Brand: VETSCRIPTION ® WORM AWAY ®

Company: SERGEANT'S


FORMULATION: «capsules» for oral administration

ACTIVE INGREDIENT(S): PIPERAZINE (citrate) 140 mg/capsule


INDICATIONS: CATS

PARASITES CONTROLLED* (spectrum of activity):


RECOMMENDED DOSE*:

  • Cats 1 to 5 lbs. ≈ 0.45 to 2.2 kg bw: 1 capsule (equivalent to 311.1 to 63.6 mg/kg piperazine)
  • Cats 6 to 10 lbs. 2.7 to 4.5 kg bw: 2 capsules (equivalent to 103.7 to 62.2 mg/kg piperazine)
  • Cats 11 to 15 lbs. 5.0 to 6.8 kg bw: 3 capsules (equivalent to 84.0 to 61.8 mg/kg piperazine)
  • Cats 16 to 20 lbs. 7.2 to 9.1 kg bw: 4 capsules (equivalent to 77.8 to 61.5 mg/kg piperazine)
  • Cats 21 to 25 lbs. 9.5 to 11.3 kg bw: 5 capsules (equivalent to 73.7 to 61.9 mg/kg piperazine)
  • Cats >25 lbs. >11.3 kg bw: 6 capsules (equivalent <74.3 mg/kg piperazine)

* Can be slightly different in some countries: read the product label!


SAFETY

  • LD50 (acute oral) in rats: n.a. for the tablets. >7900 mg/kg for piperazine
  • Estimated Hazard Class according to the WHO: not applicable for veterinary medicines

Suspected poisoning? Read the article on piperazine safety in this site.

Never use on cats tablets approved only for use on dogs, and vice-versa. Never use on small dogs tablets approved for large dogs. Learn more about tablets and their safety.

You may be interested in the following articles in this site dealing with the general safety of veterinary products:


RESISTANCE PREVENTION

Risk of resistance development? NO

There are no reports on resistance of dog and cat worms to piperazine after more than a century of use.

Learn more about resistance and how it develops.


MARKETING

Are the active ingredients of this product ORIGINAL* or GENERICS**?

  • Piperazine: GENERIC (introduced already in the XIX century)

*Meaning that they are still patent protected and generics are not yet available
**Meaning that they have lost patent protection and may be acquired from manufacturers of generic active ingredients other than the holder of the original patent.

COUNTRIES where this product is marketed: USA, Canada
GENERIC BRANDS available? YES, in many countries.

Click here to learn more about GENERIC vs. ORIGINAL drugs.


COMMENTS

VETSCRIPTION WORM AWAY capsules for cats is a generic wormer from SERGEANTS with piperazine (citrate), a veteran anthelmintic.

Piperazine was already used as a human medicine at the end of the 19th century. Its anthelmintic properties for animals were discovered in the 1950's. It is still used on livestock and pets, although it has been vastly replaced with more effective compounds, especially in ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats). It is also used in anthelmintics for humans, but also in antidepressants, antihistamines, antipsychotics, etc. Piperazine derivatives are also used in plastics, resins, and other industrial materials, as well as an adulterant in the psychedelic drug scene.

Piperazine derivatives have a narrow spectrum of anthelmintic activity. They are especially effective against adult ascarid roundworms (in pets e.g.Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati). Worm stages in the tissues (e.g. migrating larvae) are less susceptible than those inside the gastrointestinal tract.

Piperazine derivatives have no residual effect. This means that a single administration will kill the parasites present in the host at the time of treatment, but it will not protect against re-infestations. Since it is not effective against larvae in the host tissues outside the gastrointestinal tract, re-treatments may be required to ensure control of certain species.

For an overview and a list of the most popular pet wormers click here.


DISCLAIMER

This article IS NOT A PRODUCT LABEL. It offers complementary information that may be useful to veterinary professionals and users that are not familiar with veterinary antiparasitics. 

Information offered in this article has been extracted from publications issued by manufacturers, government agencies (e.g. EMEA, FDA, USDA, etc.) or in the scientific literature. No guarantee is given on its accuracy, integrity, sufficiency, actuality and opportunity, and any liability is denied. Read the site's DISCLAIMER.

In case of doubt contact the manufacturer or a veterinary professional.