Methods for determining drug dosage in soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) farming

1. Determination of dosage for external-use drugs

(1) Determine the drug concentration to be used (ppm) based on the safe concentration of a certain drug for soft-shelled turtles and the lethal concentration of the drug against pathogens.

(2) Accurately measure the volume of the turtle pond or determine the volume of water for immersion bathing. Calculation method for water volume: water volume (m^3) = area (m^2) x average water depth (m).

(3) Calculate the drug dosage: dosage (g) = concentration of the drug to be used (ppm, i.e., g/m^3) x water volume (m^3). 2. Determination of dosage for oral drugs

We commonly use the total dosage administered (mg) and the drug inclusion rate in feed (%) as the dosage indicators for the oral administration method. They are determined based on the standard dosage, the total body weight of the soft-shelled turtles, and the feeding rate.

(1) Standard dosage: refers to the number of milligrams of drug used per kilogram of soft-shelled turtle body weight (mg/kg). Each commercially available drug has this indicated. If the standard dosage for soft-shelled turtles is unknown, it can be estimated by referring to the human dosage and the water solubility of the drug. For example, the adult dosage of sulfonamide drugs is generally 1 g per dose, 2 times a day; calculated on the basis of an adult weighing 50 kg, the dosage per kilogram of body weight is 0.04 g. Considering the loss of the drug in water, this dosage is expanded 2.5 times (empirical figure, generally 2-5 times), that is, the standard dosage per kilogram of soft-shelled turtle body weight is 0.1 g (the first dose should be doubled to 0.2 g).

(2) Total body weight of soft-shelled turtles in the pond (kg) = estimated weight per turtle (kg) x number of turtles, or estimated by total feed weight (kg) / feeding rate (%).

(3) Feeding rate (%): refers to the number of kilograms of feed fed per 100 kg of soft-shelled turtle body weight, determined according to the different farming stages of the soft-shelled turtles.

(4) Drug inclusion rate (%): refers to the number of milligrams of drug added per 100 kg of feed. It is derived from the following formula: standard dosage (mg/kg) x feeding rate (%).

(5) Based on the above data, we can obtain the dosage of oral drugs from two aspects:

① If the total body weight of the soft-shelled turtles can be estimated, then total dosage (mg) = standard dosage x total body weight of soft-shelled turtles.

② If the daily feeding amount is correspondingly fixed and has a certain basis, then total dosage (mg) = daily feeding amount (kg) x drug inclusion rate. (This article has been viewed 491 times)