Medications to Treat & Prevent Parasites Our Schedule

8/12/2019 Medications to Treat & Prevent Parasites Our Schedule

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By: Chantelle Neufeld, RAHTSource: Thompson Rivers University ANHT 1800-3 course notes or as otherwise sourced

This is the fourth instalment of Sardis Animal Hospitals five week series on parasites & your pet

and will go over common medications to treat and prevent parasites and our recommended

deworming protocol. Selecting an appropriate anti-parasite medication will vary per pet as manyof them are only labelled for a specific species (ex: cats versus dogs), age group (ex:

kitten/puppy versus adult) and/or indicated parasites (ex: Advantage only treats fleas). It's not

exclusively up to the client to decide on which product will work best for their pet, it's also up to

their veterinarian. Once a client feels comfortable using a recommended product then they candecide to continue using that one as their first choice.

A big part of selecting a product for parasite treatment after your veterinarian has diagnosed it,

will be understanding its life cycle. As some parasites (largely the internal ones) can only be

treated at specific times in their life cycles by certain medications. Your veterinarian has a wholearsenal of medications available to use, but it's not always about what's cheaper for the client. He

or she must also be sure the product they chose to use is safe for your pet which can vary as was

mentioned above (age, species, etc), and effective in the treatment. Another factor we have toconsider with our pets is how easy the medication is to give, as not everyone is able to pill a feral

cat... This would take super powers, thus the people from the drug companies have made topical

products for us to use in these situations. This article will cover the main brand name parasitetreatments that are available to shed some light on what's out there and to serve as a referenceguide. Some of the information discussed in

this article will not be described in great

detail as it assumes you have read theprevious three instalments that discuss:

Internal Parasites & Their LifecyclesExternal Parasites & Their LifecyclesCommonly used Tests & What it

Means for Your Pets

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The most common product everfamiliar with is Advantage. It's

in the correct dose, and the standsold over the counter(OTC) froveterinary hospital. Advantage is

formulated to help treat and prev

infestations with cats and dogs fIt is absorbed into the skin layers

such when a flea comes into con

your pet it absorbs some of the

and then dies. Its also formulatethe larva and egg form. There is

product called Advantage Multi

prescription product(requires avisit with your veterinarian offic

more drug components in it. It o

fleas, whipworms, hookworms, rheartworm and some mites. And

Advantixwhich is exclusive to

and ticks.

Revolutionis a prescription pro

roundworms and heartworm. It dlayers and into the blood stream.

pet they ingest the medication andogs.

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Interceptor is a prescription pro

hookworms, roundworms and w

and is a flavour tab that they sim

The counterpart to Interceptor is

once per month) but along with

and whipworms it controls flea ionly used in dogs.

Comfortisis a newer product thalternative for dogs that don't lik

all the deworming that Sentinel

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duct and focuses on preventing heartworm and

ipworms in the dog. It can be commonly used i

ly ingest once per month or as recommended.

Sentinel. It's essentially the same product (flav

reventing heartworm, deworming for hookwor

festations as well. It is commonly used and rec

t is a chewable tablet for treatment of fleas. It'stopical products such as Advantage/Revolutio

ffers. One tablet lasts a full 4 weeks.

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Capstaris used in the treatment of fleas but differs in how it

works. It is a non-chewable pill that works for 24 hours only.

It is usually given when a pet has a large infestation of fleas,is visiting places such as a dog show, or returning home from

a grooming salon, etc. It functions by killing any fleas that

come into contact with your cat or dog nearly instantly. Aswas mentioned, it may be recommended if the veterinarian

notices your pet has a large infestation for the first 24 hours

before starting a regular flea product such as Advantage torid the bulk of the problem.

Programwas previously a flavoured tablet for cats and dogs

that was VERY similar to Sentinel. The company has sincestopped producing this tablet form and is focusing on the

Interceptor/Sentinel products instead. There still is a

Program Injectionfor cats that lasts for 6 months and is a

preventative for fleas. It does not work as a "treatment" would, and thus needs to be given beforea flea infestation has started.

Strongid - Tis a product commonly used in deworming puppies and kittens due to how safe it

is. It's formulated for use in horses and used off label in our pets. It's a gentle acting caramelflavoured liquid that treats for roundworms. It is an over the counter product sold at any

veterinary clinic and can be used in pregnant or lactating pets as well.

Panacurcan be used in the treatment of roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and protozoaninfections such as Giardia which may be causing diarrhea. It comes in either a liquid form or a

dry granular powder. It is not flavoured and can be hard to syringe into a pet that's not feelingwell which is why your veterinarian may send home the powder to mix into a yummy meal. It is

used mostly with dogs but can be used in other species.

Profender is a topical prescription product for cats. It's applied between the shoulder blades likeAdvantage would be but only treats for roundworms, tapeworms and hookworms. It's safe in cats

over 8 weeks of age and may last up to a week or longer,

but it considered a single time treatment. The frequencyof deworming is based on a number of factors that your

veterinarian will weigh in.

Milbemax is another prescription cat product. It's a

small flavoured tablet designed for kittens over 6 weeks

and adult cats. It prevents heartworm, and treatshookworms, roundworms and tapeworms.

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As has been mentioned the protocol for what products your veterinarian will recommend willvary based on your pet and your lifestyle. Some of the recommended medications below are

prescription products which mean no veterinarian is allowed to dispense them without havingseen your pet for an exam.

Should stay on a continuous flea preventative during the peak flea months (March/April

until October/November)

All puppies should receive a high quality deworming product such as interceptor/sentinel,3 times after birth at 2 week internals. This also applies for any older dogs with a

documented roundworm, whipworm and/or hookworm infection

Dogs that have had fleas, or routinely eat dead dish or mammals, should receive frontal fortapeworms on a yearly basis

Monthly preventatives such as interceptor, sentinel, or revolution are a great product forpets that routinely come into contact with dog or racoon feces. This is especiallyimportant for dogs whose families include small children, the elderly or immune-

compromised people such as cancer patients.

Should stay on a continuous flea preventative during the peak flea months (March/April

until October/November)

All kittens should receive a high quality deworming product such as milbemax orrevolution 3 times after birth at 2 week internals. A good protocol is revolution, then

milbemax 2 weeks later, then revolution again 2 weeks after that.

Any cat that hunts, is outdoors, or has had fleas should receive milbemax or profendor fortapeworms on a minimal yearly basis. Extreme hunters should be getting it every 3

months.

**A note on fecal exams: as was mentioned in our last article, when viewing a fecal float this

sample only shows "one point in time" - some parasites do not shed their eggs continuously, soan infection can be easily missed. If your veterinarian finds your pets fecal float to be negative he

or she may recommend deworming anyway due to your pets history, likelihood of having

parasites, or in order to protect your family.

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Medications to Treat & Prevent Parasites Our Schedule