SAFE-GUARD 20% SALT, FREE-CHOICE MINERAL WORMER for BEEF & DAIRY CATTLE - MERCK ANIMAL HEALTH - fenbendazole 0.5% - benzimidazole - feed additive

Brand: SAFE-GUARD ® 20% SALT, FREE-CHOICE MINERAL

Company: MERCK ANIMAL HEALTH

DELIVERY FORM: free-choice mineral, «feed additives and medicated feeds» for oral administration.

ACTIVE INGREDIENT(S): fenbendazole 5 g/kg (=2.27 g/lb) (equivalent to 0.5%) plus various minerals and vitamins withut any anthelmintic efficacy.

CHEMICAL CLASS of the active ingredient(s): benzimidazole

INDICATIONS: CATTLE (Beef & Dairy)

PARASITES CONTROLLED (spectrum of activity)

Cattle

RECOMMENDED DOSE*

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

  • This fenbendazole medicated free-choice mineral is to be fed to cattle for 3 to 6 days.
  • The amount of this Medicated Type C feed given to a group of cattle is based on 0.10 lbs (1.6 oz) total consumption per 100 lbs of body weight to deliver a dosage of 2.27 mg fenbendazole per pound of body weight (= 5 mg fenbendazole per kg bodyweight).
  • The cattle must be allowed access to this medicated feed for sufficient time to receive this total dose.
  • Under conditions of continued exposure to parasites, retreatment may be needed after 4 to 6 weeks.

Read the product label for specific detail on dosage.

SAFETY

  • LD50 (acute oral) in rats: >10000 mg/kg
  • LD50 (acute dermal) in rats: n.a.

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

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

  • Meat:
    • Cattle: 13 days.
  • Milk for human consumption:
    • Cattle: NIL

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, resistance of gastrointestinal roundworms to all benzimidazoles (incl. fenbendazole) in ruminants is a very serious and increasing problem worldwide, particularly in sheep and goats, but also in cattle. The most affected worm species in cattle are: Cooperia spp, Haemonchus spp, Ostertagia spp, Trichostrongylus spp, Oesophagostomum spp.

This means that if this product does not achieve the expected efficacy against the mentioned parasites, it can 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 external parasites through product rotation:

These alternative products may not be available in all countries, or may not be effective against all the concerned parasites.

It is highly recommended to periodically check the resistance status of each property performing appropriate tests (e.g. fecal egg counts) under supervision of a veterinary doctor. Such tests are now routinely available for most producers in developed countries.

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 brand/product is marketed: USA. In other countries it may be marketed under the brand PANACUR.
GENERIC BRANDS available? Yes, but probably not in the form of a free-choice mineral mixture.

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

Click here for an overview on the most used antiparasitic feed additives and medicated feeds for livestock and horses.

COMMENTS

SAGE-GUARD is a brand from MERCK ANIMAL HEALTH for several livestock wormers containing fenbendazole.

Fenbendazole is a veteran anthelmintic introduced in the 1970s (by HOECHST, now MSD = MERCK ANIMAL HEALTH). Fenbendazole has a broad-spectrum of activity against roundworms (gastrointestinal and pulmonary) and, depending on the dose also against tapeworms, but is ineffective against flukes. Fenbendazole also kills eggs of roundworms (ovicidal activity). As all benzimidazoles, fenbendazole has no efficacy whatsoever against external parasites (ticks, flies, lice, mites, etc). Among the benzimidazoles fenbendazole is quite comparable with oxfendazole in terms of efficacy and safety. Fenbendazole is abundantly used worldwide in numberless generic brands for livestock, horses and pets.

As all benzimidazoles (as well as other anthelmintics such as levamisole, monepantel, and tetrahydropyrimidines), fenbendazole for oral administrartion has no residual effect, i.e. it kills the parasites shortly after administration, but as soon as medicated feeding is interrupted it does not significantly protect the animals against re-infestation by infective stages in their environment.

Both for livestock and pets fenbendazole is often used in combinations that broaden the spectrum of activity or try to overcome potential resistance. Typical mixtures for livestock include a flukicide (e.g. closantel, etc.) and/or a macrocyclic lactone, and/or levamisole, although such mixtures are not approved everywhere. For dogs and cats it is often combined with a taenicide (e.g. praziquantel).

In many countries the use of free-choice medicated parasiticides has been strongly restricted or completely forbidden. The reason is that it is almost impossible to ensure that each animal gets the correct dose corresponding to its weight, and the risk of underdosing or overdosing is considerable. Such medicated blocks should be used only on animals that are really accustomed to use them. And the un-medicated blocks have to be removed when the medicated ones are offered, and vice-versa.

Click here for general information on good practices for the prevention and control of gastrointestinal worms in livestock.

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.

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