Macropus rufogriseus

The tetracyclines, apart from doxycycline and minocycline, are slowly eliminated by renal excretion (glomerular filtration). Their slow elimination can be attributed to enterohepatic circulation whereby drug excreted by the liver in bile is reabsorbed from the intestine. The half-life of oxytetracycline differs widely between animal species goat (3.4 h), cattle (4.0 h), sheep (5.2 h), dog (6.0 h), pig (6.0 h), donkey (6.5 h), horse (9.6 h), and red-necked wallaby (.Macropus rufogriseus) (11.4 h). Doxycycline, unlike other tetracyclines, is eliminated by biliary excretion and diffusion into the intestine. The half-life of doxycycline is relatively short in dogs (7.0 h) and cats (4.6 h) compared with human beings (16 h). The half-life of doxycycline in chickens (4.8 h) is shorter than in turkeys (10 h) (Santos et al, 1996). Minocycline is mainly eliminated by hepatic metabolism. 

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