Rabbit worming

Re: Rabbit worming

HMC — Sat, 07 Jun 2014 18:03:41 GMT

[quote user="Laurence Webb"]

[quote user="James Laidlaw"]I think fenbendazole isn't actually a licensed product for EC either but is on some "exemption scheme" or special license? [/quote]Not sure about Panacur, but Lapizole is

[/quote]

From the NOAH compendium:

Lapizole® 20 mg/ml Suspension for Oral Administration

Legal category

SAES

Panacur Rabbit 18.75% Oral Paste

Legal category

SAES (This veterinary medicine is marketed in accordance with the Small Animal Exemption Scheme.)

Re: Rabbit worming

Laurence Webb — Sat, 07 Jun 2014 17:50:31 GMT

[quote user="James Laidlaw"]I think fenbendazole isn't actually a licensed product for EC either but is on some "exemption scheme" or special license? [/quote]Not sure about Panacur, but Lapizole is

Re: Rabbit worming

HMC — Sat, 07 Jun 2014 17:39:54 GMT

Never seen an adverse fenbendazole reaction. I have been known to do a haematology on older bunnies prior to initiating treatment, just in case, and explaining to the owner, to cover myself.

Re: Rabbit worming

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 23:33:32 GMT

How 'real' is FBZ toxicity in bunnies? Is it one of those theoretical conditions or are people seeing it regularly?

I'm not convinced that sporadic worming of small groups of bunnies is likely to contribute in any significant way to resistance in the parasite.

Re: Rabbit worming

HMC — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 19:18:29 GMT

I recommend treatment/prophylaxis according to Neil Forbes' advice: http://www.gwexotics.com/wccms-resources/d/e/c/c/c372dd60-9d0c-11e0-a685-0050568626ea.pdf

(I had done the same with my own bunnies prior to coming across Great Western Exotics, but it's nice to affirm what I had believed).

I always use 10% solution without exception - I cannot fathom the dosing for Panacur Rabbit (a rabbit's weight must be in multiples of 2.5kg??!) and justify this by saying that the rabbit version is not really licensed anyway.

And yes, Marie, more research needs to be done...

Re: Rabbit worming

Charlotte Marshall — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 19:18:07 GMT

I don't use panacur as a routine. I read the study they were quoting when they launched it and I did not feel it justified routine treatment for Ec.

Re: Rabbit worming

Richard Rice-Grubb — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 16:01:43 GMT

Which in effect means you can use standard puppy/kitten panacur liquid under the cascade if you want. I often find that easier when treating for the (currently recommended) 28 days in terms of volume needed to treat and ease of dosing smaller rabbits accurately.

I agree entirely with Marie's post above though - definitely in 2 minds re: treatment. Not keen on routine use as can't see the benefit at all really.

Re: Rabbit worming

Sarah Keir — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 13:50:27 GMT

James you are right. I didn't realise Panacur for rabbits doesn't have a license - sneaky!

From the NOAH website:

SAES The SAES permits certain medicines to be placed on the market without a marketing authorisation (MA), subject to certain conditions. (The Regulatory body, the VMD, refer to this scheme as 'Exemptions for Small Pet Animals'). This exemption scheme applies only to veterinary medicines labelled exclusively for use in one or more of the following animals that are not intended for human consumption: aquarium animals (including fish kept in closed water systems), cage birds (meaning birds kept in cages or aviaries), homing pigeons (meaning pigeons kept for racing or exhibition), terrarium animals (meaning reptiles, amphibians and arthropods kept in tanks and cages - including animals free-living in domestic gardens), small rodents (meaning domestic mammals of the order rodentia), ferrets and rabbits.

SAES products included in the 2014 publication

Full list of SAES products included in the 2014 publication:-

Chanelle Animal Health Limited

Animec Maxi

Animec Micro

Zerofen 2.5% for Minor Species

Zeromet Spot-on

Dechra Veterinary Products

Lapizole

Mycozole

Xenex Ultra Spot-On

Xeno 50-mini

Xeno 200 Spray

Xeno 450

MSD Animal Health

Panacur Rabbit 18.75% Oral Paste

Re: Rabbit worming

Kathryn Burton — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 13:47:48 GMT

Our practice (like many) runs direct debit 'health care' schemes, including one for rabbits that includes their 'essential' wormer for the year. It makes me feel very uncomfortable - on one hand we should be practising EBVM, but on the other the boss likes health care plan sign ups!

Re: Rabbit worming

James Laidlaw — Sun, 01 Jun 2014 09:50:23 GMT

I think fenbendazole isn't actually a licensed product for EC either but is on some "exemption scheme" or special license? Read the packet and this becomes more obvious. Can cause pancytopenia and bone marrow suppression in rabbits too. I tend to discuss as Marie has said and adv only to treat once in young bunnies once they are as close as possible to the syringe graduation dose weight of 2.5 kg for 9 days, OR to only treat if clinical signs develop or there is a risk of exposure to wild rabbits' urine where they are kept.

Re: Rabbit worming

Marie Kubiak — Sun, 01 Jun 2014 09:43:56 GMT

Can't see any benefit to this at all. If you're not treating an infestation and there is no zoonotic transfer being prevented then all you're doing is stressing the rabbit and exposing the low level of parasites there to fenbendazole repeatedly with the likelihood of selecting a resistant population long-term.

Marie

Re: Rabbit worming

Sarah Keir — Sat, 31 May 2014 12:08:17 GMT

Thank you for your reply Maire. Is there any evidence that worming 4 times a year with Panacur is useful?

Re: Rabbit worming

Marie Kubiak — Fri, 30 May 2014 18:28:07 GMT

I don't routinely worm bunnies, helminth endoparasites are uncommon and often asymptomatic even when present. Those few that present with visible worms in faeces we worm more to stop the owners freaking out than for clinical need!

I still can't decide if attempting to treat EC is a good or bad idea. Data suggests that treatment is not successful in every case even if protracted courses are given. Toxicity is idiosyncratic and rare but can be severe and potentially fatal so this is off-putting for blanket treating everything. However, most rabbits will become seropositive and EC 'may' cause immunosuppression, renal disease and CNS lesions in an unknown proportion of these. I tend to discuss the lack of clear information to guide either way with the owners and will be more convinced to treat for single/small groups that are clinically well and young (so hopefully no established lesions) in a situation where further exposure is unlikely (not put back on same grazing, closed group etc) but can see little point in EC prophylaxis with fenbendazole if re-exposure is likely. We are incredibly under-informed considering the popularity of pet rabbits and apparent prevalence of this parasite and until a lot more work is done there are too many gaps to have a uniform policy.

Marie

Re: Rabbit worming

Bob Russell — Fri, 30 May 2014 17:11:51 GMT

John Chitty indicated at a CPD meeting that he was not pro routine worming with fenbendazole partly because it has some potential for toxicity in rabbits and if parasites become resistant to it there may be nothing left in the armory!

Hopefully not misrepresenting his opinion!

Re: Rabbit worming

Rebecca MacMillan — Fri, 30 May 2014 16:38:17 GMT

I'd be interested to know the right answer to this too! I'm not sure if I should be promoting routine treatment more for people with new pet bunnies (in case of E.cuniculi) - I've had conflicting advise.