Furazolidone-induced congestive cardiomyopathy in ducklings: lack of protection from selenium, vitamin E, and taurine supplements.

Newly hatched male White Pekin ducklings (n = 108) were allotted to 6 groups of 18 each and were fed for 4 weeks diets containing 750 mg of furazolidone (FZ)/kg of feed either alone or with supplements of vitamin E (250 IU of dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate/kg), selenium (2.5 mg as selenite/kg) or taurine (1%). Control groups were fed diets without FZ and with or without added taurine (1%). Ducklings in the 4 FZ-fed groups had retarded growth, mortality, ascites, and cardiac alterations of congestive cardiomyopathy. Supplements of vitamin E, selenium, or taurine did not protect against the development of the cardiac and extracardiac alterations of FZ toxicosis. These findings could indicate that the development of FZ-induced congestive cardiomyopathy is not mediated by low tissue concentrations of selenium, vitamin E, or taurine.