febantel and Intestinal-Diseases--Parasitic

Coproscopic examination of 505 dogs originating from the western or central part of Switzerland revealed the presence (prevalence data) of the following helminthes: Toxocara canis (7.1%), hookworms (6.9%), Trichuris vulpis (5.5%), Toxascaris leonina (1.3%), Taeniidae (1.3%), Capillaria spp. (0.8%), and Diphyllobothrium latum (0.4%). Potential risk factors for infection were identified by a questionnaire: dogs from rural areas significantly more often had hookworms and taeniid eggs in their feces when compared to urban family dogs. Access to small rodents, offal, and carrion was identified as risk factor for hookworm and Taeniidae, while feeding of fresh and uncooked meat did not result in higher prevalences for these helminths. A group of 111 dogs was treated every 3 months with a combined medication of pyrantel embonate, praziquantel, and febantel, and fecal samples were collected for coproscopy in monthly intervals. Despite treatment, the yearly incidence of T. canis was 32%, while hookworms, T. vulpis, Capillaria spp., and Taeniidae reached incidences ranging from 11 to 22%. Fifty-seven percent of the 111 dogs had helminth eggs in their feces at least once during the 1-year study period. This finding implicates that an infection risk with potential zoonotic pathogens cannot be ruled out for the dog owner despite regular deworming four times a year.

Topics: Animals; Antigens, Helminth; Antinematodal Agents; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Drug Therapy, Combination; Feces; Guanidines; Helminthiasis, Animal; Helminths; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Praziquantel; Prevalence; Pyrantel Pamoate; Risk Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Switzerland; Time Factors

Thirty adult dogs with naturally acquired gastrointestinal nematode infections were assigned at random to ten replicates and treated daily for 3 days with either a combination febantel/praziquantel (Vercom) paste, febantel tablets or placebo tablets. Numbers of hookworm and whipworm eggs after treatment were reduced similarly for both drug formulations when compared with pretreatment egg counts, whereas these counts increased in the controls. Vercom paste reduced the hookworm egg count by 99.9% and the whipworm egg count by 99.6%. The febantel tablet decreased the hookworm egg count by 99.9% and the whipworm egg count by 100%. As determined at necropsy, the controlled test efficacy against adult hookworms and whipworms was similar for the Vercom paste and the febantel tablets. The controlled test efficacies of Vercom paste against Ancylostoma caninum, Ancylostoma braziliense, and Trichuris vulpis were, respectively, 99.7%, 100% and 95.8% and those of febantel tablets were 98.2%, 100% and 99.7%. These results indicate that the nematocidal efficacy of febantel against these nematodes remains unchanged in these two formulations. No adverse reactions to either febantel tablets or to Vercom paste were observed.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Animals; Anthelmintics; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Drug Combinations; Feces; Guanidines; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Nematode Infections; Ointments; Parasite Egg Count; Praziquantel; Random Allocation; Tablets

The purpose of the present study was to verify results of the lowest dose (5 mg kg-1) of febantel evaluated in an earlier trial in which there were no differences in efficacies of three dose rates (5, 7.5 and 10 mg kg-1 body weight) against natural gastrointestinal nematode infections of cattle. Fourteen Angus calves (mean weight and age of 155 kg and 525 days, respectively), from the same farm, with relatively heavy (mean of 448 eggs g-1 feces (epg] parasite burdens were selected. After an adjustment period of 8 days in drylot, beginning on 25 July, seven calves were treated with a 45.5% paste formulation of febantel. On Day 7 post-treatment, calves were necropsied for determination of residual worms. Rectal fecal samples were obtained prior to adjustment, at treatment, 5 days post-treatment and at necropsy. On both Day 5 post-treatment and at necropsy a mean of less than 1 epg was recovered from treated calves compared with 765 and 1566 epg, respectively, in control calves. Worms counts at necropsy revealed an efficacy of 98.5% against all adult abomasal worms (Haemonchus placei, 100%, P less than 0.02; Trichostrongylus axei, 99.4%, P less than 0.0001; Ostertagia ostertagi, 90.5%, P less than 0.0002). Treatment was 100% efficacious against adult small and large intestinal worms. However, numbers of Bunostomum phlebotomum, O. radiatum and Trichuris spp. recovered in the control calves were too low to enable a reliable test of drug efficacy. Treatment was not effective against either mucosal or luminal fourth stage larvae of abomasal O. ostertagi.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Animals; Anthelmintics; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Feces; Guanidines; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Nematode Infections; Ointments; Parasite Egg Count; Random Allocation

To study the response and economics of nematode control in cattle, trials with anthelmintics were carried out in the wet season at New Zealand farm in the highlands of Sri Lanka. Three age groups were used: stall fed yearlings, grazing heifers and lactating cows. Groups were treated with ivermectin or febantel and monitored along with control groups for faecal egg counts, growth and milk production. Treatment reduced the trichostrongylid faecal egg counts in yearlings, heifers and cows for six to 10 weeks, for more than 10 weeks and for 140 days respectively. The growth rate of treated yearlings did not increase significantly while treated heifers did grow significantly faster. Treated cows produced an average of 115 kg more milk over 133 days (P less than 0.05). The economic gains in reducing the age at first service and in terms of milk yield far outweighed the cost of anthelmintics used.

Topics: Animals; Anthelmintics; Body Weight; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Feces; Female; Guanidines; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Ivermectin; Lactation; Nematode Infections; Parasite Egg Count; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Rain; Random Allocation; Sri Lanka

A controlled anthelmintic trial was conducted to determine the efficacy of febantel paste (45.5%) at dosages of 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 mg/kg in calves harboring natural gastrointestinal nematode infections. Dosages of 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 mg of febantel/kg of body weight were greater than 96% effective in removing adults of Haemonchus contortus, Ostertagia spp, Cooperia spp, and Oesophagostomum radiatum. The 2.5 mg/kg dosage was considered suboptimal because of low efficacy against Ostertagia and Cooperia spp. Efficacies against Trichostronglylus axei, Trichuris spp, Bunostomum phlebotomum, and Stronglyloides papillosus were difficult to determine because fewer numbers of these nematodes were recovered. Efficacies of febantel paste against immature bovine parasites ranged from 83.62% to 97.72%.

Topics: Animals; Anthelmintics; Body Weight; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Feces; Female; Guanidines; Haemonchus; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Larva; Male; Nematode Infections; Oesophagostomum; Ostertagia

The efficacy of febantel (5.0 mg/kg) against naturally acquired infections of gastrointestinal nematodes was evaluated in a controlled test in calves during the winter. Twenty steers were allotted to either control or treatment groups of 10 animals each. Seven days after treatment, calves were euthanatized and necropsied for recovery of parasites. Febantel was highly effective against adults of Ostertagia spp (88.6% efficacy based on median), Cooperia spp (97.7%), Trichostrongylus spp (98.2%), Oesophagostomum spp (100%), and Bunostomum phlebotomum (100%). Effects of treatment against adults of Nematodirus spp (100%) were not significant, whereas, degrees of infection of Strongyloides papillosus, Capillaria sp, and Trichuris sp were insufficient for evaluation. The activity of febantel was variable in controlling inhibited and late fourth-stage larvae of Cooperia spp (100% and 100%, respectively) and Ostertagia spp (-81.5% and 36.7%). Numbers of larval Nematodirus and Capillaria sp were insufficient for evaluation. Overall, febantel administered at 5.0 mg/kg reduced populations of adult and larval strongyles and other gastrointestinal nematodes in calves by 80.7% (P = 0.002). An unexpected finding during the trial was the recovery of Oesophagostomum venulosum from all control calves.

Topics: Animals; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Drug Evaluation; Feces; Guanidines; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Male; Nematode Infections; Oesophagostomiasis; Oregon; Parasite Egg Count

The efficacy of febantel paste formulation (6 and 12 mg/kg) against natural infections of gastrointestinal helminths in lambs (n = 33) in Kentucky was evaluated in a controlled test. For the test, 23 lambs were treated orally (17 at 6 mg/kg and 6 at 12 mg/kg) and 10 lambs were not treated. Removals at both dosages in treated lambs were 95% to 100% for species of immature and mature Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, and Cooperia; and mature Ostertagia females, Nematodirus, and Strongyloides. For immature Nematodirus, removals were 92% and 77% at the dosages of 6 and 12 mg/kg, respectively. Only a few specimens (av less than 100) of some other species or stages were found in the nontreated group and removal of them (at both dosages) were 94% to 100% for Ostertagia (immature and males), Strongyloides (immature), Oesophagostomum (immature), and Moniezia (mature); and 61% (at 6 mg/kg) and 100% (at 12 mg/kg) for Capillaria (mature), 0% for Trichuris (mature, at both dosages), and 67% (at 6 mg/kg) and 100% (at 12 mg/kg) for Oesophagostomum (mature).

Topics: Administration, Oral; Animals; Anthelmintics; Guanidines; Helminthiasis; Helminthiasis, Animal; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Ointments; Sheep; Sheep Diseases

A paste formulation of 3.4% febantel and 0.34% praziquantel was given in soft food at a rate of 0.29 g/kg of body weight, once daily for 3 days to dogs and cats. Eleven of 12 dogs were naturally infected with Ancylostoma caninum, 10 with Trichuris vulpis, 2 with Toxocara canis, 5 with Taenia sp, and 3 with Dirofilaria immitis. Ten of 11 cats were naturally infected with Toxocara cati, 2 with Ancylostoma tubaeforme, 3 with Taenia sp, 5 with Capillaria aerophila, and 1 with Paragonimus kellicotti. Efficacy was 100% for the removal of A caninum, T canis, and Taenia sp and 99.9% in clearance of T vulpis in dogs, and 100% in removal of A tubaeforme, T cati, and Taenia sp in cats. In dogs, Dirofilaria appeared unaffected, and in cats, there was no apparent effect on Capillaria or on Paragonimus. The paste formulation given in soft food was well tolerated and without observable adverse effects.

Topics: Animals; Anthelmintics; Cat Diseases; Cats; Cestode Infections; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Drug Combinations; Female; Guanidines; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Isoquinolines; Male; Nematode Infections; Ointments; Praziquantel

Febantel was administered as a 3.4% paste to 45 dogs infected with 1 or more nematode species, which included Ancylostoma caninum and Trichuris vulpis. Dosage levels of 5, 10, or 15 mg/kg of body weight daily for 3 consecutive days for a total of 15, 30, or 45 mg/kg were administered. At 15 mg/kg, all dogs were completely cleared of all nematode and cestode infections, including A caninum, T vulpis, Uncinaria stenocephala, Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina, Taenia sp, and Dipylidium caninum, except for 1 Physaloptera sp adult. The 2 other dosage levels produced somewhat lower efficacy, with the 5 mg/kg being the least effective. The paste appeared palatable to the dogs and there were no apparent adverse effects.

Topics: Ancylostomiasis; Animals; Anthelmintics; Cestode Infections; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Female; Guanidines; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Male; Nematode Infections; Trichuriasis