Abstract: Cephalosporin compounds of Formulas II ##STR1## where R is hydrogen or a pharmaceutical cation, in which case R.sub.1 is not present, orR is hydrogen or a chemical bond when R.sub.1 is an acid addition salt anion, and R.sub.2 is (a) hydrogen, (b) a duplicate of the formula I compound to form a dimer, (c) an aminocarbonylmethyl, or (d) an --SR.sub.3 group where R.sub.3 is alkyl, cyclohexyl, phenyl, chloro-substituted phenyl, nitro-substituted phenyl, benzyl or furfuryl, have been found to be valuable as antibiotics for treating warm-blooded animals to combat pathogenic bacterial infections which cause diseases such as the commonly known "shipping fever".

Abstract: Cephalosporin compounds of Formulas II ##STR1## where R is hydrogen or a pharmaceutical cation, in which case R.sub.1 is not present, orR is hydrogen or a chemical bond when R.sub.1 is an acid addition salt anion, and R.sub.2 is (a) hydrogen, (b) a duplicate of the formula I compound to form a dimer, (c) an aminocarbonylmethyl, or (d) an --SR.sub.3 group where R.sub.3 is alkyl, cyclohexyl, phenyl, chloro-substituted phenyl, nitro-substituted phenyl, benzyl or furfuryl, have been found to be valuable as antibiotics for treating warm-blooded animals to combat pathogenic bacterial infections which cause diseases such as the commonly known "shipping fever".

Abstract: Zinc ceftiofur complexes, e.g., zinc ceftiofur hydrochloride and zinc ceftiofur sodium complexes, have been found to provide the good antibiotic activity of ceftiofur while providing low dissolution rate and long half-life properties enabling the formulation of improved long term therapy forms of ceftiofur, useful in antibiotic therapy of valuable warm-blooded animals. Pharmaceutical compositions of such zinc ceftiofur complexes and a method of using such zinc ceftiofur complexes in veterinary antibiotic applications are also provided.