Efficacy of enrofloxacin in the treatment of respiratory pasteurellosis in rabbits.

Fourteen New Zealand White rabbits with respiratory signs of naturally occurring Pasteurella multocida infections were treated with either an injectable or water-soluble oral formulation of enrofloxacin. Antimicrobial efficacy was evaluated by scoring clinical signs in the rabbits and recovery of the organisms. Seven (87%) of eight rabbits treated with the injectable regimen (5 mg/kg every 12 hours for 14 days) became culture-negative with no clinical signs within 72 hours after initiation of treatment. Six rabbits treated with the oral formulation (200 mg/liter of drinking water for 14 days) also became culture-negative and had no clinical signs 3 to 7 days after treatment began, but P. multocida was recovered from several sites in three (50%) rabbits. No rabbits showed any signs of gastroenteric disturbances.