Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Treatment of larval mesocestoidosis in dogs using fenbendazole
By Venco, Luigi et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2021·Clinica Veterinaria Lago Maggiore, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Successful treatment of pleural and peritoneal larval mesocestoidosis with fenbendazole in two dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two dogs were diagnosed with a serious condition called larval mesocestoidosis, caused by a type of intestinal tapeworm. They were treated with a medication called fenbendazole at a lower dose than typically used, which helped clear the infection. Both dogs received the treatment twice a day for a period of time and showed improvement. This case suggests that fenbendazole can be effective for this condition without the higher risk of side effects associated with larger doses.
People also search for: dog tapeworm treatment · fenbendazole dosage for dogs · symptoms of mesocestoidosis in dogs
Abstract
Mesocestoides spp. are common intestinal tapeworms of dogs and cats. The presence of numerous larval stages in the pleural or peritoneal cavities causes larval mesocestoidosis, that is a potentially life-threatening disease in massive infection. In vivo diagnosis of larval mesocestoidosis is challenging and confirmed diagnosis is often made post-mortem. For this reason, therapeutic recommendations are empirical and there is currently no data on the best treatment options in dogs and cats. Both fenbendazole and praziquantel have been used to treat canine larval mesocestoidosis but failure of complete clearance of larvae has been described for both. Treatment with fenbendazole at 100 mg/kg orally twice a day, for 1-3 months has been reported as being effective. However, it is known that administration of high, off-label doses of fenbendazole can lead to adverse reactions. Here, we report the efficacy of fenbendazole at a lower dosage (50 mg/kg twice a day) in two dogs with pleural and peritoneal mesocestoidosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34474796/