DETAILS ON ALBENDAZOLE

Albendazole is a broad spectrum parasiticide. It has a variety of uses which are described in brief below.

Small animals (dogs and cats)

In small animals, albendazole is not usually used for routine deworming; it is often used for uncommon infections.

In cats and dogs, albendazole can be used to treat Paragonimus kellicotti infections. Paragonimus kellicotti is a type of trematode (fluke). The adults causes cysts to form in the lung of dogs and cats; infected animals may exhibit respiratory signs, including coughing, dyspnea, pneumothorax, bronchiectasis, and hemoptysis.

Albendazole has been used to treat capillariasis caused by Capillaria plica (dogs and cats) and C. felis cati (cats). Capillaria infect the urinary bladder, thus they are often called bladder worms.

In dogs, albendazole has also been used to treat Filaroides infections and Giardia infections.

Equine (horses):

Albendazole has been found to be effective (>90%) against adults of large and small strongyles, horse pinworm Oxyuris equi (>90% against immature stages), and Parascaris equorum. Albendazole can also be used for lungworm (Dictyocaulus arnfieldi) infection of horses. The drug has moderate effect against 4th stage larvae of small strongyles in the gut lumen and excellent efficacy against 30-day-old migrating larvae of S. vulgaris but the regimen can cause unpredictable side effects such as diarrhoea.


Sheep:

In sheep, albendazole is used for the control of adult liver flukes (Fasciola hepatica, Fascioloides magna), common tapeworm (Moniezia expansa), and fringed tapeworm (Thysanosoma actinioides).

It is also effective against adult and 4th stage larvae of brown stomach worm (Ostertagia circumcinta, Marshallagia marshalli), barberpole worm (Haemonchus contortus), and small stomach worm (Trichostrongylus axei).

Adult and 4th stage larvae of thread-necked intestinal worm (Nematodirus spathiger, N. filicollis), Cooper's Worm (Cooperia oncophora), bankrupt worm (Trichostrongylus colubriformis), nodular worm (Oesophagostomum columbianum), and large-mouth bowel worm (Chabertia ovina) can also be effectively controlled by albendazole.

Albendazole is also effective against adult and larval stages of the lungworm Dictyocaulus filaria.


Goats:

In goats, albendazole is used for the control of adult liver fluke Fasciola hepatica.


Cattle:

In cattle, albendazole can be used for the control of infections by adult liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica), tapeworm (Monezia benedini and M. Expansa), brown stomach worm (Ostertagia ostertagi), barberpole worm (Haemonchus contortus, H. placei), and small stomach worm (Trichostrongylus axei).

It is also effective against adult and 4th stage larvae of thread-necked intestinal worm (Nematodirus spathiger, N. helvetianus), small intestinal worm (Cooperia punctata, C. oncophora), adult stage of hookworm (Bunostomum phlebotomum), bankrupt worm (Trichostrongylus colubriformis), nodular worm (Oesophagostomum radiatum), and adult and 4th stage larvae of lungworm Dictyocaulus viviparous.

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