Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
A clinical trial of ivermectin against eyeworms in German Shepherd military working dogs.
- Journal:
- U.S. Army Medical Department journal
- Year:
- 2007
- Authors:
- Fudge, Mack et al.
- Affiliation:
- 129th Medical Detachment · South Korea
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
In a study involving 114 German Shepherd military working dogs, researchers wanted to see if giving ivermectin, a medication, every month could help reduce the number of eyeworms (a type of parasite that can infect the eyes) compared to regular care practices. The dogs were split into two groups: one received the ivermectin, while the other got a harmless saline solution. After 25 days, the dogs that received ivermectin had no eyeworms, and even at 50 days, only 5% had them, compared to 24% at the start. In contrast, the control group showed no significant change in eyeworm presence. While ivermectin doesn't stop dogs from getting infected, it does seem to significantly lower the number of eyeworms present when given regularly.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine if monthly ivermectin was efficacious in reducing the observed incidence of eyeworms over a period of 2 months as compared with normal husbandry practices in a population of Republic of Korea Army military working dogs (MWDs). METHODS: Prospective observation of 114 German Shepherd MWDs in a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. MWDs were randomly assigned to either a treatment group receiving a monthly dose of 0.2 mg/kg BW ivermectin orally, or to a control group given an equivalent dose volume and frequency of a saline placebo. A quantitative numerical count of eyeworms found in the eyes of MWDs was conducted at 25-day intervals. RESULTS: The prevalence of eyeworms in the treatment group went to zero at 25 days and remained lower at 50 days (5%) than baseline (24%). Prevalence in the controls remained approximately constant over all treatment times (14% to 18%). CONCLUSION: Although ivermectin does not prevent dogs from being infected with eyeworms, the study suggests that ivermectin administered orally at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg every 3 weeks significantly reduces the prevalence of Thelazia species eyeworms in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20091983/