Anybody tried to buy levamisole-based dewormers lately?

[cmjust0]

Sheesh.. They're just not out there. Nobody has them, and I mean nobody.

I started out looking for levamisole injectable...nothing. Then I decided I'd look for the sheep boluses, even though I personally hate giving boluses...nothing. Then I decided I'd try to find some Prohibit drench powder, even though that seemed like a real PITA since it would require a lot of math, a gram scale, etc...couldn't find that either..

Upon further investigation, I've heard and read several times that levamisole is in phase III trials for human cases of stomach, GI, and colorectal cancer, as well as HIV.. One feedstore guy said that, back when it was available, he had a doc from the local university who would come buy the injectable to treat his own cancer (I asked how that went...he said he hadn't seen the guy in a few years ). The buzz is that the manufacturers are basically putting the brakes on levamisole for animal use and focusing on human use...more money in that, for sure.

What's worrisome about that, as a goat owner, is that we only have three families of wormers to work with..

1) The white wormers (SafeGuard, Panacur, etc) which are basically USELESS in this area..

2) The ____ectin family.. Ivomec has only been marginally successful for years around here, and I personally know of two goat producers who have lost a combined total of at least **8** goats to internal parasites this year, even though they were dosed heavily with the ____ectin wormers. I know for a fact that three of those died after having had several rounds of Cydectin.

3) Levamisole.

Umm...if that 3rd family of wormers goes away forever -- which several knowledgeable folks I've spoken with seem to think has already happened -- and the ____ectins go the way of the white wormers.....WE'RE HOSED.

Could be game over...

Anybody else tried to find levamisole-based wormers lately?!?

 

[Blon Dalone]

I can relate to your concerns. I'm headed to the store now and will see if it's available around here and will post reply if found.

 

[lilhill]

I checked online and ValleyVet had it listed, but it's "not available" right now. :/ That's the only one I found.

 

[cmjust0]

What I'm beginning to think is that "not available right now" is headed toward 'not available ever' pretty quickly..

 

[lupinfarm]

Safeguard? ... Is that like the horse safeguard in the oral paste form? ... Tastes like apples kind of dealio?

 

[cmjust0]

From Jeffers:
...Prohibit soluble powder -- not available
...Levamisole soluble pig dewormer -- not available

From Valley Vet:
...Levamisole injectable -- not available
...Prohibit drench packets -- not available

From PBS Animal Health:
...Levamisole injectable -- not available
...Prohibit drench packets -- not available
...Levamisole soluble pig wormer -- not available
...They actually appear to have the cattle bolus, but you'd have to crush them up, weight them out carefully, and repackage for goats

From Caprine Supply:
...All levamisole products are listed as temporarily unavailable

From Pipestone Vet Supplies: (..never dealt with them..)
...All levamisole products are listed as currently unavailable.

KV Vet doesn't even list levamisole dewormers..

Nasco doesn't list levamisole dewormers..

Hoegger's Goat Supply doesn't list levamisole dewormers either..

American Livestock and Pet Supply (...whom I've never dealt with...)
...Prohibit packets -- call for availability :/
...Levasole Sheep Oblets -- ditto :/
...Levasole soluble pig wormer -- says "call to order" -- looks like they may have this, but I don't know the dosage right off hand.

Mid-states Wool Growers Coop Association (...never heard of'em...)
...All levamisole-based wormers are temporarily unavailable

Register's Sheep and Goat Supplies (..never heard of'em..)
...It appears as though they may have Prohibit packets (whomever "they" are), but not the Pig Dewormer. Site looks sketchy to me, personally... :/


When you start getting past that point, pretty much all the sites look super sketchy..

So...the outlook is a little bleak, to say the least..

 

[cmjust0]

Safeguard? ... Is that like the horse safeguard in the oral paste form? ... Tastes like apples kind of dealio?

Yep...fenbendazole...same stuff.

SafeGaurd is in the benzimidizole family, which also includes Panacur, Valbazen, and Synanthic...maybe more, but those are the ones I know of.

You may hear those referred to as the "white wormers" or "paste wormers" among goat folk in your area.

 

[cmjust0]

SCORE

Guess who just got their hands on a partial (87/100) bottle of name-brand Levasole sheep wormer boluses?

 

[cmjust0]

Oh well...I'm excited for me, so I don't really care what y'all think.

 

[lilhill]