A field study on the efficacy of doramectin against strongyles and its egg reappearance period in horses

• Published in: DTW. Deutsche tierarztliche Wochenschrift Vol. 114; no. 2; p. 64
• Main Authors: Cirak, V Y, Güleğen, E, Yildirim, F, Durmaz, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01.02.2007
• Subjects: Animals; Anthelmintics - therapeutic use; Feces - parasitology; Horses; Ivermectin - analogs & derivatives; Ivermectin - therapeutic use; Parasite Egg Count - veterinary; Random Allocation; Strongyle Infections, Equine - drug therapy; Strongylus - drug effects; Strongylus - isolation & purification; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0341-6593

The aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy and the so-called "egg reappearance period" (ERP) of doramectin in horses naturally infected with strongyles during a period of 34 weeks. A group of yearlings of 10 animals was treated intramuscularly with doramectin at a dose rate of 0.2 mg/kg bodyweight (BW) at the begin of the grazing season. To obtain comparable data, another group of yearlings (n = 10) was treated orally with ivermectin at a dose rate of 0.2 mg/kg BW. Individual faecal samples were examined for strongyle egg counts per gram of faeces (EPG) in two-week intervals. Twelve weeks later, a second treatment was given in both groups with the respective anthelmintic followed by a third treatment when the group mean egg count reached > or = 200 EPG. The efficacy of doramectin was > or = 96 % and that of ivermectin 100%, based on the mean egg counts two weeks post treatments (wpt). The highest and the lowest extensity of the efficacy (average values) for doramectin were 90% and 41% two and ten wpt, respectively, whereas these values for ivermectin differed from 100% (two wpt) to 24.3% (eight wpt). The ERP was found to be 10 and 8 weeks for doramectin and ivermectin, respectively.