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Treatment regimes for gastrointestinal pathogens and parasites
| Pathogen / Parasite |
Most appropriate safe
treatment |
Precautionary
measures |
| Nematode infestation: Crenosoma striatum &
Capillaria erinacei |
Telmin® (mebendazole) Oral 50 mg/500 g hedgehog,
daily for 5 days. Panacur® (fenbendazole) can also be given orally
(110 mg/500 g animal at 1 week interval or divided over 5 days) |
Watch for hard, dry feces, which sometimes develop
following worming treatment due to blockage caused by dead worms in
the gut. Treat by giving orally 0.3–0.5 ml evening primrose oil /
pediatric liquid paraffin |
| Trematode infestation: Brachylaemus spp. |
Praziquantel injection |
|
| Cestode infestation: Hymenolepis erinacei |
Panacur® as above or Drontal® (praziquantel) (1/8 cat
tablet / 500 g animal). Praziquantel injection also effective |
Watch for hard, dry feces, which sometimes develop
following worming treatment due to blockage caused by dead worms in
the gut. Treat by giving orally 0.3–0.5 ml evening Primrose oil /
pediatric liquid paraffin. |
| Protozoan infestation: Isospora leading to
Coccidiosis |
Bimalong® (Sulfanethoxypyridazine) subcutaneous
injection, 0.04 ml/500 g animal/day for 5 days |
|
| Bacterial infection: Clostridium perfringens |
Baytril® antibiotic injection in the first instance
followed by twice daily orally: 0.5 ml/500 g animal. Septrin®
(trimethoprim): alternative antibiotic (oral) if Baytril® fails to
work. |
As with all cases of diarrhea watch for dehydration.
Treat by regular oral administration of Lectade, an oral electrolyte
rehydration preparation. |
| Bacterial infection: Escherichia coli |
Baytril® antibiotic injection in the first instance
followed by twice daily orally: 0.5 ml/500 g animal. Septrin®
(trimethoprim): alternative antibiotic (oral) if Baytril® fails to
work. |
As with all cases of diarrhea watch for dehydration.
Treat by regular oral administration of Lectade, an oral electrolyte
rehydration preparation. |
| Bacterial infection: Salmonella spp. |
Baytril® antibiotic injection in the first instance
followed by twice daily orally: 0.5 ml/500 g animal. Septrin®
(trimethoprim): alternative antibiotic (oral) if Baytril® fails to
work. |
As with all cases of diarrhea watch for dehydration.
Treat by regular oral administration of Lectade, an oral electrolyte
rehydration preparation. |
Important information concerning drug use relating to
Table 2
* Panacur® (fenbendazole) is generally effective against intestinal
nematodes, flukes, tapeworms, and the lungworm Capillaria erinacei. It is,
however, not so effective against the lungworm Crenosoma striatum. In
addition, the effectiveness of Panacur® is reported to have decreased
generally in England in recent times. This appears to be due to resistance
to the drug, which may have built up in rural areas due to the
administering of Panacur® to sheep, and its subsequent entry into the
water table. Panacur® can be used in the first instance when treating
parasites referred to in Table 1, but if no immediate improvement is seen
it is better then to treat with Telmin® (mebendazole).
** Praziquantel is contained in Droncit® and Drontal®. It can be
administered in the form of Drontal® tablets, either by sprinkling over
the food or by giving orally, dissolved in water. However, animals with a
heavy burden of gut parasites have often suffered damage to the intestinal
wall, which delays or prevents satisfactory absorption of praziquantel
into the blood. In such animals, a subcutaneous injection of praziquantel
is the preferred option as the drug accesses the blood more readily and
generally brings about rapid restoration of normal eating habits and
resultant weight gain.
*** Recent observations suggest that antibiotics such as Baytril®
(enrofloxcin) are metabolized very rapidly by the liver in small mammals
and, as such, removed from the blood system and no longer available to the
tissues. It is therefore recommended to give Baytril® twice daily at the
same dosage as previously (i.e. 0.5 ml/500 g hedgehog twice a day instead
of once a day).
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