METOCLOPRAMIDE AND (OR) CIMETIDINE ADMINISTRATION TO SHEEP FED TALL FESCUE

Fifteen crossbred sheep were assigned randomly to 1 of 5 treatments: e ndophyte-free fescue diet (EF; 0% infected; 50% hay, 40% seed, 10% mol asses); endophyte-infected diet (El; 95% infected; 50% hay, 40% seed, 10% molasses); El + 15 mg metoclopramide/kg body weight, 3 times/w; El + 9.0 mg cimetidine/kg body weight, twice daily; or El + metocloprami de + cimetidine. Both diets contained 92% dry matter (DM) 94% organic matter (OM) and 12% crude protein. All sheep were housed in individual metabolism stalls at 30 C, 14-h light: 10-h dark for 18 d. Serum prol actin, respiration rate, heart rate or ear tip, coronary band and rect al temperatures were not affected by any of the treatments after 18 d (P>.10). No differences were detected in nutrient digestibilities exce pt for treatment with metoclopramide + cimetidine, which produced decr eased DM, OM and energy digestibilities. Sheep fed the El diet did not exhibit typical fescue toxicosis; therefore, the use of metoclopramid e and(or) cimetidine to prevent toxicosis could not be evaluated.