Antiprotozoals

Question 1

Name four drugs commonly used to treat coccidiosis in puppies.

Answer 1

• sulfadimethoxine (Albon) or sulfaquinoxaline
• amprolium (Corid)
• ionophores (monensin, lasalocid)
• ponazuril (Marquis)

Question 2

What drug class (or an example drug in that class) predominates in both cattle and poultry
operations as the main coccidiostat in use today?

Answer 2

Ionophores

- monensin (Coban, Rumensin), lasalocid (Bovatec)

Question 3

What drug has largely replaced metronidazole in the treatment of giardiasis in dogs and cats?

Answer 3

Fenbendazole

- binding to tubulin cytoskeleton causes inhibition of cytoskeleton polymerization and impaired glucose uptake

Question 4

Paronamycin is seldom used anymore due to the risk of nephrotoxicity. Though its efficacy in
animals is unclear, what other drugs are sometimes used to treat cryptosporidiosis?What is the
only drug approved to treat cryptosporidiosis in humans?

Answer 4

• Azithromycin (macrolide): used for a speedy recovery

- Nitazoxanide (Alinia) is the only approved treatment in humans for giardia and cryptosporidiosis

Question 5

Decoquinate (Deccox) is approved for the management of coccidiosis. Name two other conditions it
is used in as an extra‐label antiprotozoal.

Answer 5

• equine protozoal myelitis

- canine hepatozoonosis: used long term after initial therapies

Question 6

Name two treatments for toxoplasmosis.

Answer 6

• clindamycin: careful with treating pulmonary form

- pyrimethamine + sulfadiazine

Question 7

What is the treatment of choice for Balantidiium coli in swine?

Answer 7

Tetracyclines

Question 8

Ronidazole is an unapproved drug compounded to treat what condition in cats?

Answer 8

Trichomonad diarrhea

• has a bad taste
• some risk of CNS side effects

Question 9

Atovaquone with azithromycin is used extra‐labelly to treat what two protozoan diseases?

Answer 9

• the carrier state for babesiosis

- feline cytauxzoonosis (60% survival rate)

Question 10

For which drug we use to treat Babesia canis do we usually first treat with atropine because of its
cholinergic side‐effects?

Answer 10

Imidocarb diproprionate (Imizol)

• is a carbamate
• given IM, SQ q14 days for 2 (canis) to 4 (gibsoni) injections
• is very effective against canis, reduced parasitemia with gibsoni but requires 3-4 treatments (dogs may remain chronic carriers)

Question 11

Name the three drugs or drug combinations commonly employed as treatments for EPM. For which
drug is a loading dose commonly used.What dietary changes are often recommended when dosing
pyrimethamine‐sulfa (Rebalance) versus ponazuril (Marquee)?

Answer 11

• pyrimethamine + sulfadiazine (ReBalance solution): dietary folic acid decreases bioavailability (fasting is required)
• ponazuril (Marquis): requires a loading dose dose and feeding of corn oil immediately before administering to increase bioavailability (25%)
• diclazuril (Protazil)
• decoquinate + levamisole (Oroquin-10)

Question 12

Name the three drugs used in combination to treat acute canine hepatozoonosis.What drug is often given as a life‐long medication to keep hepatozoonosis in remission?

Answer 12

• clindamycin
• potentiated sulfonamide
• pyrimethamine
• decoquinate is given as life-long follow up medication

Question 13

Allopurinol is sometimes used to treat what protozoan disease in dogs?

Answer 13

Leishmaniasis

• given for 24 months
• primary use: management of uric acid urolyths, inhibits xanthine oxidase