Safety of elevated dosages of a 0.24% diflubenzuron pellet administered orally to horses.

The research article studies the safety of a certain type of insect growth regulating pellet for horses that proves effective in controlling manure-breeding flies. The findings conclude that the horse’s health remains unscathed and there are no adverse reactions linked to the pellets.

Investigative Approach

• The researchers evaluated the safety of a feed-thru pellet formulation containing the insect growth regulator diflubenzuron, particularly its effectiveness in controlling manure-breeding flies in horses.
• The pellets were given orally to the horses at varying doses, 0, 1, 3, and 5 times the clinical dosage. This dosage (between 0.12 to 0.20 mg/kg) was administered daily, for 31 consecutive days.
• The team monitored several variables, including daily clinical observations, hematology, coagulation, serum chemistry, acetylcholinesterase inhibition, body weights, and physical examinations.

Findings

• The study found that throughout the research period, the health of the horses remained unaffected, and there were no adverse reactions or incidents linked to the administraton of the pellets.
• Statistical analysis revealed that out of the 44 serum chemistry and hematologic variables measured, only four showed significant difference among the dose groups. However, these dissimilarities were not dose related.

Conclusion

• Based on the study’s outcomes, diflubenzuron was deemed safe for oral administration to horses at a dosage range of 0.12 to 0.20 mg/kg. This provides an effective means to control manure-breeding flies in horse stables.