Fenbendazole is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic belonging to the benzimidazoles, effective against roundworms and, depending on the dose, also against some tapeworms (e.g. Moniezia spp) as well. It is ineffective against flukes (e.g. Fasciola hepatica adults) at the usual therapeutic dose. It is completely ineffective against external parasites.
Oral administration is the rule. It is used massively in all kinds of livestock (mainly in drenches and feed additives), and abundantly in pets (often in tablets, pills, etc. or oral suspensions) and horses (mostly in oral pastes & gels). There are hundreds of generic brands worldwide, also in mixtures with other anthelmintics.
Fenbendazole is not used against agricultural or household pests.
Unfortunately, resistance of gastrointestinal roundworms to all benzimidazoles in sheep, goats, cattle and horses is a major problem in numerous countries. Not so yet in pets, swine or poultry.
In ruminants, a 50% reduction of the diet 36 prior and 8 hours after treatment slows down the passage through the stomach, which increases the bioavailability of benzimidazoles and their metabolites and consequently its efficacy against gastrointestinal parasites.
In carnivores (incl. dogs and cats) delivery with the food increases the bioavailability of all benzimidazoles resulting in a better efficacy.
All benzimidazoles have almost no residual effect, i.e. they kill the parasites during a few hours after treatment but offer no significant protection against re-infestation.
The table below indicates some usual dosing recommendations for fenbendazole issued by manufacturers or documented in the scientific literature. They may not be approved in some countries.
| Dosing recommendations for FENBENDAZOLE |
||
| DOGS | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against fenbendazole-susceptible parasites) |
| Oral | Gastrointestianl roundworms | 50 mg/kg/day x3 days |
| Oral | Ascarids (Toxocara, Toxascaris) |
50 mg/kg/day x3 days |
| Oral | Ascarids: Prevention of prenatal or lactogenic transmission |
5 mg/kg/day from day 40 of pregnancy till 2 days after birth |
| Oral | Angiostrongylus vasorum | 20-50 mg/kg/day, x5 days |
| Oral | Capillaria aerophila | 50 mg/kg 2x/day, x10-14 days |
| Oral | Capillaria plica | 50 mg/kg/day x3 days, rep 1x50 mg/kg after 3 weeks |
| Oral | Crenosoma vulpis | 50 mg/kg/day x3 days |
| Oral | Filaroides hirthi | 50 mg/kg/day x14 days |
| Oral | Filaroides osleri | 50 mg/kg/day x10 days |
| Oral | Paragonimus kellicotti | 20-50 mg/kg/day x5 days |
| Oral | Taenia spp | 50 mg/kg/day x3 days |
| Oral | Trichinella spiralis (in muscle) | 25 mg/kg 2x/day x5 days |
| Oral | Trichuris vulpis | 50 mg/kg/day x3 days, rep after 2-3 weeks & after 2 months |
| CATS | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against fenbendazole-susceptible parasites) |
| Oral | Gastrointestianl roundworms | 50 mg/kg/day x3-5 days |
| Oral | Aelurostrongylus abstrusus | 50 mg/kg/day x3-4 days |
| Oral | Capillaria aerophila | 50 mg/kg/day, x10 days |
| Oral | Capillaria feliscati | 35 mg/kg 2x/day x3-10 days |
| Oral | Paragonimus kellicotti | 50 mg/kg/day x10-14 days |
| CATTLE | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against fenbendazole-susceptible parasites) |
| Oral | Roundworms | 5-7.5 mg/kg |
| Oral | Roundworms | 1 mg/kg/day x5-10 days, mixed with feed |
| Oral | Dictyocaulus viviparus | 5-7.5 mg/kg, rep after 4 weeks if needed |
| Oral | Fasciola hepatica, adults | 15 mg/kg/day x6 days |
| Oral | Moniezia spp | 10 mg/kg |
| Oral | Ostertagia ostertagi inhibited larvae | 10 mg/kg |
| Oral | Giardia spp | 10 mg/kg 2x/day x 3 days |
| SHEEP | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against fenbendazole-susceptible parasites) |
| Oral | Roundworms | 5-10 mg/kg |
| Oral | Dicrocoelium dendriticum | 100-150 mg/kg; or 25 mg/kg/day x5 days |
| Oral | Fasciola hepatica, adults | 150 mg/kg; or 10-30 mg/kg/day x5 days |
| Oral | Moniezia spp | 5-15 mg/kg |
| Oral | Muellerius capillaris | 20-40 mg/kg; or 5 mg/kg x6-14 days |
| GOATS | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against fenbendazole-susceptible parasites) |
| Oral | Roundworms | 5 mg/kg |
| Oral | Roundworms | 5 mg/kg x5 days, mixed with feed |
| Oral | Dicrocoelium dendriticum | 100 mg/kg; or 25 mg/kg x5 days; or 10 mg/kg x10 days |
| Oral | Fasciola hepatica, adults | 150 mg/kg; or 30 mg/kg/day x5 days |
| Oral | Moniezia spp | 5-15 mg/kg |
| Oral | Muellerius capillaris | 15 mg/kg x2 days, rep after 35 days |
| SWINE | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against fenbendazole-susceptible parasites) |
| Oral | Roundworms | 3-6 mg/kg |
| Oral | Roundworms | 20 ppm in feed x5 days; sows 100 ppm |
| Oral | Roundworms | 10 ppm in feed x10 days; sows 50 ppm |
| Oral | Ascaris suum | 10 mg/kg |
| Oral | Ascarids (migrating larvae) | 3 mg/kg/day x3 days |
| Oral | Metastrongylus spp | 25 mg/kg |
| Oral | Stephanurus dentatus | 3 mg/kg/day x3 days |
| Oral | Strongyloides spp |
5 mg/kg/day x3 days |
| Oral | Trichuris suis | 25 mg/kg |
| HORSES | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against fenbendazole-susceptible parasites) |
| Oral | Roundworms | 5-7.5 mg/kg |
| Oral | Ascarids | 10 mg/kg |
| Oral | Ascarids (migrating larvae) | 10 mg/kg/day x5 days |
| Oral | Dictyocaulus arnfieldi | 7.5-10 mg/kg |
| Oral | Habronema spp | 10 mg/kg/day x5 days |
| Oral | Oxyuris equi (immatures in the gut) | 10 mg/kg |
| Oral | Cyathostomins (mucosal larvae) | 7.5 mg/kg/day x5 days |
| Oral | Strongyloides westeri | 50 mg/kg |
| Oral | Strongylus spp (migrating larvae) |
10 mg/kg/day x5 days; or 50 mg/kg/day x3 days; o 60 mg/kg 1x |
| Oral | Thelazia lacrimalis | 10 mg/kg/day x5 days |
| Oral | Trichostrongylus spp | 50 mg/kg |
| SOUTH AMERICAN CAMELIDS | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against fenbendazole-susceptible parasites) |
| Oral | Roundworms | 5-15 mg/kg |
| Oral | Moniezia spp | 10 mg/kg x3 days |
| POULTRY | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against fenbendazole-susceptible parasites) |
| Oral | Ascarids | 10-50 mg/kg, rep after 10 days |
| Oral | Ascarids | (Chicken) 15-25 mg/kg/day x3 days |
| Oral | Ascarids | (Pheasants, partridges) 120 ppm in feed x3 days; or 60 ppm in feed x6 days |
| Oral | Capillaria spp | 10-50 mg/kg x5 days |
| Oral | Heterakis spp | (Pheasants, partridges) 60 ppm in feed x6 days |
| Oral | Syngamus trachea | (Pheasants, partridges) 120 ppm in feed x3 days; or 60 ppm in feed x6 days |
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Dosing recommendations for antiparasitics depend on national regulations. National regulatory authorities determine whether a product is approved for a given indication, i.e. use on a particular host at a specific dose and against a specific parasite. Check the labels of the products available in your country for specific information on approved indications.
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