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Background The present study evaluated the therapeutic effectiveness of moxidectin 1.0% (w/v) and imidacloprid 10% (w/v) (Advocate® spot-on solution for cats, Bayer Animal Health) against natural infections with the eyeworm Thelazia callipaeda in cats. This study was conducted as a GCP, negative-controlled, blinded and randomised field study in privately owned cats living in an area in southern Italy where T. callipaeda is enzootic. Methods The study was carried out in 30 cats (19 females and 11 males, aged from 8 months to 5 years, weighing 1.2–5.2 kg) of different breeds, naturally infected by T. callipaeda. At study inclusion (Day 0), animals were physically examined and the infection level was assessed by examination of both eyes for clinical score and live adult T. callipaeda count. Each cat was weighed and randomly assigned to one of the treatment groups (G1: Advocate, G2: untreated control). Clinical assessments and T. callipaeda adult counts were performed on Day 14. At the study completion visit on Day 28, clinical assessments and counts of T. callipaeda adults and larvae were performed. All cats were daily observed by their owners and general health conditions were recorded during the entire period of the study. Results The primary effectiveness variable was the percentage of animals in G1 group (Advocate) showing a complete elimination (parasitological cure) of adult eye worms at Day 14 and Day 28 . The effectiveness of the treatment in the G1 group was 93.3 and 100% at Day 14 and Day 28 , respectively, when compared to group G2. Total worm count reduction from both eyes for Advocate was 96.3% on Day 14 and 100% on Day 28. Clinical data were confirmed by the examination of conjunctival pouch flushing. An overall reduction in the number of cats with lacrimation and conjunctivitis was observed following treatment despite the fact that in a few cats treated with Advocate clinical signs persisted due to the chronic nature of the disease. Conclusions Based on the results of the present trial, a single dose of Advocate was found to be safe and highly effective in the treatment of natural T. callipaeda infection in cats.

Background In three randomized, controlled laboratory efficacy studies, the efficacy in the prevention of patent infections of a topical combination of imidacloprid 10%/moxidectin 1% (Advocate® spot-on formulation for cats, Bayer Animal Health GmbH) against larval stages and immature adults of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus , as well as the treatment efficacy of a single or three monthly treatments against adult A. abstrusus , were evaluated. Methods Cats were experimentally inoculated with 300–800 third-stage larvae (L3). Each group comprised 8 animals and the treatment dose was 10 mg/kg bodyweight (bw) imidacloprid and 1 mg/kg bw moxidectin in each study. Prevention of the establishment of patent infections was evaluated by two treatments at a monthly interval at three different time points before and after challenge infection. Curative efficacy was tested by one or three treatments after the onset of patency. Worm counts at necropsy were used for efficacy calculations. Results In Study 1, the control group had a geometric mean (GM) of 28.8 adult nematodes and the single treatment group had a GM of 3.4 (efficacy 88.3%). In Study 2, the control group had a GM of 14.3, the prevention group had a GM of 0 (efficacy 100%), while the treatment group had a GM of 0.1 (efficacy 99.4%). In Study 3, the GM worm burden in the control group was 32.6 compared to 0 in all three prevention groups (efficacy 100% for all of those groups). Conclusions The monthly administration of Advocate® reliably eliminated early larval stages and thereby prevented lung damage from and patent infections with A. abstrusus in cats. Regarding treatment, a single application of Advocate® reduced the worm burden, but it did not sufficiently clear the infection. In contrast, three monthly treatments were safe and highly efficacious against A. abstrusus .

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of imidacloprid 10 %/moxidectin 2.5 % (w/v) spot-on (Advocate®/Advantage® Multi, Bayer) against adult Dirofilaria repens in a blinded, placebocontrolled randomised laboratory study. Twentyfour Beagle dogs were experimentally infected with approximately 75 infective D. repens larvae each on study day (SD) 0. Treatment was initiated on SD 228 after patency had been confirmed in 21 dogs, using a modified Knott Test. Eleven dogs received monthly treatments with imidacloprid/moxidectin at the minimum therapeutic dose (10 mg/kg imidacloprid and 2.5 mg/kg moxidectin) for six consecutive months and 12 control dogs were treated with a placebo formulation. Approximately one month after the last treatment, all dogs were euthanised and necropsied for the detection of D. repens worms. Eleven control dogs harboured live adult D. repens (range 2–11, geometric mean 5.44). Eight of 11 imidacloprid/moxidectin-treated dogs were free of live worms. The live worm count was reduced by 96.2 % (range 0–1, geometric mean 0.21). The majority of dead worms were encapsulated and degenerated. After the first treatment, Knott Tests were negative in all imidacloprid/moxidectin-treated dogs and this status was maintained in 10 dogs until study end. One dog showed a low microfilariae count (1 and 4/mL) on four occasions but was also negative before necropsy. The treatment was well tolerated by all study animals. It is concluded that six consecutive monthly treatments with imidacloprid/moxidectin spot-on are effective and safe against adult D. repens and provide an option for preventing the further spread of this zoonotic parasite.

The coccidia Isospora felis and Isospora rivolta are intestinal parasites occurring worldwide in domestic cats. In young cats, they can be detected with higher prevalence.The effects of toltrazuril in the new combination product Procox® oral suspension for dogs containing 0.1 % emodepside and 2 % toltrazuril (0.9 mg emodepside + 18 mg toltrazuril per ml) were studied in eighteen kittens experimentally infected each with a total of 1 x 105 oocysts of a mixture of Isospora felis and Isospora rivolta. In the infectious material, the quantitative relation of I. felis and I. rivolta was about 1:5. Following a three-days period after infection, two groups of 6 kittens were treated during the prepatent period with either a single dose of 0.45 mg emodepside + 9 mg toltrazuril/kg body weight or 0.9 mg emodepside + 18 mg toltrazuril/kg body weight. A group of six kittens without any treatment served as a control. On day 5 post infection, the untreated kittens started the excretion of oocysts. Treatment with both toltrazuril doses significantly reduced oocyst excretion. Following the single higher dose, the reduction of oocysts of both Isospora spp. was more pronounced (96.7 % to 100 %) in comparison to the lower dose (57.2 % to 100 %). The Procox® application was well tolerated and no adverse events were seen with any of the applied dosages.When administered to kittens and as a single treatment during the prepatent period, Procox® is suitable to control the number of oocysts excreted in the faeces in case of an Isospora felis and Isospora rivolta infection.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an emodepside 2.1 % (w/v)/praziquantel 8.6 % (w/v) topical solution (ProfenderR spot-on for cats) in the prevention of lactogenic Toxocara cati infections. A controlled test was performed with two groups of 8 cats with confirmed pregnancy. All cats were infected with daily doses of 2000 T. cati eggs for 10 consecutive days starting 50 days post conception to produce an acute infection. Treatment was performed 60 days post conception. Queens in the treatment group received the emodepside/praziquantel solution at the minimum therapeutic dose (3 mg/kg emodepside and 12 mg/kg praziquantel), while the control group was treated with a placebo spot-on. Efficacy was evaluated 56 days post partum by necropsy of one randomly selected kitten of each litter and comparison of the worm burdens between the study groups. Additionally the necropsy results were supported by quantification of worms expelled with the faeces after deworming of the remaining kittens and all queens. The treatment in late pregnancy resulted in an efficacy of 98.7 % (p < 0.0001). All necropsied control kittens were infected (geometric mean 30.6). Seven of 8 kittens from treated mothers were free of T. cati (geometric mean 0.4). Worm counts after deworming reflected the results obtained at necropsy. No side effects of the treatment were observed. It is concluded that treatment with an emodepside/praziquantel spot-on solution during late pregnancy effectively prevents lactogenic transmission of T. cati to the offspring. The study design facilitated the generation of reliable data, while at the same time a minimum number of animals was sacrificed.

Two exploratory studies were performed to determine the optimum therapeutic dose of Procox® for the removal of experimental infection with mature adult Toxocara (T.) cati and Ancylostoma (A.) tubaeforme in kittens. Procox® is a new oral suspension containing a combination of the nematocidal and coccidiocidal active principles emodepside (0.1 %) and toltrazuril (2 %).In the first study, 18 eight-weeks-old kittens were inoculated with 450 L3 larvae of T. cati. 56 days after infection, the kittens were allocated to three treatment groups and were treated with 0.5 mg emodepside/kg body weight (group 1), 0.25 mg emodepside/kg body weight (group 2) and 0.1 mg emodepside/kg body weight (group 3), respectively. In the second study, 10 eight-weeks-old kittens were inoculated with 350 L3 larvae of A. tubaeforme. Four weeks after infection, the kittens were allocated to two treatment groups and were treated with 0.1 mg emodepside/kg body weight (group 1) or 0.25 mg emodepside/kg body weight (group 2). In both studies, all kittens received a reference treatment with Drontal® (230 mg pyrantel embonate and 20 mg praziquantel per tablet) at the recommended dose of one tablet/4 kg body weight 5 days after treatment with Procox®. Anthelmintic efficacy was calculated by reduction in worm numbers expelled with the faeces following treatment with Procox® as compared with faecal worm numbers after reference treatment with Drontal®, by thus avoiding necropsy of the animals.In the T. cati study, emodepside was at 99.9 %, 100 % and 96.5 % effective at a dosage of 0.5 mg, 0.25 mg and 0.1 mg per kg body weight, respectively. Against A. tubaeforme emodepside was at 95.7 % and 100 % effective at a dosage of 0.1 mg and 0.25 mg per kg body weight. No adverse events were seen during either study.It can be concluded that Procox® is efficacious for the control of mature adult T. cati and A. tubaeforme infections in cats at a single-dose rate of 0.25 mg emodepside/kg body weight.