Anyone Else Finding This With The Drontal Puppy Wormers

[Everythings Shiny]

So we have a few dog breeders that always buy drontal at work.

One breeder has done a bit of a clinical trial with two litters of pups. He gave half of the pups in each litter the worming suspension, half of them the drontal small dog and pup tablets.

The pups that had the tablets all shat out roundworms the next day. The other pups did not. Second dose (two weeks later) he gave them all the tablets. The ones who had been done previously with the suspension all shat out roundworms.

Now the client has come in and asked about this as the tablets and suspension (which are both for puppies) contain a slightly different make up.

So I was tasked with speaking to Bayer about why this was the case.

Their answer is that the tablets are specifically made for Australian use only (no other country gets the exact same tablets) as we have roundworms that are a little more resiliant to their wormers. Apparently the worming suspension is their "Global" product. Even though they sell more of the suspension here than they do the tablets, they make more money off the tablets.

Now what I don't understand is, why make/sell two puppy products in Australia that are different. If they made the tablets for Australian 'standards', couldn't they make the suspension like it too?

We have now changed clinic policy that if a breeder asks for our recommendation, we recommend the tablets, it does work out a little dearer, but at least it gets rid of all the worms, unlike the syrup had been.

Has anyone else seen/heard this before? I was a little surprised at the outcome (yes I know it wasn't a scientific experiment but it does raise questions when it is in TWO litters, not one)

This particular breeder is going to do some more 'trials' over the next few months and let us know how he goes

[Aziah]

Yep same here, no longer use the syrup, IMO it's not effective.

[Dogs4Fun]

Agree that the suspension is unreliable.

[oakway]

I have also had word's with Bayer over the suspension.

I now use another product to worm my puppies.

[Everythings Shiny]

Thanks guys, we are now running a 'trial' through our a few of our breeder clients to work out the most effective way to worm the babies

Oakway - what product do you use?

[Rysup]

I've always used Troy suspension on my babies, but must say I have never tested it against other products.

[Edenblue]

We've always reccomended the tablet product over the suspension. We sell so little of the suspension now (and we're a big clinic) that we dont keep it on stock and its a special order product only.

[oakway]

The same as Rysup Troy Worm Ban

[dancinbcs]

This is nothing new.

I worked for one of the first large pet supply warehouses about 20 years ago. The owners were very experienced Greyhound breeders and they told me the same thing about the puppy worming suspensions then. Even though we sold them, we were instructed to advise customers that we did not recommend them as effective. The owners had tested all the wormers on their Greyhound litters and found all the puppy suspensions absolutely useless.

After that I never used one again and moved to tablets. I had also found that my puppies hated the suspension and managed to spit most of it out anyway, whereas a a small tablet given with a little Nutrigel was readily accepted. One breeder friend also had a puppy inhale the puppy suspension into it's lungs so that was another strike against it for me. The tablets are much easier to dose and far more effective in removing the worms.

[bridie]

We've always reccomended the tablet product over the suspension. We sell so little of the suspension now (and we're a big clinic) that we dont keep it on stock and its a special order product only.

Very interesting.Only problem would be how would the small breeds get on with tabs as pups are wormed as of 2-4-6-8 weeks of age.Most likely manage at 4 weeks on.

[WreckitWhippet]

Good topic. I've just been through exactly the same thing, although I have long suspected that the suspension is crap.

I wormed my babies at 2 weeks with suspension ( I'd thought twice about buying it, as I just worm them with a tablet at 2 weeks ), next worming at four weeks I gave them a tablet and the worm burden left me stunned and feeling like a dirty breeder, who'd failed my pups.

I haven't recieved a response from Bayer, other than the automated reply that comes with an email and that was 4 or 5 weeks ago. That reminds me to follow it up.

ETA: when I wormed my babies at 2 weeks, I knew exactly what they weighed, calculated the dose and added a little extra to account for any that failed to make it to the stomach.

Edited October 16, 2010 by ReadySetGo

[bridie]

Good topic. I've just been through exactly the same thing, although I have long suspected that the suspension is crap.

I wormed my babies at 2 weeks with suspension ( I'd thought twice about buying it, as I just worm them with a tablet at 2 weeks ), next worming at four weeks I gave them a tablet and the worm burden left me stunned and feeling like a dirty breeder, who'd failed my pups.

I haven't recieved a response from Bayer, other than the automated reply that comes with an email and that was 4 or 5 weeks ago. That reminds me to follow it up.

ETA: when I wormed my babies at 2 weeks, I knew exactly what they weighed, calculated the dose and added a little extra to account for any that failed to make it to the stomach.

Yes,I weigh them always,Drontal is over the top with price so have switched to Troy.....Troy has fingers in a few pies...ha ha ha !

What does ETA stand for...see it often?

[Lab lady]

What does ETA stand for...see it often?

Edited to add

I use the suspension at 2 weeks then tablets from then on, mainly because the suspension is so fiddly and messy, they hate the stuff and it's so hard to really know if they get the correct dose. Will be tablets from now on.

[oakway]

Good topic. I've just been through exactly the same thing, although I have long suspected that the suspension is crap.

I wormed my babies at 2 weeks with suspension ( I'd thought twice about buying it, as I just worm them with a tablet at 2 weeks ), next worming at four weeks I gave them a tablet and the worm burden left me stunned and feeling like a dirty breeder, who'd failed my pups.

I haven't recieved a response from Bayer, other than the automated reply that comes with an email and that was 4 or 5 weeks ago. That reminds me to follow it up.

ETA: when I wormed my babies at 2 weeks, I knew exactly what they weighed, calculated the dose and added a little extra to account for any that failed to make it to the stomach.

Don't feel badly we have all been in this situation when when we have used Bayer.

If this helps............I found when the bitches were on Ivomec for Heart Worm monthly, the puppies born had little or no worm burden what so ever.

[OSoSwift]

I have always recommended tablets unless the babies were a small breed and just too small for them.

The suspension is usually strongly rejected by puppies and very messy. A small pil or part of down the hatch is much easier and a lot less messy.

This info just cements my decision!

[Sandra777]

I used the suspension once when it first came out, totally useless. Puppies hated it, spat most of it out and washed each other with it. And as for the lunacy of making a "chocolate'' flavoured anything for puppies, well I think I know where the sense and research for that came from :D

ETA: actually answering the question :D I switch between whatever pills I can get at the time with a litter, no set pattern but rarely the same brand twice in a row.

Edited October 16, 2010 by Sandra777

[Everythings Shiny]

When i was breeding the kelpies, I had no problems getting the suspension down. They hated the troy syrup (but so did I as it only does round worms) and we're good to do with Drontal Syrup.

But now all I recommend is either PopantelF tablets (generic of Drontal) or the Drontal tabs.

[bridie]

When i was breeding the kelpies, I had no problems getting the suspension down. They hated the troy syrup (but so did I as it only does round worms) and we're good to do with Drontal Syrup.

But now all I recommend is either PopantelF tablets (generic of Drontal) or the Drontal tabs.

Being generic I would have thought means I'd pay less,I paid more than for Drontal

Must check it out online with others.

[Moselle]

Do any of you use Exelpet all wormer? When I was breeding I would use the Exelpet all wormer tablets for the puppies and not once have I found that the pups shat worms ??? I am starting to question why this is the case; is it that the pups simply didn't have worms or is it that perhaps Exelpet is not as efficient as Drontal???

[Everythings Shiny]

PopantelF here is several dollars cheaper than Drontal.

Excelpet wormers never worked on my babies. My first ever little I gave them some, no wormy poo's. 2 weeks later, drontal was used and there was lots of large wormy poo's.