Morantel
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These belong to the tetrahydropyrimidines class of drugs and a known by farmers as yellow drenches. The product code in the UK is 2-LM.
Levamisole
- This is one of the most widely used anthelmintics and can be given orally, by injection or as a pour on.
- It is active against adult Nematodes, but has limited action against the larval stages, especially the hypobiotic phase.
- It is a cholinergic agonist at neural and neuromuscular junctions causing a spastic paralysis of the nematode. The nematodes succumb rapidly to it.
- It is rapidly absorbed and excreted and it's potency is related to it's peak plasma concentration. Therefore pour-on products need a higher dose, as they are absorbed more slowly, to reach the same plasma concentrations.
Morantel
- This works in a similar fashion to levamisole but isn't absorbed by the alimentary tract.
- It has limited activity against larval forms and so has little uses.
- Morantel is used in some rumenal boluses.
- Pyrantel, a similar product, is used for against equine cestodes.