Effectiveness of oxfendazole against early and later 4th-stage Strongylus vulgaris in ponies.

The research focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of oxfendazole in combating the 4th-stage Strongylus vulgaris in pony foals. Oxfendazole demonstrated significant effectiveness against early and late 4th-stage S. vulgaris larvae.

Research Methodology

• The researchers enlisted 20 pony foals that were brought up worm-free, aged between 6.5 to 10 weeks. These foals were inoculated with Strongylus vulgaris parasites.
• After the inoculation, the foals were separated into 5 groups of 4. A week later, one group was treated with one dose of oxfendazole at a rate of 10mg per kilogram of the foal’s body weight. Another group was given two doses of the same treatment 48 hours apart. A third group was given a placebo as a control.
• All treatments were administered directly to the stomach using a stomach tube. After three weeks, the foals underwent euthanasia and necropsy to test the effectiveness of the treatment against the early fourth-stage larvae of S. vulgaris.
• A fourth group of foals received two doses of the OFZ treatment about eight weeks post-inoculation. The fifth group received a placebo. These foals were euthanatized and necropsied five weeks post-treatment to evaluate the drug’s efficiency against the later fourth-stage larvae.

Research Findings

• Oxfendazole was found to be 80% effective against early 4th-stage S. vulgaris after one dose and 94.9% effective after two doses.
• Two doses of OFZ were also found to be 96.6% effective against the later fourth-stage larvae of S. vulgaris. This data indicates a strong performance in combating the parasites at various development stages.

Conclusion

• The research highlights the successful use of oxfendazole against the Strongylus vulgaris in both the early and later stages of the fourth larval stage. Therefore, this drug demonstrates significant potential in combating such parasite-related health issues in pony foals.