Evaluation of granulated fenbendazole as a treatment for helminth infections in dogs

Abstract

A granulated formulation of fenbendazole was tested in 95 dogs harbouring naturally occurring infections of Toxocara canis, Ancylostoma caninum, Trichuris vulpis, Dipylidium caninum, and Taenia spp and in 19 laboratory-reared Beagle pups experimentally infected with Toxascaris leonina. The drug was administered in moistened dry dog food or in canned dog food. In dosage titration and confirmational studies, using worm counts in naturally infected dogs, the drug was 98%-100% effective at a dosage of 50 mg/kg of body weight/day for 3 days against the commonly occurring nematodes of dogs (ascarids, hookworms, and whipworms) and against Taenia tapeworms. A dosage of 20 mg/kg for 5 days was equally effective against nematodes, but only 73% of the dogs were cleared of Taenia tapeworms. There was no activity at either dosage against Dipylidium tapeworms. Dosages of 100 or 150 mg/kg for a single treatment and 5 or 25 mg/kg daily for 3 days were unsatisfactory with respect to nematodes and tapeworms. Induced infections of T leonina were eliminated from all treated dogs at the dosage and dosing period tested (50 mg/kg/day for 3 days). Fourteen untreated controls expelled 13% of T leonina burdens. It was concluded that granulated fenbendazole is effective in dogs against natural infections of T canis, A caninum, T vulpis, Taenia spp, and experimentally induced infections of T leonina at a dosage of 50 mg/kg of body weight/day for 3 days.