Today, we will conclude the tapeworm saga. You have been tuning in, same time/same newspaper, to the many episodes of this true-life drama. It has become like The Young and the Restless. Today, we will reveal the killers of the tapeworm.
Firstly, I want you to understand that what you see is not what you get. So many tablets are on the market, some of them from reliable corporations and drug manufacturers of great repute. They all say that the products will kill the tapeworm. Not so! Only few, very specific anti-tapeworm medications will do the job. We’ll get to
that in a minute.
Secondly, you may recall me describing to you how the tapeworm is embedded in the wall of the intestine – via structures (suckers and hooks) which do not allow for easy removal. Your dewormer must therefore kill the head. Damaging the segments which emanate from the head will not get rid of the tapeworm. New segments will just grow again.
So now, we have arrived at the point where the Cestode – killers will be revealed.
i) The best one is called ‘Droncit.’ This product comes in both tablet form and as an injectable. It is made by Bayer, the company that first manufacturered that cure-all called ‘Aspirin.’ These Droncit tablets/injectables are expensive. I tend to overdose slightly, and I fractionalize the dose, ie, one half at first, then the other half 60 minutes later. Also, I give these tablets on an empty stomach (that is after the dog has been starved for at least 12 hours, even though fasting is not absolutely necessary). The manufacturers tell us that we can give these tablets in a crushed form or mixed with a meal. That may be so, but if the animal is not eating (that’s why you took it to the vet in the first place), then you might be wasting your time and money, since you cannot ensure that the infested animal will get the full strength of the medication.
The active ingredient is a chemical called Praziquantel for short (you should see the real name). This drug is capable of removing all stages (adult and immature) of the tapeworms that infect dogs and cats.
Oh, by the way, don’t go looking for the tapeworms after the drug has been administered. Droncit kills the tapeworm, head and all, and the dog’s intestines digest them. Consequently, whole tapeworms, including the head are very rarely passed out with the stool. At best, you’ll see digested pieces of tapeworm in the faeces. A fitting end to a wretch of a worm.
I mentioned earlier that I tend to overdose. It would be better if I expand on this some more, before I get myself into trouble. Firstly, many years of using this product has allowed me to come to the conclusion that I get better results when I use this anti-tapeworm medication at slightly higher levels than those recommended by the manufacturer. Obviously, one should not attempt overdosing with every drug. Secondly, the manufacturers, because of studies on controlled safety evaluations, have established a safety index which show that dosages of five (5) times the advised rate, even at 14-day intervals, in dogs as young as four weeks, did not produce clinical signs of toxicity.
Thirdly, the effective dosage of this drug varies according to body weight. Small dogs/cats require relatively larger dosages because of their higher metabolic rate.
ii) ‘Yomesan,’ also from Bayer, is an excellent anti-tapeworm medication, Niclosamide is the active ingredient (for those of you who are perfectionists, and who are making a collection of these columns).
Treatment should not be carried out on a full stomach (the animal’s, not yours). The last meal should be given at least 12 hours before treatment. The tablet has a bad taste, so you must place it at the back of the tongue to prevent vomiting. Elimination of dead tapeworms could occur as early as six hours after treatment (these will be intact). Both pregnant and young animals can be treated safely with this product.
iii) The third anti-tapeworm dewormer of my choice is called ‘Scolaban.’ The active ingredient is Bunamidine. I think it was the drug company Coopers that perfected this cestodicide. It is pretty effective against tapeworms in small cats and dogs. It comes only in tablet form. The tablets should normally be administered whole and should not be broken, crushed, mixed with food or dissolved in liquid. With this particular product care should be taken to ensure that no pieces of small particles (tablet dust) come in contact with the eye of the dog/cat. Also, this product cannot be given to unweaned puppies and kittens.
If you cannot find these drugs on the market, you’ll have to get them from your veterinarian or from a friend overseas. Really, only your vet should be advising you on the treatment of tapeworms.
iv) ‘Mebendazole’ is easily available on the market and boasts of its ability to kill tapeworms. I personally am not convinced that any Thiabendezole derivate does a good job against tapeworms. Also, one needs to administer these tablets morning and evening for five consecutive days. Let’s face it: that’s not easy.
Of course, in all cases, re-treatment may be necessary if the premises/animals cannot be kept flea-free.
Also, veterinary guidance in the usage of these drugs (irrespective of what the label says) is necessary and recommended. Always keep the animal quiet after administering the tablets. Some of them might vomit out the tablets. I should mention that if the tapeworm burden is extremely heavy and the animal is constipated, then you may wish to give a laxative later. If the animal is exhibiting a diarrhoea, wait until it clears up (as a result of veterinary treatment) before giving the tapeworm tablets. Lastly, beware of those products that say they can kill roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms. They are not optimally effective against dog/cat tapeworms.
Please implement disease preventative measures (vaccinations, routine dewormings, monthly anti-heartworm medication, etc) and adopt-a-pet from the GSPCA’s Animal Clinic and Shelter at Robb Street and Orange Walk, if you have the wherewithal to care well for the animals. Do not stray your unwanted pets, take them to the GSPCA Clinic and Shelter instead. If you see anyone being cruel to an animal, get in touch with the Clinic and Shelter by calling 226-4237.
