Brand: AMMO ® ROTATIONAL WORMER

Company: CEVA

FORMULATION: «oral paste» in pre-charged syringes

ACTIVE INGREDIENT(S): oxfendazole: 18.5% (= 185 g/kg)

CHEMICAL CLASS of the active ingredient(s): benzimidazole

INDICATIONS

HORSES

PARASITES CONTROLLED* (spectrum of activity)

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

• Adult and immature forms of Parascaris equorum, Oxyuriis equi, Trichostrongylus axei, Strongylus spp., and susceptible small strongyles and adult Habronema microstoma in horses.
• AMMO Rotational Wormer Paste for Horses kills the tissue stages of Strongylus edentatus and aids in the control of the migrating stages of Strongylus vulgaris (59-88% activity) with corresponding reduction in arterial lesions.
• A reduction in the prevalence of associated colic could be expected. It sterilises worm eggs within 24 hours of dosing.

RECOMMENDED DOSE*

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

• 10 mg oxfendazole/kg bodyweight, equivalent to 1 syringe (32.6 g) per 600 kg bodyweight.
• The contents of one 32.6 g syringe are sufficient to treat one horse of 600 kg bodyweight.

SAFETY

• LD50 (acute oral) in rats: >5000 mg/kg (estimate calculated according to the WHO based on the LD50 of the a.i.)
• Estimated hazard class according to the WHO: not applicable for veterinary medicines
  

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

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

• MEAT & OFFAL: AUS Do not use less than 28 days before slaughter for human consumption.
• MILK: Do not use in mares 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:

• Safety for humans
• Safety for domestic animals
• Safety for the environment
• Hazard classifications of pesticides

RESISTANCE PREVENTION

Risk of resistance? YES

• Small strongyles (cyathostomes). Resistance of small strongyles to benzimidazoles is widespread and frequent e.g. in Australia, USA, UK and Europe, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, etc. 
• Parascaris equorum: Cases of resistance to benzimidazoles have been also reported (e.g. in Australia, the USA). 

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:

• Imidazothiazoles, mainly levamisole. Not approved for use in horses in many countries.
• Macrocyclic lactones: mainly ivermectin, moxidectin. But tolerance or resistance to these compounds have also been reported in Europe (e.g. in the UK, Germany, Italy), the USA, and Brazil.
  
• Tetrahydropyrimidines, mainly pyrantel (limited spectrum of activity), but resistance cases have also been reported (e.g. Australia, USA, Brazil, Japan).

These alternative products may not be available in all countries, or may not be available as oral pastes or gels.

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): Australia
GENERIC BRANDS available? YES, but not too many. This product itself is a generic version.

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

COMMENTS

This product is a classic oral paste dewormer for horses from CEVA with generic oxfendazole.

Oxfendazole is a veteran benzimidazole introduced in the 1970s (by WELLCOME) that is moderately used in livestock and horses, rather scarcely in pets. It is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic effective against roundworms in the gut and the lungs, but not against those in the skin. It is also ineffective against gastric bots (Gasterophilus spp) or whatever external parasites. At the recommended dose it is also ineffective against horse tapeworms (Anoplocephala spp). It is not used in agriculture.

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.