Anti-strongyle activity of a propylene glycol-glycerol formal formulation of ivermectin in horses (mares).

The study evaluated the effectiveness of a propylene glycol-glycerol formal formulation of ivermectin in treating strongyle infections in horses. The results indicate a significant decrease in strongyle egg counts after treatment, supporting the efficacy of this ivermectin formulation.

Study Methodology

• The researchers used four groups of 10 horses (mares) each for the study.
• Each group was administered with various dosages of ivermectin, either orally or via a nasogastric tube, along with a control group that was given oxibendazole orally.
• Fecal examinations were carried out before the treatments and later on post-treatment days 14, 28, 42, 56, and 70.
• The examinations included Strongyle egg per gram counts and sugar flotation fecal examinations.

Results and Findings

• The researchers found that strongyle egg per gram counts before treatment were similar across all horses, providing a fair base for comparative evaluations.
• All horses treated with the ivermectin had a significant reduction in strongyle egg per gram counts after treatment. Moreover, the reduction rates were consistently high, reaching 100% on post-treatment days 14, 28, and 56, and ranging from 93.4% to 98.7% on day 70.
• All ivermectin treatment groups had no horses detected as passing strongyle eggs on post-treatment days 14 and 28, thus showing the efficacy of the drug and its formulation for a considerable period after the treatment.
• The study found that by post-treatment day 70, the number of horses detected as passing strongyle eggs increased slightly, but was still far lower than in the oxibendazole-treated horses.
• Horses treated with oxibendazole showed progressive reduction in strongyle egg per gram counts over time, but the percentages were lower than those in Ivermectin-treated horses.

Conclusion

• Overall, the research findings show the considerable efficacy of the propylene glycol-glycerol formal formulation of ivermectin in reducing strongyle infections in horses.
• The researchers observed no adverse reactions to any of the treatments, indicating that these treatment methods are safe for the horses.
• While ivermectin was significantly more effective against strongyles than oxibendazole, the presence of some amount of strongyle eggs at the end of the study suggests that resistance could be a potential issue for future research.