Company name: Bayer plc

Address: Animal Health Division

Bayer House, Strawberry Hill,

Newbury

Berkshire RG14 1JA

Telephone: 01635 563000

Fax: 01635 563622

Email: animal.health@bayer.com

Website: www.bayer.co.uk/animalhealth

Presentation

A white round tablet scored on one side containing 50 mg praziquantel.

Uses

For the treatment of adult tapeworms in dogs and cats. The tablets are effective against both immature and mature forms of adult tapeworms in both dogs and cats.

The product is a highly effective treatment against all the common species of tapeworm infecting dogs and cats in the United Kingdom and Ireland including Echinococcus granulosus, Taenia ovis, Taenia pisiformis, Taenia multiceps, Taenia hydatigena, Taenia taeniaeformis, and Dipylidium caninum. Droncit is also effective against Echinococcus multilocularis (see Contra-indications, Warnings, etc).

Dosage and administration

The recommended dosage rate is 5 mg/kg body weight. This corresponds to 1 tablet per 10 kg body weight.

Dogs:	Body weight
	2.5–5.0 kg	½ tablet
	6.0–10.0 kg	1 tablet
	11.0–20.0 kg	2 tablets
	21.0–30.0 kg	3 tablets
	Over 30 kg	pro rata
Cats:
	Adult cats	½ tablet

Oral administration.

The tablets are administered by opening the animal's mouth and pushing the tablet over the back of the tongue so that it cannot be rejected. Alternatively, a tablet can be wrapped in a piece of meat or butter and offered to the animal or crushed and mixed with the food.

A single dose is all that is required. However, for dogs in rural areas and for packs of hounds this dose should be repeated every four weeks to ensure that newly acquired tapeworms are destroyed before reaching maturity. Dosing must be associated with strict control of the dog's diet to ensure that uncooked offal is not eaten.

Use during pregnancy and lactation

The product may be administered to pregnant females. It is safe to the female herself, to the unborn foetus and to the newborn young.

Contra-indications, warnings, etc

Do not administer to dogs weighing less than 2.5 kg.

Do not administer to unweaned puppies and kittens, as such animals are rarely infected with tapeworms.

Fleas serve as intermediate hosts for one common type of tapeworm - Dipylidium caninum. To avoid reinfection with this parasite, flea control of the animal and its housing should be carried out at the same time. Unless flea control is complete an infected flea population may survive: i.e. re-treatment of the animal may be necessary.

As a precautionary measure to prevent the establishment of Echinococcus multilocularis in the UK and Ireland, it is recommended that all dogs and cats entering the country be treated with praziquantel.

User safety

In the interests of good hygiene, persons administering the tablets directly to the animal, or by adding them to the animal's food, should wash their hands afterwards.

Environmental safety

Any unused veterinary medicinal product or waste materials derived from such veterinary medicinal product should be disposed of in accordance with local requirements.

Pharmaceutical precautions

Do not store above 25°C.

Store in a dry place.

Any part used tablets should be discarded.

Shelf-life of the veterinary medicinal product as packaged for sale: 5 years

Legal category

AVM-GSL

Packaging Quantities

Cartons containing laminated aluminium foil /polyethylene blister pack with either 2 x 10 or 10 x 10 tablet blisters.

Further information

Praziquantel is a pyrazinoisoquinolin derivative, with anthelmintic activity. ATC Vet Code: QP52AA01. The spectrum of action of praziquantel covers all the important species of cestodes in dogs and cats. It specifically includes all Taenia species occurring in dogs and cats, Multiceps multiceps, Joyeuxiella pasquali, Dipylidium caninum, Mesocestoides species, Echinococcus multilocularis and E. granulosus. Praziquantel is effective against all stages of development of these parasites occurring in the intestines of dogs and cats. Praziquantel impairs the normal tegument function of the parasite, making it permeable to excessive glucose loss and thereby more easily attacked by proteolytic enzymes. Because of this, whole tapeworms including the scolex are very rarely passed in the faeces following administration of the drug. Disintegrated and partially digested fragments may occasionally be seen in the faeces. Praziquantel is rapidly absorbed by the animal and metabolised by the liver. It is excreted, entirely as metabolites, in the urine and faeces.