On March 13, 2010, I
attended a continuing education programme "Canine Vector-Borne
Diseases in Pet Practice - Focused on Singapore" conducted by
Dr Susanne Siebert. The contents were mainly on diseases
transmitted by ticks, fleas, mosquitoes and sand flies. Heart
worms and intestinal worms were discussed too.
For 4th & 5h year students, veterinary parasitology and
pharmacology can be very boring as there are so many names and
drugs and their efficacy, safety, ease of application,
treatment schedule and ability to only treat or treat and
prevent.
How is the lecture relevant to the real world? I hope the
following summary of my comments on "Bayer Parasite
Solutions" may make their studies more enjoyable and in
case they get tested at oral examinations in their final year.
1. Drontal Plus - One-dose dewormer
2. Advantix - Kills and repels. Not to be used in Cats.
3. Kiltix collars - Long-acting specialist against ticks
4. Bayticol - Anti-tick dogwash
5. Negasunt - Anti-maggots.
1. Drontal Plus (synergistic febantel and pyrantel
formulation with praziquantel). Broad spectrum against round,
hook, whip and tapeworms, nematode larvae and (when given
daily for 3 consecutive days) Giardia which is a
zoonosis. Safe in puppies, pregnant and nursing bitches.
Strategic deworming is 4x/year with one dose. It seems that
puppies as young as 2 weeks old can be dewormed. Note that
Giardia treatment needs 3 consecutive days instead of one
dose. Puppy can be given at 2 weeks of age and 2-weekly till
they are part of the strategic deworming 4X/year.
2. Advantix Spot On (synergistic imidacioprid 10% and
permethrin 50%). Kills fleas/larvae, ticks, mosquitoes, lice,
stable/biting flies. Repels ticks, mosquitoes,
sand flies, stable/biting flies. Repellency
(anti-feeding) means
that the parasites do not bite or attach to the body on
contact with the dog. Explain this to the owner who may see
one or two ticks on the body after application. Remove all
ticks.
Safe in puppies over 7 weeks old, pregnant and nursing
bitches.
NOT FOR CATS (imidacioprid is safe for use in cats but
it is permethrin that cannot be metabolised by cats.
Therefore Advantix is contra-indicated in cats). Ensure that
cats do not groom the dog's skin that have had been applied
Advantix.
Do not apply earlier than 1 day after bath and do not bathe
earlier than 2 days after application. This advice does not
seem practical for Singapore dog owners who usually bathe
their dogs more than 1X weekly). If Singapore's dogs are usually bathed
>1x/week, application of Advantix every 2 weeks instead of
4 weeks is needed.
Advantix is said to have acaricidal and repellent efficacy
against tick infestations (Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Ixodes
ricinus for 4 weeks, and Dermacentor reticulatus for 3 weeks).
It kills fleas within 1 day following treatment and prevents
further flea infestations for 4 weeks and so can be used as
part of a Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD) treatment in dogs. But
it is NOT to be used for FAD in cats (due to the permethrin
component being toxic in cats).
Apply in 3 or more spots along the back of the dog. 5 spots
are better.
In heavily infested dogs, use Bayticol dog wash first, apply
Advantix and also treat the environment to prevent
reinfestation (vacuum, wash bedding, clean tiles, apply
Bayticol at 1 ml per 1.5 litres of water to tiled/concrete
areas, not grassy areas). Remove all ticks still attached to
the dogs after the use of Bayticol dog wash.
3. Kiltix collars
(2.25% flumethrin and 10% propoxur). Spectrum of activity is
6-7 months. Longest lasting tickicide. Works within 24 hours
reaching even remote parts of the body like the tail of the
dog. Flumethrin has some repellency efficacy. But not
comparable to Advantix's repellency. So, cannot claim that
ticks, if trying to attach to the treated dog, will die very
soon.
Does not lose its properties when it is wet. But take off
collar before bath or swimming frequently. Also, you cannot
use Advantix with collar as the collar will be affected. I
don't see much interest in Singapore compared to the spot-ons
like Frontline being available freely in the pet shop and
convenient to use. I may try Kiltix collars but
they are rarely available and so inconvenient for Singaporean
dog owners who are city dwellers.
4. Bayticol 6% emulsion. (flumethrin 6%). Used as dip,
spray, wash, environmental treatment. Efficacy against tick
(40ppm), flea, lice, mite (30ppm) and environmental control
(40ppm).
Larvicidal effect,
inhibits oviposition (check label claims).
Residual efficacy: 7 days after application of 30 ppm, 3 ppm
are still present on the hair.
How
do vets apply Bayticol 6% emulsion? In heavily infested
dogs, use this onto dog to kill ticks first. Pull out all dead
attached ticks. Then give Advantix 24 hours later to dog as
spot on for 5 spots. Goes home with Advantix to be given 2-weekly
for 2 months. De-contaminate the environment.
In one example of 4 Siberian Huskies with heavy
infestations of ticks. I got the dog's coat clipped.
Then I inject 1.0 ml ivomectin SC. After 12 hours, I
applied Frontline Plus spot on. The dogs were sent home.
However on Day 3, the owner returned the dogs as they
have "ticks". All ticks were still attached to the body
but they were dead. My assistants plucked out the ticks.
An anti-tick solution (e.g. Bayticol 6% or Carrington
Dog Wash) may be too risky for these dogs since they
have got ivomectin and Frontline Plus.
However, spot-ons should be applied 2-4 weekly. This may
be costly when the owner has 4 big dogs. There was a reinfestation because the owner's workers
had neglected to apply the spot-ons or check the 4 dogs
in his factory. The pictures of the de-ticking of
one Husky case are shown below:
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Salivation: Obviously, if the dog licks the wash before
it is dry, the dog will salivate and the owner may not be
happy. Salivation will also occur even when the wash is dried,
as I have seen such cases. Owners are worried, although the
literature in "Promeris" - a competitor's spot on
product claims that there is no need to worry as the dog is
not poisoned but is showing "hyper salivation". In practice,
the vet or groomer has to care about the owner's worry after
application of the wash. One smart groomer advised me that she
gets the dog to wear an e-collar and she has no such problems
after tick wash with the Carrington Dog Wash (another
competitor). The amount used is 1 ml per 1.5 liters of water.
Check the label.
5. Negasunt powder (coumaphos, propoxuf,
sulfanilamide). Dust thinly on wounds cleaned from dirt, pus
and tissue debris. Maggots will crawl out.
Protects wound against bacterial infection and infestation
with fly larvae, kills flies and fly larvae (larvicidal,
repellent, anti-bacterial, adhesive, dying, deodorant, scar
tissue forming activities.
 CONCLUSION. Indoor and outdoor dogs, use Drontal plus with
Advantix, Kiltix, Negasunt and Bayticol when necessary against
all ecto-parasites.
Bayticol - Heavily infested dogs. Wash dog to remove
parasites. Then apply Advantix or Kiltix 24 hours later for
prevention.
Advantix. Heavily infested dogs. Use Advantix and Kiltix 24
hours later. Next Advantix application should be 5 cm apart
from the Kiltix collar as the latter is affected. Negasunt. Can be applied together with Kiltix if wounds are
not too close to collar. Same as for Advantix spot-on area.
IN TOA PAYOH VETS DE-TICKING PROGRAM FOR HEAVILY INFESTED
DOGS, we clip the dog's coat, apply Bayticol 6% emulsion wash.
Then 24 hours later, we pluck out all ticks before sending the
dog home with Advantix spots-on to be applied every 3 weekly. We check
the dogs for tick-borne diseases.
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P.S
Tick infested dogs can get sick with tick fever or other
diseases and some do die.
Owners wanting to de-tick their dogs, tel: 6254 3326,
9668-6469,
e-mail
judy@toapayohvets.com
for appointment.
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TOA
PAYOH VETS
