Brand: ALUDEX ® 50 g/L Concentrate Cutaneous Solution ®

Company: MSD ANIMAL HEALTH


FORMULATION: «wash»

ACTIVE INGREDIENT(S)*: AMITRAZ 50 g/L (= 5.0%)

CHEMICAL CLASS of the active ingredient(s): AMIDINE


INDICATIONS: DOGS

PARASITES CONTROLLED* (spectrum of activity)

  • For the control of demodectic and sarcoptic mange mites.

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


RECOMMENDED DOSE:

  • Demodectic mange:
    Use 50 ml Aludex concentrate per 5 litres of water (or 100 ml per 10 litres of water for large dogs, equivalent to 500 ppm=mg/L). Whatever quantity of wash is required it is essential that the initial concentration is not varied from 1 part Aludex to 100 parts water (0.05 % w/v amitraz).
    Repeat the treatment at intervals of 5-7 days until neither live mites nor viable eggs can be identified microscopically by skin scrapings. Alternatively, continue treatment for at least 3 weeks after all overt clinical symptoms have subsided
  • Sarcoptic mange:
    Use 25 ml Aludex per 5 litres of water (or 50 ml per 10 litres water for large dogs, equivalent to 250 ppm=mg/L). Do not vary the concentration from 1 part Aludex to 200 parts water. (0.025 % w/v amitraz).
    Repeat treatment at weekly intervals for 2 to 6 weeks.
  • Application method:
    • 1. If necessary, shampoo the dog to remove dirt and grease. Long-haired animals can be clipped prior to treatment if
      required.
    • 2. Prepare the dog wash outdoors or in a very well ventilated area by adding the appropriate amount of Aludex concentrate to the required volume of clean warm water, stirring to ensure complete mixing. Prepare only the required amount of wash for the individual treatment. Diluted, fouled wash becomes unstable after 6 hours and must be safely discarded. Note that sufficient wash should be prepared to allow complete immersion of the dog’s paws and to enable complete wetting of the animal. 5 litres of the diluted wash is normally a minimum requirement and up to 10 litres may be required for larger dogs.
    • 3. In the well ventilated area, stand the dog in a suitable bath or sink and pour the diluted Aludex wash over the animal, gently working into the skin and hair with a soft brush or sponge to ensure that the dog is thoroughly wetted to the skin in all areas. Avoid excessive contact with mucosal membranes.
    • 4. DO NOT rinse the dog, but remove it from the bath and allow it to dry naturally in a warm draught-free place. Alternatively, it can be a good idea to take the dog for a short walk after treatment to allow it to start to dry. This also helps to disperse the solvent fumes and stops the dog licking itself and ingesting the wash. Using an Elizabethan collar to prevent licking can also be helpful on some dogs.
    • 5. Avoid handling the dog after treatment until the coat is dry.

SAFETY

  • LD50 (acute oral) in rats: n.a. for the collar. For the active ingredient amitraz 600 to 800 mg/kg depending on the carrier.

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

WARNING !!!: Never use on cats products approved only for dogs. Amitraz is toxic to 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? NO

There are currently no reports on resistante of demodectic or sarcoptic mange mites to amitraz.

Learn more about resistance and how it develops.


MARKETING

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

  • 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 (maybe under another TM) Ireland.
GENERIC BRANDS available? YES, but not in all countries. Amitraz products are quite rare in Europe.

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


COMMENTS

ALUDEX is a classic wash/bath for dogs with amitraz from MSD (MERCK) ANIMAL HEALTH (formerly INTERVET) against demodectic and sarcopric mange mites.

Amitraz is an amidine acaricide and insecticide introduced in the 1970s (by BOOTS & CO). Amitraz was the first amidine (also called formamidines) used against ticks on cattle and it followed the organochlorines and organophosphates that had been discovered in the 1950s-1960s. It is still massively used in livestock in tropical and subtropical regions, but rather scarcely in pets. It is also used in agricultural pesticides. Amitraz kills and repells ticks but has no effect whatsoever on fleas. It has also a detaching and repellent effect on ticks. The label claim of 3 months protection is substantially longer than most alternative products (spot-ons, tablets, etc.). Amitraz has no effect whatsoever on fleas or mosquitoes that affect dogs.

Topical products (mainly spot-ons, insecticide-impregnated collars and also sprays, baths, washes, aerosols, soaps, shampoos, etc.) have some advantages over systemic products (mainly tablets for oral administration and injectables):

  • Most topical products kill or sterilize the parasites before they bite and suck blood on the pet, whereas systemic products kill or sterilize the parasites only after their blood meal.
  • Topical products cannot be vomited.
  • Spot-ons and collars are very convenient to administer.
  • There is a larger choice of topical products.

But topical products have also some disadvantages:

  • Topical products contaminate the pet's hair coat and it is advisable for children and also adults to avoid contact with the pet for several days after treatment.
  • Topical products may not control parasites in some parts of the pet's body (e.g. the ears, below the tail, between the legs, etc.), whereas systemic products reach the blood-sucking parasites through the blood wherever they are.
  • Efficacy of topical products may be reduced or shortened through exposure to dirt, sun, shampooing, washing, rain, baths, etc., whereas efficacy of systemic products is independent from these factors.
  • Compared with spot-ons and collars, washes, sprays, baths, soaps and the like have also the inconvenience of cumbersome administration that frequently leads to incorrect use.

For an overview and a list of the most popular pet antiparasitics for flea, tick, lice and/or mite control 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.