Control of endoparasites in horses with a gel containing moxidectin and praziquantel.

Abstract

A gel formulation containing moxidectin (20 g/kg) and praziquantel (125 g/kg) reduced the geometric mean faecal strongyle egg count in horses to below 100 eggs per gram of faeces (epg) for at least 12 weeks despite their being exposed continuously to reinfection from pasture grazed by treated and untreated horses. The geometric mean egg count of horses treated with a proprietary paste containing abamectin (3.7 g/kg) and praziquantel (46.2 g/kg) increased steadily from six weeks after the treatment, peaking at over 820 epg after 12 weeks. Relative to the efficacy of the abamectin/praziquantel treatment, the reduction in mean faecal egg count compared with the pretreatment counts was significantly (P<0.05) better in the horses treated with moxidectin and praziquantel from eight weeks after the treatment. Both products eliminated tapeworms from horses in a non-invasive modified critical trial.