Clinical and pharmacological properties of ivermectin in rabbits and guinea pigs

Abstract

When 400 micrograms ivermectin/kg was administered subcutaneously to rabbits infected with the ear mite Psoroptes cuniculi it significantly reduced the clinical score, and when 500 micrograms ivermectin/kg was administered subcutaneously to guinea pigs with mange due to Trixacaurus caviae it resulted in a clinical cure. In rabbits a subcutaneous dose of 400 micrograms/kg produced high and sustained concentrations of ivermectin in the tissues and body fluids for at least 13 days and its rate of depletion from tissues was similar to that observed in sheep and rats. The mean (+/- sem) maximum concentration in plasma was 42.0 +/- 9.7 ng/ml 37.2 +/- 5.0 hours after administration and the area under the concentration-time curve was 3543 +/- 580 ng/ml hours. After the administration of 500 micrograms ivermectin/kg to guinea pigs orally, subcutaneously or topically the drug could be detected in the plasma only after subcutaneous administration. The mean concentration 72 hours after its administration to four guinea pigs was 0.7 +/- 0.3 ng/ml.

Effects of Ivermectin on Blood-Feeding Phlebotomus papatasi, and the Promastigote Stage of Leishmania major

“…IVM pharmacokinetics are reported to differ markedly among species, and to vary according to formulation, route of administration, sex, age, and physiological status (Cerkvenik and Grabnar 2002). Among small mammals, IVM-treated rabbits and rats are reported to develop high, sustained blood levels of IVM for >13 days, whereas higher doses (500 and 1000 mg=kg) in jirds and guinea pigs are almost undetectable after 48 h (McKellar et al 1992, Sithithaworn et al 1998). …”

Benefits and risks of antimicrobial use in food-producing animals

“…Doramectin and ivermectin helped to prevent infection of Argulus siamensis in carp and Labeo rohita (Hemaprasanth et al, 2012). In rabbit, subcutaneous injection of ivermectin, at dose of 400 mg per kg, not only helped to clinical cure ear mite infection but also prevented loss of fur and thus, played a vital role for the improvement of fur production (McKellar et al, 1992). …”

Biology and Diseases of Rabbits

“…Ivermectin is an effective treatment at dosages of 400-440 μg/kg SC or IM (Curtis et al, 1990;McKellar et al, 1992;Wright and Riner, 1985). Prior to local treatment, the ears should be cleaned gently to remove accumulated exudate.…”