(praziquantel)
Droncit (praziquantel)
Injectable Cestocide is indicated for the removal of the following canine
and/or feline cestodes: Dogs: Dipylidium caninum, Taenia
pisiformis, Echinococcus granulosus and for the removal and control of
Echinococcus multilocularis. Cats:
Taenia taeniaeformis and
Dipylidium caninum.
Bayer Droncit Injectable Cestocide
is a clear solution containing 56.8mg of praziquantel per ml which
has been formulated for subcutaneous or intramuscular use in dogs and cats
for removal of cestodes (tapeworms).
Following exposure to praziquantel, the tapeworm loses its ability to resist
digestion by the mammalian host. Because of this, whole tapeworms, including
the scolex, are very rarely passed after administration of praziquantel. It
is common to see only disintegrated and partially digested pieces of
tapeworms in the stool. The majority of tapeworms killed are digested and
are not found in the feces.
Directions:
Droncit (praziquantel)
Injectable Cestocide may be administered by either the subcutaneous or
intramuscular route to dogs and cats. The recommended dosage of praziquantel
varies according to body weight. Smaller animals require a relatively larger
dosage. The optimum dosage for each individual animal will be achieved by
utilizing the following dosage schedule.
Dogs and Puppies:
- 5 lbs and under . . . 0.3 ml
- 6-10 lbs . . . 0.5 ml
- 11-25 lbs . . . 1 ml
- Over 25 lbs . . . 0.2 ml/5 lbs body weight to a maximum of 3 ml
Droncit is not intended for use in puppies less than four weeks of age.
Cat and Kittens:
- Under 5 lbs . . . 0.2 ml
- 5-10 ml . . . 0.4 ml
- 11 lbs and over . . . 0.6 ml maximum
Droncit is not intended for use in
kittens less than six (6) weeks of age.
The recommended dosage of
praziquantel is not affected by the presence or absence of food in the
gastrointestinal tract, therefore, FASTING IS NEITHER NECESSARY NOR
RECOMMENDED.
Administration:
Droncit (praziquantel)
Injectable Cestocide may be administered by either the subcutaneous or
intramuscular route to dogs and cats. The intramuscular route may be
preferred in dogs due to a brief period of pain that occasionally follows
subcutaneous administration.
Anaphylactoid reactions were
not observed in clinical trials. However, as with any drug an anaphylactoid
reaction can occur with this product and should be treated symptomatically
if it occurs.
Retreatment:
For those animals living where
reinfections are likely to occur, clients should be instructed in the steps
to optimize prevention, otherwise, retreatment may be necessary. This is
true in cases of Dipylidium caninum where
reinfection is almost certain to occur if fleas are not removed from the
animal and its environment. In addition, for control of
Echinococcus multilocularis, a program of regular treatment every 21 to
26 days may be indicated (see E. multilocularis
section below).
Echinococcus multilocularis:
Echinococcus multilocularis is a tapeworm species ordinarily considered
to be found in wild canids, including foxes, coyotes and wolves. The
parasite has also been identified in domestic dogs and cats and potentially
is a serious public health concern by involving humans as accidental
intermediate hosts.
The adult tapeworm is
small (1-4mm) and resides in the intestinal tract of the definitive host
(wild or domestic canids). Eggs from the adult tapeworm are shed in the
feces of the infected canid. Rodents such as mice and voles serve as the
intermediate host for E. multilocularis. Eggs
ingested by rodents develop in the liver, lungs and other organs to form
multilocular cysts. The life cycle is completed after a canid consumes a
rodent infected with cysts. After ingestion of the infected rodent,
larvae within the cyst develop to adult tapeworms in the intestinal
tract of the canid. Eggs may begin to be passed in the feces of the
canid approximately 28 days later.
This parasite poses a
serious public health problem because of the possibility for human
involvement in the life cycle. If eggs shed by an infected canid are
accidentally ingested, a highly pathogenic condition (Alveolar Hydatid
Disease) results from development of the cyst stage in humans.
The original geographic
distribution of E. multilocularis was primarily
confined to northern areas of North America. Current evidence indicates
migration of the parasite well into the continental United States.
Domestic dogs living in
E. multilocularis endemic areas that roam
freely with the opportunity to catch wild rodents are at risk for
infection. Pet owners should be advised on how to minimize this risk.
Proper restraint of roaming dogs should be encouraged, along with
regular treatment with Droncit Injectable solution.
Diagnosis:
Diagnosis of
E. multilocularis in canids is difficult. The
adult tapeworm produces no clinical signs of infection. Tapeworm
segments (proglottids) are usually not observed in the feces.
E. multilocularis eggs, observed using
microscopic fecal examination procedures, are similar in appearance to
the common taeniid species of canids such as Taenia
pisiformis.
Treatment:
Dogs infected
with E. multilocularis should be treated to
prevent exposure of humans to infective eggs and to reduce perpetuation
of the parasite's life cycle.
The dosage of Droncit
Injectable solution for removal of E. multilocularis
is the same as that indicated for the removal of the other tapeworm
species listed on the label. Laboratory efficacy studies have
demonstrated the recommended dosage is 100% efficacious for removal of
this tapeworm.
Under condition of
continual exposure to wild rodents, retreatment of the dog at 21-26 day
intervals is recommended to prevent the shedding of infectious eggs.
Precautions:
Strict hygienic
precautions should be taken when handling dogs or feces suspected of
harboring E. multilocularis. Infected dogs
treated for the first time with Droncit Injectable solution and dogs
treated at intervals greater than 28 days may shed eggs in the feces
after treatment. The animal should be held in the clinic during this
interval and all feces should be incinerated or autoclaved. If these
procedures are not possible, the eggs can be destroyed by soaking the
feces in a sodium hypochlorite (bleach) solution of 3.75% or greater.6
All areas where the animal was maintained or in contact with should be
thoroughly cleaned with sodium hypochlorite and allowed to dry
completely before reuse.
Overdosage:
The safety index has been
derived from controlled safety evaluations, clinical trials and prior
approved use in foreign countries. Dosages of 5 times the labeled rate
at 14 day intervals to dogs as young as 4 weeks did not produce signs of
clinical toxicity following either intramuscular or subcutaneous
injections. No significant clinical chemistry, hematological,
cholinesterase or histopathological changes occurred. Dosages of 5 times
the labeled rate at 14 day intervals to kittens as young as 5 1/2 weeks
did not produce signs of clinical toxicity following either
intramuscular or subcutaneous injections. Symptoms of overdosage (33.8
to 40 times the labeled dosage rate) in adult dogs included vomition,
excessive salivation and depression, but no deaths. Symptoms of
overdosage (10 to 20 times the labeled dosage rate) in adult cats
included vomition, depression, muscle tremors and incoordination. Deaths
occurred in 5 of 8 cats treated subcutaneously and in all 8 injected
intramuscularly at doses greater than 20 times the label rate.
Adverse Reaction:
Mild side effects were
observed in 18 of 189 dogs (9.5%) and 8 of 85 cats (9.4%) administered
Droncit Injectable in field trials. For dogs the majority of these were
described as brief pain responses following injections to larger dogs
(weighing over 50 lbs.). Two dogs exhibited a brief period of mild
vomiting and/or drowsy or staggering gait. The eight cats exhibited
either diarrhea, weakness, vomition, salivation, sleepiness, burning on
injection and/or a temporary lack of appetite. Local irritation or
swelling at the site of subcutaneous injections have been reported for
cats.
Federal (U.S.A.) law
restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed
veterinarian
How Supplied: 10 ml Vial (56.8 mg/mL Solution)
Bayer Animal Health
