Albendazole for dogs.

Dr. Marie replied:

Albendazole is not commonly used for deworming for dogs. It has several brand names:

• Albenza


• Eskazole


• Zentel


• Andazol

Albendazole is used to treat a number of parasites in cattle and sheep but is not labelled for use in dogs.

It is occasionally used by some vets to treat some uncommon parasites in dogs such as Filaroides and capillariasis.

Will it treat common parasites like roundworms and hookworms? It does not have a label claim for these parasites in dogs and cats. It is labelled for roundworms in cattle, but these are a different type of parasite than roundworms in dogs.

Should you use it? No!

Albendazole carries a lot of significant possible side effects including lack of appetite, gastrointestinal distress and a serious bone marrow problem called aplastic anemia.

There are many dewormers that are available for dogs and I would advise sticking to ones that are meant for dogs rather than trying a large animal product like this. Most of the over the counter dewormers that you can buy at the pet store generally do work well for common parasites if you use them according to the label directions.

---

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.