Fenbendazole For Dogs – Does It Work?

Fenbendazole, also known as Panacur®, Safe-Guard®, is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic medication used to kill and eradicate parasites found in dogs. Broad-spectrum means that it works against various organisms or, in this case, parasites.

Fenbendazole is one of three anthelmintics (antiparasitic) medications approved for use in domestic animals. Fenbendazole was introduced in 1974 and is a white to tan powder that is insoluble (incapable of being dissolved) in water. 

The Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) approves and regulates all new animal drugs. The use of Fenbendazole for dogs is authorized for over-the-counter use. 

Effective veterinary parasiticides like Fenbendazole have selective toxic effects against nematode worms (parasites). It kills the worms and allows the dog to evacuate the dead worms leaving your dog safe and healthy.

There have been times when a dog has experienced chronic diarrhea where a cause cannot be found, so Fenbendazole is commonly suggested. Given for several days in a row, it removes any parasites that have escaped detection in testing. 

Fenbendazole has no drug interactions in small animal use and is safe for use in all pregnant species. 

How does Fenbendazole work?

Fenbendazole selectively binds to a worm's beta-tubulin, a cell's microtubule, disrupting the worm's digestive system while also preventing egg formation. Fenbendazole also causes spastic paralysis of the worms.

Worms have a natural mechanism that causes subtle mutations in their genes, allowing subsequent generations to avoid drug binding and enabling drug resistance. Nevertheless, Fenbendazole has remained highly effective.

Due to Fenbendazole's insolubility in water, there is little mobility of it in soils, and it has a low risk of groundwater contamination. Fenbendazole is introduced into the environment when it is excreted in urine and feces by treated dogs but is not expected to persist in the environment. 

Does Fenbendazole for dogs work?

The best way to determine if Fenbendazole really works is to examine testimonials from pet owners who have used the medication on their dogs. Here are just a few.

A pet owner describes leaving his dog at a kennel where the dog got fleas. The owner took the dog to his veterinarian for treatment of the fleas. The owner went on to say that once the fleas were gone, he noticed tiny white worms in the dog's poop. Finding out that dogs can swallow dead fleas, causing the worms, the owner gave his dog Fenbendazole for three days. The worms were gone.

Another pet owner adopted a dog who developed a severe case of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis within a few weeks of bringing the dog home. Her veterinarian conducted several tests but couldn't pinpoint the problem. After running out of options and multiple visits, the vet decided to try Fenbendazole to cover all bases. The pet owner gave her dog the initial five-day dose and saw immediate results after her dog's first meal. Then she gave a second round of Fenbendazole three weeks later. Her dog has been worm-free ever since.

A different pet owner recently adopted a dog that ended up having Giardia. They had another dog and found out that Giardia was highly contagious. She took the dog to her vet, got the medication, but thought about getting her other dog's feces tested at the same time. Hoping to save more costly visits to her vet, she opted to get more Fenbendazole for dogs. Out of an abundance of caution, she gave both of her dogs the medication. She said it worked, and both of her dogs were clear.

More cases

One other pet owner noticed "some wormy things in the doggy doo." She owned two dogs and thought it was best to get them both treated simultaneously. She got the Fenbendazole and gave each dog the dose recommended on the package for three days. She mixed it up with some plain Greek yogurt and gave it as a cool refreshing treat since it was oppressively hot. The owner noticed by the end of the treatment, "things seemed to have cleared up."

Another pet owner went to their veterinarian, who prescribed useless antibiotics for her puppy's Giardia. She wound up doing some research on her own and found Fenbendazole. She gave her pup a six-day course, and within 24 hours, the explosive, uncontrollable diarrhea was much better. And by day six, it was gone entirely.

They say that word-of-mouth advertising is the best way to market your product. Well, based on these positive reviews, it makes sense to get Fenbendazole for dogs to kill their parasites.