA

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PUB11841