Possible contamination with clenbuterol from treated veal calves to untreated pen mates

To investigate whether clenbuterol-treated calves could contaminate untreated pen mates, three animal experiments were performed. (1) One calf of a pen of five was treated with clenbuterol by injection (Ventipulmin injection, REG NL 2532, 2.5 mL/100 kg) twice a day for 10 days. (2) In two pens, one animal was treated with clenbuterol via oral administration (Ventipulmin syrup, REG NL 2532, 4 mL/125 kg) for 4 weeks. (3) In two pens, one animal was treated with clenbuterol via the milk (Ventipulmin, REG NL 2532, 2.5 mL/100 kg body weight) twice a day for 10 days. Here, the animal was set apart during treatment, cleaned and put back into the group. Levels of clenbuterol were analysed in hair and urine with LC-MS/MS. Clenbuterol administered by injection could not be transferred from treated to untreated calves. In the second experiment, all pen mates were found positive for clenbuterol in the hair. This contamination was probably due to licking the mouth of the treated animal or saliva from the treated animal spoiling the floor. In the third experiment, no pen mates were found positive for clenbuterol in the hair. Clenbuterol was found in the urine and hair of only treated animals.