PRELIMINARY COMPARISON OF PLASMA-CONCENTRATIONS OF GENTAMICIN INJECTED INTO THE CRANIAL AND CAUDAL LIMB MUSCULATURE OF THE EASTERN BOX TURTLE (TERRAPENE CAROLINA CAROLINA)

Eight eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) were given a s ingle i.m. injection of gentamicin sulfate at a dosage of 3 mg/kg tota l body weight. Four turtles received the injection in the right foreli mb and the other four received it in the right rear Limb. Sequential b lood samples were obtained by jugular venipuncture using heparinized s yringes over a 96-hr period, and plasma concentrations of gentamicin w ere measured using a fluorescence polarization immunoassay technique. No clinically important differences were found between the half-life a nd plasma concentrations of gentamicin in the two groups. The plasma h alf-life of gentamicin in the eastern box turtle in this study was 41. 89 hr (range = 31.50-72.19 hr).