Imidacloprid is an antiparasitic active ingredient used in veterinary medicine in dogs, cats and livestock against external parasites (fleas, flies, lice, etc.).
It is also used against agricultural and household pests.
Imidacloprid is a contact insecticide without systemic effect that belongs to the chemical class of the neonicotinoids. It is highly effective against fleas and certain lice species, but not against ticks or mites, or any internal parasites. It is often used in combination with a tickicide/acaricide (e.g. cypermethrin, permethrin).
Imidacloprid is abundantly used in dogs and cats, mainly in spot-ons and in a few collars and low-cost sprays, shampoos, soaps, etc. Use in livestock is marginal, with a few pour-ons for cattle (against horn flies) or sheep (against lice).
The table below indicates some usual dosing recommendations for imidacloprid issued by manufacturers or documented in the scientific literature. They may not be approved in some countries.
| Dosing recommendations for IMIDACLOPRID |
||
| DOGS | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against imidacloprid-susceptible parasites) |
| Spot-on (10%) | Fleas | 10-25 mg/kg; 4-5 weeks protection |
| Spot-on (10%) | Lice (Trichodectes canis, Linognathus setosus) | 10-25 mg/kg |
| CATS | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against imidacloprid-susceptible parasites) |
| Spot-on (10%-on) | Fleas | 10-25 mg/kg; 4-5 weeks protection |
| Spot-on (10%-on) | Lice (Felicola subrostratus) | 10-25 mg/kg |
| CATTLE | ||
| Delivery | Parasites | Dose (against imidacloprid-susceptible parasites) |
| Pour-on (4%) | Horn flies | 2-5 mg/kg |
| Pour-on (4%) | Lice | 2-5 mg/kg |
| SHEEP | ||
| Pour-on (3.5%) | Lice | 7-9 mg/kg |
| Pour-on (2%) | Lice | 8-20 mg/kg |
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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 topical pour-ons and spot-ons. These inert ingredients can significantly affect the pharmacokinetic behavior (e.g. absorption through the skin, 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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