Absorption and efficacy of a spot-on combination containing emodepside plus praziquantel in reptiles

摘要

Oral treatment of nematodiasis in reptiles can be very challenging, especially in stressed, uncooperative or dangerous species. A combination of emodepside and praziquantel (Profender~R, Bayer) for topical application might be a better treatment option. A pharmacokinetic study was performed with 12 healthy adult specimens from different reptile species with different types of skin. Blood was collected before treatment and at 3 intervals (5, 24 and 48 hours) after treatment with topical emodepside/praziquantel at a dosage of 0.56 ml per kg bodyweight (bw), corresponding to 12 mg emodepside and 48 mg praziquantel per kg bw. Serum from 20 untreated specimens was collected and pooled as baseline data. The results showed that both actives penetrate reptile skin, as seen in the cat, and can be found in the serum at different levels depending on the species. Reptiles with a thicker integument showed relatively low concentrations for both praziquantel and emodepside. In addition, a dose titration study wasperformed to establish an effective dose, depending on the type and thickness of the integument. A dose of 4 drops per 100 g (1.12 ml per kg bw, 24 mg emodepside and 96 mg praziquantel per kg bw) was found to be effective in thick-skinned reptiles.