SAFE-GUARD for DOGS - ORAL GRANULES against ROUNDWORMS, HOOKWORMS, WHIPWORMS and TAPEWORMS - MERCK ANIMAL HEALTH - fenbendazole - benzimidazole

Brand: SAFE-GUARD ®

Company: MERCK ANIMAL HEALTH

FORMULATION: «GRANULES» for oral administration, usually mixed with food

ACTIVE INGREDIENT(S): FENBENDAZOLE 222 mg/g (= 22.2%)

CHEMICAL CLASS of the active ingredient(s): BENZIMIDAZOLE

INDICATIONS: DOGS

PARASITES CONTROLLED* (spectrum of activity):

RECOMMENDED DOSE*:

USA and other countries

  • 50 mg fenbendazole / kg bw
  • Frequency of treatment depending on the indication

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

SAFETY

  • LD50 (acute oral) in rats: n.a. for the granules. >10000 mg/kg for fenbendazole a.i.
  • Estimated Hazard Class according to the WHO: not applicable for veterinary medicines

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

RESISTANCE PREVENTION

Risk of resistance development? LOW

There are no reports on resistance of dog or cat worms to benzimidazoles about 40 years after their introduction.

Learn more about resistance and how it develops.

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

MARKETING

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

  • Fenbendazole: GENERIC (introduced in the 1970s)

*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, in other countries under the trade name PANACUR, also from MERCK ANIMAL HEALTH
GENERIC BRANDS available? YES, in most countries.

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

COMMENTS

SAFE-GUARD is one of the brands of the original fenbendazole products introduced by HOECHST in the 1970s for livestock, pets and horses. HOECHST was acquired by INTERVET, now MERCK ANIMAL HEALTH.

Fenbendazole is a veteran benzimidazole with a broad-spectrum anthelmintic efficacy against most gastrointestinal worms that infect pets, including roundworms (Toxocara canis, Toxocara cati, Toxascaris leonina), hookworms (Ancylostoma spp, Uncinaria stenocephala), whipworms (Trichuris vulpis), and certain tapeworms (e.g. Taenia spp). It is abundantly used in livestock and horses, moderately in pets. It is not used in agriculture.

Fenbendazole and most other benzimidazoles (e.g. febantel, albendazole, mebendazole, etc.) and tetrahydropyrimidines (e.g. pyrantel, morantel, etc.) have no residual effect, i.e. they act against the worms during a few hours after administration but are quickly metabolized and excreted. For this reason treatment must often be repeated for certain indications. This is in contrast with wormers containing macrocyclic lactones (e.g. milbemycin oxime, selamectin) that ensure efficacy against numerous roundworms during weeks after a single treatment.

In numerous countries the same product is also marketed under the trade name PANACUR C.

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.

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