Spinosad is a natural insecticide and acaricide with topical and systemic effect (after oral administration). It is highly effective against fleas in pets, against lice and blowfly strike (e.g. Lucilia spp) in sheep, and against poultry mites (e.g. Dermanyssus gallinae, Ornithonyssus spp). It is also effective against cattle ticks and cattle lice. It is not effective against internal parasites.
Spinosad is available for pets mainly in the form of tablets, for livestock in the form of concentrates for spraying or dipping. It is also used against agricultural pests.
So far there are not reports on resistance of veterinary parasites to spinosad. However resistance of houseflies (Musca domestica) to spinosad has been described in strains selected in the laboratory. And several cases have been reported in plant pests that have developed very high resistance ro spinosad.
The table below indicates some usual dosing recommendations for spinosad issued by manufacturers or documented in the scientific literature. They may not be approved in some countries.
| Dosing recommendations for SPINOSAD |
||
| DOGS | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against spinosad-susceptible parasites) |
| Oral (tablets) | Fleas | 45-70 mg/kg; 4-5 weeks protection. |
| CATS | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against spinosad-susceptible parasites) |
| Oral (tablets) | Fleas | 50-75 mg/kg; 4-5 weeks protection. |
| CATTLE | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against spinosad-susceptible parasites) |
| Spray | Cattle ticks | 1500 ppm (=1500 mg/L); <90% control, residual effect <7 days. |
| Spray | Lice | 40 ppm (=40 mg/L); >95% control, residual effect ~7 weeks. |
| Pour-on | Lice | 2 mg/kg; >95% control, residual effect ~7 weeks. |
| SHEEP | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against spinosad-susceptible parasites) |
| Spray | Lice (Damalinia ovis) | 20 ppm (=25 mg/L) in wash; 2-6 weeks off shears; replenishment at 40 ppm. |
| Dip | Lice (Damalinia ovis) | 10 ppm (=10 mg/L) in wash; 2-6 weeks off shears; replenishment at 15 ppm. |
| Jetting | Lice (Damalinia ovis) | 25 ppm (=25 mg/L) in wash; 6 weeks to 6 months off-shears |
| Jetting | Blowfly strike | 25 ppm (=mg/L) in wash. >6 weeks wool length; 4-6 weeks protection. |
| Pour-on | Lice (Damalinia ovis) | 8-15 mg/kg; 24 hours after shearing |
| Pour-on | Lice (Damalinia ovis) | 10-20 mg/kg; 6-12 months off-shears |
| POULTRY | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against spinosad-susceptible parasites) |
| Spray | Dermanyssus gallinae | 2000-4000 ppm (= mg/L) in wash. ~0.4 L/animal; only for off-animal use (cages, floors, hiding places, etc.) |
| Spray | Ornithonyssus spp | 1035 ppm (=mg/L) in wash. ~0.4 L/animal; apply mainly around the vent. |
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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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