Dichlorvos is a broad-spectrum organophosphate highly effective against many external livestock and pet parasites such as flies, ticks, mites, lice, fleas, mosquitoes, human bot flies (torsalo), etc. but is completely ineffective against internal parasites when administered topically (i.e. on the skin). In Latin America is used abundantly to control bot flies (Dermatobia hominis) in cattle.

As most organophosphates, dichlorvos products are used for topical administration to cattle and sheep, either as concentrates (mainly for spraying) or in ready-to-use larvicidal dressings and a few pour-ons for livestock. It is also used in low-cost topicals for dogs such as shampoos, soaps, sprays. Dichlorvos is often used in combination with other compounds (mainly synthetic pyrethroids). It is also used in crop protection and household pesticides.

In the past dichlorvos was also used for oral administration to cattle and sheep as an anthelmintic drench. Nowadays usage has alsmost disappeared because it has been replaced by newer, more effective and less toxic compounds.

Resistance to all organophosphates is already very frequent in many regions, particularly in cattle ticks, houseflies, mosquitoes, fleas, blowfly strike, etc.

The table below indicates some usual dosing recommendations for dichlorvos issued by manufacturers or documented in the scientific literature. They may not be approved in some countries.

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In most finished products, efficacy and safety depend not only on the amount of active ingredient(s) but also on their formulations (i.e. the type and amount of so-called inert ingredients), particularly in injectables and in topical pour-ons and spot-ons. These inert ingredients can significantly affect the pharmacokinetic behavior (e.g. absorption through the skin or from the injection site, distribution within the body, spreading throughout the body surface, etc). Generic products usually contain the same amount of active ingredient(s) as the original product, but often in quite different formulations. In many cases, the curative (therapeutic) efficacy of the different formulations is quite comparable, but the protective (prophylactic) efficacy that determines the length of protection against re-infestations may be rather different.

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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