Guide to Preventing Parasites.pdf - Royal Canin Canada

Special terminology is used on labels. Thus, a drug used as a “treatment” for a particular
species of parasite means that the company has conducted two or three studies each
showing greater than 90% efficacy in eradicating worms of that species. A drug used as a
“therapeutic aid” for a particular species will have been investigated in studies showing
less than 90% but more than 80% efficacy in eradicating worms of that species. And, a
drug used as “prevention” against infection by a particular species of parasite will first be
administered to the animal, which is then exposed to the infectious agent. Studies then
show that no parasite successfully infected the animal. Lastly, a drug used for the
“treatment and control” of infections by a particular species of parasite eliminates more
than 90% of the parasites when administered the first time, while subsequent
administrations (in the case of products intended for monthly administration over six
consecutives months) keep parasite loads at low levels.
5.2 A broad- or narrow-spectrum drug?
It seems clear that using broad-spectrum drugs is more beneficial for preventing parasitic
infections and infestations. One main argument is that these drugs provide protection
against ectoparasites in animals that are not confined indoors. Animals generally develop
little resistance with age, opportunities for infestation come up regularly, and most of
these parasites are transmissible to humans. On the other hand, protection against internal
parasites may seem less necessary, but in most of our regions, heartworms, fleas, and
certain gastrointestinal parasites constitute a real threat. Younger is the animal, more we
use broad-spectrum drugs.
5.3 Drugs, parasites and treatments
This section provides drug information in tabular form. Despite all the care taken in
making these tables, some mistakes may have occurred. Please refer to the label on each
of these drugs to confirm the information presented here.
Table 23. List of parasites and their treatment (the drugs that have not been
approved are marked with an asterisk; the dose at which a given drug is effective
may vary)
Parasite Generic name
Acanthamoeba spp. (post-mortem diagnosis)
Acanthocheilonema (Dipetalonema)
reconditum
(not required)
Aelurostrongylus abstrusus Fenbendazole*, ivermectin*
Alaria spp. Espiprantel*, fenbendazole*, praziquantel*
Ancylostoma spp. Fenbendazole, febantel, ivermectin*, milbemycin, moxidectin,
oxibendazole, pyrantel
Babesia spp. Fenbendazole*, ivermectin*
Baylisascaris procyonis Fenbendazole*, ivermectin*, moxidectin*, milbemycin*,
pyrantel*
29