Brand: DROCIT ® INJECTION
Company: ELANCO (BAYER)
FORMULATION: «injectable» solution
ACTIVE INGREDIENT(S): PRAZIQUANTEL: 56.8 mg/mL
CHEMICAL CLASS of the active ingredient(s): ISOQUINOLINE
INDICATIONS: DOGS and CATS
PARASITES CONTROLLED* (spectrum of activity):
- Cats: Tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum, Taenia taeniaeformis)
- Dogs: Tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum, Taenia pisiformis, Echinococcus granulosus, Echinococcus multilocularis)
* Can be slightly different in some countries: read the product label!
RECOMMENDED DOSE*:
- Dogs ≤5 lbs. ≈ ≤2.2 kg bw: 0.3 mL (equivalent to ≥7.7 mg/kg praziquantel)
- Dogs 6 to 10 lbs. ≈ 2.7 to 4.5 kg bw: 0.5 mL (equivalent to 10.5 to 6.3 mg/kg praziquantel)
- Dogs 11 to 25 lbs. ≈ 5 to 11.3 kg bw: 1 mL (equivalent to 6.7 to 5.0 mg/kg praziquantel)
- Dogs >25 lbs. ≈ >11.3 kg bw: 0.2 mL/5 lbs., max 3 mL (equivalent to ≥5 mg/kg praziquantel)
- Cats <5 lbs. ≈ <2.2 kg bw: 0.2 mL (equivalent to >5.2 mg/kg praziquantel)
- Cats 6 to 10 lbs. ≈ 2.7 to 4.5 kg bw: 0.4 mL(equivalent to 8.4 to 5.0 mg/kg praziquantel)
- Cats >11 lbs. ≈ >5 kg bw: max 0.6 mL (equivalent <6.8 mg/kg praziquantel)
* Can be slightly different in some countries: read the product label!
SAFETY
- LD50 (acute oral) in rats: n.a. for the solution. 2840 mg/kg for praziquantel
- Estimated Hazard Class according to the WHO: not applicable for veterinary medicines
Suspected poisoning? Read the article on praziquantel safety in this site.
You may be interested in the following articles in this site dealing with the general safety of veterinary products:
- Safety for humans
- Safety for domestic animals
- Safety for the environment
- Hazard classifications of pesticides
RESISTANCE PREVENTION
Risk of resistance development? NO
There are no reports on resistance of tapeworms to praziquantel more than 30 years after its introduction and intensive use.
Learn more about resistance and how it develops.
MARKETING
Are the active ingredients of this product ORIGINAL* or GENERICS**?
- Praziquantel: 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 and other countries
GENERIC BRANDS available? YES, in some countries.
Click hear to learn more about GENERIC vs. ORIGINAL drugs.
COMMENTS
DRONCIT INJECTION is an original praziquantel formulation for dogs and cats against tapeworms from BAYER.
Praziquantel is a veteran isoquinoline anthelmintic introduced in the 1970s (by BAYER). It is effective against numerous tapeworm species (Dipylidium caninum, Taenia pisiformis, Echinococcus granulosus, Echinococcus multilocularis) but has no efficacy whatsoever against roundworms, hookworms or whipworms. It is the anthelmintic most vastly used against tapeworms in pets. There are hundreds of antiparasitic brands for pets containing praziquantel, but rather few as an injectable.
In some countries BAYER marketed a praziquantel spot-on (DRONCIT SPOT-ON for cats) as well as praziquantel tablets (DRONCIT).
Praziquantel has no residual effect, i.e. it act against the worms during a few hours after administration but is quickly metabolized and excreted. For this reason treatment must often be repeated for certain indications.
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.