Brand: EQUIMAX ® TABS

Company: VIRBAC


FORMULATION: tablets for oral administration

ACTIVE INGREDIENT(S):

CHEMICAL CLASS of the active ingredient(s):


INDICATIONS

HORSES


PARASITES CONTROLLED* (spectrum of activity)

* Country-specific differences may apply: read the product label.

  • Large strongyles: Strongylus vulgaris (adults and 4th larval (arterial) stages); Strongylus edentatus (adults and 4th larval (tissue) stages); Strongylus equinus (adults); Triodontophorus spp (adults)
  • Small strongyles: Adults, small strongyles or cyathostomes: Cyathostomum spp, Cylicocyclus spp, Cylicodontophorus spp, Cylicostephanus spp, Gyalocephalus spp.
  • Pinworms (adult and immatures): Oxyuris equi
  • Ascarids (adults and third and fourth stage larvae): Parascaris equorum
  • Hairworms (adults):Trichostrongylus axei
  • Stomach bots: Oral and gastric stages of Gasterophilus spp, horse bot flies
  • Adult Tapeworms: Anoplocephala perfoliataAnoplocephala magna, Paranoplocephala mamillana

RECOMMENDED DOSE*

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

  • 200 mcg ivermectin/kg bw and 1,5 mg/kg praziquantel/kg bw corresponding to 1 tablet per 100 kg bodyweight.

SAFETY

  • LD50 (acute oral) in rats: ~1330 mg/kg (estimate calculated according to the WHO based on the ivermectin LD50)
  • Estimated hazard class according to the WHO: not applicable for veterinary medicines

Suspected poisoning? Read the articles on ivermectin safety and/or praziquantel safety in this site.

Withholding periods (=withdrawal times) for meat & milk (country-specific differences may apply: read the product label)

  • MEAT & OFFAL: UK: 35 days
  • MILK: Do not use in animals producing milk for human consumption

WARNING !!!: Never use on humans, dogs or cats

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


RESISTANCE PREVENTION

Risk of resistance? YES

This means that if this product does not achieve the expected efficacy against the mentioned parasites, it may be due to resistance and not to incorrect use, which is usually the most frequent cause of product failure.

Alternative chemical classes/active ingredients to prevent resistance of gastrointestinal roundworms through product rotation:

These alternative products may not be available in all countries, or may not be available as oral tablets

There are so far no reports on resistance of horse tapeworms to praziquantel.

Learn more about resistance and how it develops.


MARKETING

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

  • GENERICS

*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 (maybe under another TM): UK, Ireland and other EU countries
GENERIC BRANDS available? YES, but not so many as tablets. Many generics avaiable as oral pastes.

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


COMMENTS

EQUIMAX Tabs oral for horses is an equine wormer from VIRBAC with generic ivermectin and generic praziquantel. Tablets are an unusual formulation for horse wormers.

Ivermectin is a broad spectrum parasiticide with efficacy against internal parasites (mainly roundworms) and against external parasites as well (mainly mites, lice, grubs, etc). This is why it is called an endectocide (controls endoparasites and ectoparasites). Ivermectin was the first macrocyclic lactone discovered and introduced in the 1980s by MS&D AgVet (now MERIAL). It is the parasiticide for livestock and pets most widely used worldwide, with probably thousands of generic brands. Ivermectin is probably the best veterinary parasiticide ever developed, highly effective against roundworms and, depending on the delivery form and formulation, also against numerous external parasites (ticksflies, lice, mites, etc.). It is effective against most species of roundworms that affect horses and against bots (Gasterophilus spp). As all macrocyclic lactonesivermectin used alone is ineffective against tapeworms and flukes, regardless of the delivery form.  It is massively used in livestock and horses, less in pets. Ist is also used as a human medicine, and against agricultural and household pests.

Ivermectin and other macrocyclic lactones have about two weeks residual effect on horses because they are stored in body fat and progressively released. This, together with the time that worms need to develop inside the horse after infection (pre-patent period) allows to space the treatment intervals to 10 to 12 weeks in year-round control programs in many regions. For other active ingredients that have no residual effect such as fenbendazolemebendazole, or pyrantel the treatment interval is usually 4 to 6 weeks.

Praziquantel is a veteran anthelmintic introduced in the 1970s (by BAYER). It is highly effective against tapeworms (in horses mainly Anoplocephala spp) but has no efficacy whatsoever against roundworms. It is the anthelmintic most vastly used against tapeworms in horses and pets, used in hundreds of brands. It is hardly used in livestock. Praziquantel has no residual effect, i.e. it kills the parasites after administration but does not protect against reinfestation.

Whereas in ruminants ivermectin administered at 200 mcg/kg controls a series of external parasites as well (mites, lice, etc.), such an indication is not approved in most countries in horses: external parasites have to be controlled with ectoparasiticides (e.g. pour-ons, sprays, etc.).

Many horse owners complain about the price of the oral pastes & gels for horses (with ivermectin or other macrocyclic lactones), compared with the much cheaper injectables for livestock with the same active ingredients, used at the same dose (200 mcg/kg). This is why off-label use of livestock ivermectin injectables in horses is very common worldwide, particularly in working horses of cattle and sheep ranches. The reason why injectables are mostly not approved for use on horses is apparently that, shortly after introduction, it was noticed that horses were more prone to develop severe clostridial infections at the injection site (due to contamination of the needles) and other undesired side effects than cattle or sheep. In addition, the pharmacokinetic behavior of ivermectin on horses is different than in ruminants. For these reasons oral pastes were developed for horses that do not show such side effects. However, in numerous countries (e.g. in Latin America) some ivermectin injectables for livestock are also approved for use on horses.

For an overview and a list of the most used oral paste & gel brands as well as tablets for horses 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.