World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (W.A.A.V.P.) guidelines for evaluating the efficacy of anthelmintics in swine.

As a follow-up to a previous guideline publication on efficacy evaluation of anthelmintics in ruminants, an expert group of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology presents similar guidelines for the testing of anthelmintics in swine. The goal of the guidelines is to develop uniform testing standards and registration requirements. Data obtained from investigations according to the guidelines should be internationally accepted in the registering of drugs. Further, the use of the guidelines may contribute towards reducing costs, labor and the number of experimental animals used for drug testing.

Evaluation of a beef-based chewable formulation of pyrantel pamoate against induced and natural infections of hookworms and ascarids in dogs.

Pyrantel pamoate, formulated in a beef-based chewable tablet, was evaluated for efficacy in dogs against induced and natural infections of Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina, Ancylostoma caninum and Uncinaria stenocephala. Dose titration trials were conducted in Canada, the UK and Germany in dogs treated with pyrantel (as pamoate salt) at 0, 2.5, 5 or 10 mg kg-1 body weight. These studies showed that a dose rate of 2.5 mg kg-1, the efficacy of pyrantel against adult T. canis, T. leonina, U. stenocephala and A. caninum was 76.1, 85.6, 100 and 87.9%, respectively. Efficacy at 5 mg kg-1 against the same parasites was 94.2, 92.0, 93.5 and 93.8%, respectively, and at 10 mg kg-1 efficacy was 91.2, 97.6, 98.7 and 91.3%, respectively. No adverse effects due to treatment were seen in any of these trials.