Treatment and prevention of vertical transmission of Toxocara cati in cats with an emodepside/praziquantel spot-on formulation

Parasitol Res. 2009 Aug:105 Suppl 1:S75-81. doi: 10.1007/s00436-009-1498-6.

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the efficacy of emodepside 2.14%/praziquantel 8.58% topical solution (Profender, Bayer) in the prevention and treatment of lactogenic Toxocara cati infections. Eight pregnant cats were orally infected with T. cati eggs during late pregnancy. Four queens were treated on day 60 post conception and four queens were left untreated. The kittens of two untreated queens were treated 28 days after birth. The two other negative control litters were left untreated. The efficacy of emodepside was determined by faecal egg counts. While faecal samples of queens and litters in the control group became positive for T. cati, egg shedding was completely prevented in all four treated queens, in their litters and in the kittens from the two litters which were treated four weeks after birth. The untreated mothers of the latter stayed also coproscopically negative, which might be explained by an oral uptake of emodepside through grooming. The treatment was well tolerated by pregnant queens as well as by four-weeks-old kittens.To our knowledge, this is the first publication that focuses on the prevention of lactogenic transmission of T. cati.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anthelmintics / administration & dosage
  • Anthelmintics / adverse effects
  • Anthelmintics / therapeutic use*
  • Cat Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Cat Diseases / parasitology
  • Cat Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Cats
  • Depsipeptides / administration & dosage
  • Depsipeptides / adverse effects
  • Depsipeptides / therapeutic use*
  • Drug Combinations
  • Feces / parasitology
  • Female
  • Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / prevention & control*
  • Parasite Egg Count
  • Praziquantel / administration & dosage
  • Praziquantel / adverse effects
  • Praziquantel / therapeutic use*
  • Pregnancy
  • Toxocara / drug effects
  • Toxocara / isolation & purification
  • Toxocariasis / drug therapy*
  • Toxocariasis / prevention & control
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Anthelmintics
  • Depsipeptides
  • Drug Combinations
  • Praziquantel
  • emodepside