Target species
Cattle, sheep and pigs.
Indications for use
For the effective treatment and control of the following harmful parasites of cattle, sheep and pigs:
Cattle:
Gastrointestinal roundworms (adult and fourth-stage larvae):
Ostertagia spp. (including inhibited O. ostertagi)
Haemonchus placei
Trichostrongylus axei
T. colubriformis
Cooperia spp.
Bunostomum phlebotomum
Oesophagostomum radiatum
Strongyloides papillosus (adult)
Nematodirus helvetianus (adult)
N. spathiger (adult)
Trichuris spp (adult).
Lungworms (adult and fourth-stage larvae):
Dictyocaulus viviparus
Eye worms (adult):
Thelazia spp.
Warbles:
Hypoderma bovis
H. lineatum
Mange mites:
Psoroptes bovis
Sarcoptes scabiei var. bovis
Sucking lice:
Linognathus vituli
Haematopinus eurysternus
Solenopotes capillatus
May also be used as an aid in the control of the mange mite Chorioptes bovis and biting lice Damalinia bovis, but complete elimination may not occur.
Persistent Activity
Treatment at the recommended dose rate can control re-infection with Haemonchus placei and Cooperia spp. acquired up to 14 days after treatment, Ostertagia ostertagi and Oesophagostomum radiatum acquired up to 21 days after treatment and Dictyocaulus viviparus up to 28 days after treatment.
To obtain optimal benefit from the persistent activity of the product for grazing animals, it is recommended that calves which are set-stocked in the first grazing season should be treated 3, 8 and 13 weeks after the day of turn-out. This can protect the animals from parasitic gastroenteritis and lungworm disease throughout the grazing season, provided they are set-stocked, all the calves included in the programme and that no untreated cattle are added to the pasture. Treated animals should always be monitored according to good husbandry practices.
Sheep:
Gastrointestinal roundworms (adult and fourth-stage larvae):
Ostertagia circumcincta including inhibited larvae
O. trifurcata
Haemonchus contortus including inhibited larvae
Trichostrongylus axei (adults)
T. colubriformis and T. vitrinus (adults)
Cooperia curticei
Oesophagostomum columbianum
O. venulosum (adults)
Nematodirus filicollis
Chabertia ovina
Trichuris ovis (adults).
Lungworms:
Dictyocaulus filaria (adult and fourth-stage larvae)
Protostrongylus rufescens (adults)
Nasal Bots (all larval stages)
Oestrus ovis
Pigs:
Gastrointestinal roundworms (adult and fourth-stage larvae):
Ascaris suum
Hyostrongylus rubidus
Oesophagostomum spp.
Strongyloides ransomi (adult and somatic larval stages)
Lungworms:
Metastrongylus spp. (adults)
Lice:
Haematopinus suis
Mange mites:
Sarcoptes scabiei var. suis
Contra-indications
Do not use in animals with known hypersensitivity to the active ingredient.
Do not use by intramuscular or intravenous administration.
Special warnings for each target species
Care should be taken to avoid the following practices because they increase the risk of development of resistance and could ultimately result in ineffective therapy:
- Too frequent and repeated use of anthelmintics from the same class, over an extended period of time.
- Underdosing, which may be due to underestimation of body weight, misadministration of the product, or lack of calibration of the dosing device.
Suspected clinical cases of resistance to anthelmintics should be further investigated using appropriate tests (e.g. Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test). Where the results of the test(s) strongly suggest resistance to a particular anthelmintic, an anthelmintic belonging to another pharmacological class and having a different mode of action should be used.
Resistance to ivermectin has been reported in Teladorsagia circumcincta in sheep and Ostertagia ostertagi in cattle. Therefore, the use of this product should be based on local (regional, farm) epidemiological information about susceptibility of these helminth species and recommendations on how to limit further selection for resistance to anthelmintics.
Special precautions for use
Special Precautions for use in animals
The product has been formulated specifically for use in cattle, sheep and pigs. It should not be used in other species as severe adverse reactions, including fatalities in dogs, may occur.
Special Precautions to be taken by the Person Administering the Product to Animals
Take care to avoid self-administration: the product may cause local irritation and/or pain at the site of injection.
Direct contact of the product with the skin should be kept to a minimum.
Do not smoke or eat while handling the product.
Wash hands after use.
Other precautions
When using the 250 ml and 500 ml pack sizes, use only automatic syringe equipment. For the 50 ml pack size, use of a multiple dose syringe is recommended. To refill the syringe, use of a draw off needle is recommended to avoid excessive broaching of the stopper.
Adverse reactions
Cattle:
Transient discomfort has occasionally been observed in cattle following subcutaneous administration. A low incidence of soft tissue swelling at the injection site has been observed.
Sheep:
Discomfort, sometimes intense but usually transient, has been observed in some sheep immediately following subcutaneous administration.
Pigs:
Mild and transient discomfort has occasionally been observed in pigs following
subcutaneous injection.
All these reactions disappeared without treatment.
Use during pregnancy, lactation or lay
Pregnancy:
The product can be administered to beef cows, sheep and pigs at any stage of pregnancy
Lactation:
Do not use in dairy cows or sheep producing milk for human consumption
Do not use in non-lactating dairy cows or sheep within 60 days of calving/lambing. The product can be used in sows during lactation.
Fertility:
Fertility is not affected by administration of the product.
Interactions
The product can be used concurrently without adverse effects with foot and mouth disease vaccine or clostridial vaccine, given at separate injection sites.
Amounts to be administered and administration route
The product should be given only by subcutaneous injection at the recommended dosage level of 200 mcg ivermectin per kg bodyweight under the loose skin in front of, or behind, the shoulder in cattle and over the neck in sheep. At the recommended dosage level of 300 mcg ivermectin per kg of bodyweight, the product should be given only subcutaneously in the neck of pigs.
Each ml contains 10 mg of ivermectin sufficient to treat 50 kg of bodyweight of cattle and sheep and 33 kg of bodyweight of pigs. The injection may be given with any standard automatic or single-dose or hypodermic syringe. Replace with a fresh sterile needle after every 10 to 12 animals.
Injection of wet or dirty animals is not recommended. If using a single-dose or hypodermic syringe, use a separate sterile needle to withdraw the product from the container. Massage the injection site after administration of the product.
In young pigs, especially those below 16 kg for which less than 0.5 ml of the product is indicated, dosing accuracy is important. The use of a syringe that can accurately deliver as little as 0.1 ml is recommended.
In young lambs weighing less than 20.0 kg give 0.1 ml per 5 kg. In these lambs the use of a syringe with can deliver as little as 0.1 ml is recommended.
To ensure administration of a correct dose, body weight should be determined as accurately as possible; accuracy of the dosing device should be checked.
If animals are to be treated collectively rather than individually they should be grouped according to their bodyweight and dosed accordingly, in order to avoid under- or over- dosing.
Overdose
Cattle:Single doses of 4.0 mg ivermectin per kg (20 x the use level) given subcutaneously resulted in ataxia and depression.
Sheep:
At dose levels up to 4 mg ivermectin per kg (20 x the use level) given subcutaneously resulted in ataxia and depression. No signs of systemic toxicity were observed in sheep treated with the product at up to 3 times the recommended dose rate, soft tissue swellings at the injection site were observed.
Pigs:
A dose of 30 mg ivermectin per kg (100 x the recommended dose of 0.3 mg per kg) injected subcutaneously to pigs caused lethargy, ataxia, bilateral mydriasis, intermittent tremors, laboured breathing and lateral recumbancy.
In the case of overdosage, symptomatic treatment should be given.
Withdrawal periods
Cattle:
Meat and offal: 49 days.
Do not use in lactating cows producing milk for human consumption. Do not use in non-lactating dairy cows including pregnant dairy heifers within 60 days of calving.
Sheep:
Meat and offal: 42 days.
Do not use in lactating sheep producing milk for human consumption. Do not use in sheep within 60 days of lambing where milk is to be used for human consumption.
Pigs:
Meat and offal: 28 days.