VPT 311: General and Systemic Veterinary Pharmacology (2+1)

OTHER PARENTERAL ROUTES

Intraperitoneal administration

• This route is particularly useful in laboratory animal medicine and neonatal animals and for the administration of large volumes.
• There is a very large absorbing area and absorption is rapid. There is a danger of infection and peritoneal adhesions. Thus it is not used routinely. Peritoneal dialysis is becoming more frequently used in small animals with renal failure and renal insufficiency.

Intradermal administration

• This route is used mainly for diagnostic purposes eg. for Tuberculin and Johnin testing in cattle and also for hypersensitivity testing before administering some drugs known to induce hypersensitivity.

Intrathecal administration

• In this route the drug is administered through the membranes enclosing the central nervous system in the lumbar area or into the cisterna magna.
• It is occasionally used for radiographic examinations and chemotherapy of central nervous system infections and neoplasms.

Epidural administration

• This route is mainly used to anaethetise animals for surgery like parturition in cattle.
• The drug is administered between the first and second coccygeal vertebrae.

Intraarticular administration

• This route is used to administer anti-inflammatory agents into the joint capsule.
• The other parenteral routes of drug administration rarely used are intra- arterial, intramedullary, intratesticular, intracardiac etc.