More than 2 billion people in the world are infected with intestinal worms, which lead to malnutrition and decreased energy. The good news is that deworming drugs can eliminate these worms, and prevent them from spreading to other people. This is why it’s so important to deworm your animals regularly.
Deworming (also known as anthelmintic treatment or drenching) is the administration of a drug that kills parasites in humans and animals, including worms, flukes and tapeworms. The most common dewormers are oral medications that are available as flavoured tablets, chewable treats or liquids that are given directly into the animal’s mouth. These drugs are very safe and don’t cause any side effects at all.
AAEP’s current recommended worming program for adult horses includes two treatments per year of a major drug class, such as fenbendazole or mebendazole, and an additional minor drug class, such as praziquantel, which targets tapeworms. These drugs target specific internal parasites by preventing them from obtaining nutrients, causing them to starve and be expelled from the body. The drug classes are listed in the table below along with the worms they treat and the AAEP’s recommendation for the time of year that they should be given.
Recently, a video has been circulating on TikTok and Facebook that claims dog dewormer fenbendazole cures cancer in humans. While preclinical studies are examining this possibility, there is currently no proof that fenbendazole is an effective cancer treatment for humans. However, it does appear to suppress the growth of cancer cells by blocking the proper formation of microtubules that give structure to normal body cells. dewormer for cancer