Equimax, Zimectrin Gold, Etc.

[Drifter Saver]

I think I recall this topic being discussed long ago, but I could use a refresher. I am just curious how many of you use Zimectrin Gold or Equimax as a wormer. I have been using Ivomec for several years, but I struggle off and on with tapeworms. I have used Albendazole liquid in the past, but it is a pain to dose/use. I would like to to find something like Z-gold or Equimax that I could substitute for the Ivomec every few months.

If you use it, chime in. If you use something different, let me hear about it. I would also like to hear your dosage recommendation (data driven if possible). Thanks.

[Wagonmaster]

One of the companies has a really good brochure out on rotation of wormers. I will try dig it up.

PS you are talking about horses aren't you? Not dogs?

[Drifter Saver]

Truthfully John I am talking about dogs. I have heard various people using these products on dogs, and I am looking for potential hands on input as over the counter tape worm meds for dogs aren't easily available around me.

[Wagonmaster]

You can buy them mail order or through your vet. I use Interceptor. Have tried Revolution, which is applied to the nap of the neck, and Heartguard which is a chewable brick. A very good vet told me that they occasionally see whole bricks of Heartguard pass through a dog undigested, and the Revolution is too much of a mess, so I use the Interceptor. Buy six months at a time. I just have never had worm problem, and thus no vet bills for deworming. I tried some of the de-worming products that an owner can buy and used them, and I just wouldn't do it again. I used some stuff from Happy Jack that was mostly ketone or acetone, the poor dog was very drousy and offgassing that stuff in her breath. Besides which they are cancer causing agents, so I stick with the stuff approved for dogs.

Some people use Ivomec and you can probably find someone who can give you the dosage.

[RayGubernat]

Driftersaver -

I was curious as to your question and I did some checking. The recommended dose for Praziquantel in dogs is 5mg/kg. The max dose in the charts approaches 10mg/kg.

So if you have a 55# dog(25kg X 2.2=55 lb), the correct dose of Praziquantel to administer for tapeworms is 125mg (25kg X 5 mg/kg).

I looked at Equimax. It contains 14.3% praziquantel. The syringe(single dose for a 1250# horse) holds 6.42 g.

Therefore, 6420mg X 0.143= 900mg of Praziquantel per syringe. Unless you can dispense the syringe in 9 or 10 increments, ofr have some wya to weigh the dose, I would be afraid to overdose a dog.

Thomas Labs sells Praziquantel tabs, 34mg. They are labelled for fish, but it is the same active ingredient.

RayG

Edit add: I just realized tat in order to get 100 mg of Praziquan , you will also be getting waaay too much Ivermectin, like 2-3X too much. Not a good idea.

[solon]

I bought 50 mg tabs of praziquantel from Canadavet.com. However the last time I looked, that strength was not offered anymore.

Solon

[mcbosco]

there are a lot of worming questions on here...both Heartguard Plus and Interceptor are pretty much bullet proof on all but tape worms, which you leave to the vet...jmo

are you doing this a preventive step or does the dog have worms?

[shags]

If you give enough Zimecterin Gold to take care of tapewworms, you're overdosing the the ivermectin by about 7X. Equimax has twice the tapeworm med (praziquantel), but using it still gives you way too much ivermectin (2-3X). IMO it's not worth risking liver or kidney damage to save the money on praziquantel.
Some folks use the Z-Gold at a lower dose that has a safer amount of ivermectin, but that really underdoses the praziquantel. If they claim success with it, it may be because they don't have a tapeworm problem to begin with.
I've had good luck with the messy, inconvenient Safeguard goat wormer, but if/when that fails for my dogs' occasional tapeworm problems, I'll spring for the cheapest (but still relatively expensive) praziquantel I can find, rather than ODing the dogs on ivermectin.

[Brittguy]

Zimerctrin Gold can cause mouth ulcers in horses.A friend had some cases in his barn we did some research and found that to be one of the cautions. I don't think I would use it on a dog. I don't use it with my horses.

[Meller]

Read Charlie Rose's post's on Zimectrin Gold used on dog's; I think he has used it for quite a while; don't know for sure! Would'nt hurt to look him up and ask.

[mcbosco]

I asked the large animal vet at the stable about using Zimecterin Gold on dogs for tapeworms and he just looked at me all confused...just thought I'd past that on...

[Greg Jennings]

He'd probably look at you the same if you mentioned using plain Ivermectin horse paste for dogs. That wouldn't make him right.

Many, many folks have been using either the liquid/injectable given orally or the horse paste for years and years. Ivermectin is ivermectin.

Unless we're talking about herding dogs. That's another story. No ivermectin for the herding dogs.

I found this link in my Favorites. I haven't read it in a while and don't have time right now.

http://www.sleddogcentral.com/forum/top ... 3A+General

[mcbosco]

maybe for parasites other than tapeworms, from the USDA:

1. Type of parasite being treated, i.e., ivermectin does not kill tapeworms or flukes.

that was my point before....

[ezzy333]

maybe for parasites other than tapeworms, from the USDA:

1. Type of parasite being treated, i.e., ivermectin does not kill tapeworms or flukes.

that was my point before....

I think I have heard you poo poo the USDA as totally unreliable when they tell us that dogfood is an excellent source of nutrients for our dogs and set the standards that they are manufactured to meet.

But you are right about the tape worms. But many if not most dogs have little problem with tape worms. But there are several wormers available over the counter for them also.

Ezzy

[Greg Jennings]

The other ingredient in the Z-Gold does kill tapes and does it very well.

The problem is, as mentioned, that to get an efficacious dose of the praziquantel, you overdose on the Ivermectin. The Ivermectin has a very wide "safe" dosage window, as in when it is used for mange, etc, but why risk it?

I used Abendazole (Valbazen) prophylactically for a while, but decided I was wasting time, money and the slight risk of side effects to the dogs. Nowadays, I just watch them like a hawk and keep Flagyl and Drontal Plus on hand.

IMHO, everyone out to keep Flagyl on hand.... nothing spoils a trip out of town like a dog with explosive, green, ing-smelling diarrhea.

[mcbosco]

"Curcurbitin is a constituent in pumpkin seeds that has shown anti-parasitic activity in the test tube.8 Human trials conducted in China have shown pumpkin seeds to be helpful for people with acute schistosomiasis, a severe parasitic disease occurring primarily in Asia and Africa that is transmitted through snails.9 Preliminary human research conducted in China and Russia has shown pumpkin seeds may also help resolve tapeworm infestations"

interesting stuff