Disposition of sulfonamides in food-producing animals: pharmacokinetics of sulfamerazine in ewe lambs.

Date from plasma and urine samples from four ewe lambs were analyzed after administration of sulfamerazine as single IV and oral doses. A two-compartment pharmacokinetic model was developed to describe the disposition of sulfamerazine. The drug was eliminated, primarily by renal excretion of (i) unchanged sulfamerazine and metabolism to an acetyl metabolite, (ii) polar conjugates, and (iii) a third metabolite. The biological half-life of the drug was 6.6 hours. The average value of the absorption rate constant was 0.433 hour-1 (half-life 1.60 hours). Sulfarmerazine was relatively completely absorbed (approx 81% of dose) after oral administration in solution.