The combination milbemycin oxime/lufenuron (trade names Sentinel Flavor Tabs, by

Novartis Animal Health Novartis AG is a Swiss-American multinational pharmaceutical corporation based in Basel, Switzerland and Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States (global research).name="novartis.com">https://www.novartis.com/research-development/research-loca ...

, and Program plus) is a

parasite Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has ...

control drug in which the

active ingredient An active ingredient is any ingredient that provides biologically active or other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease or to affect the structure or any function of the body of humans or animals. T ...

milbemycin oxime Milbemycin oxime, sold under the brand name Interceptor among others, is a veterinary medication from the group of milbemycins, used as a broad spectrum antiparasitic. It is active against worms (anthelmintic) and mites (miticide). Mechanism of a ...

, eliminates worms, while a second active ingredient,

lufenuron Lufenuron is the active ingredient in the Veterinary medicine, veterinary flea control medication Program, and one of the two active ingredients in the flea, heartworm, ringworm and anthelmintic medicine milbemycin oxime/lufenuron (Sentinel). Luf ...

, arrests the development of eggs and

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e, preventing them from maturing and continuing the infestation of an animal. This combination is registered for animal use only. To achieve efficacy, the treatment is administered once monthly, together with food, in a dosage suitable for the weight of the affected animal. The usual ratio is 500 μg milbemycin oxime and 10 mg lufenuron/kg body weight. Novartis indicates the proper dosage by color-coding the packages. Several 2002 studies by Novartis demonstrate that milbemycin oxime/lufenuron compares favorably to some other treatments, such as the

moxidectin Moxidectin is an anthelmintic drug used in animals to prevent or control parasitic worms (helminths), such as heartworm and intestinal worms, in dogs, cats, horses, cattle and sheep. Moxidectin kills some of the most common internal and external ...

injection. The combination is considered effective in the elimination of fleas, and the prevention of infection from

hookworm Hookworms are intestinal, blood-feeding, parasitic roundworms that cause types of infection known as helminthiases. Hookworm infection is found in many parts of the world, and is common in areas with poor access to adequate water, sanitation, an ...

(''Ancylostoma caninum''),

heartworm ''Dirofilaria immitis'', also known as heartworm or dog heartworm, is a parasitic roundworm that is a type of filarial worm, a small thread-like worm, that causes dirofilariasis. It is spread from host to host through the bites of mosquitoe ...

(''Dirofilaria immitis''),

roundworm The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhabiting a broa ...

whipworm ''Trichuris trichiura, Trichocephalus trichiuris'' or whipworm, is a parasitic roundworm (a type of helminth) that causes trichuriasis (a type of helminthiasis which is one of the neglected tropical diseases) when it infects a human large intes ...

s (''Trichuris vulpis''), and ascarids (''

Toxocara canis ''Toxocara canis'' (also known as dog roundworm) is a worldwide-distributed helminth parasite of dogs and other canids. The name is derived from the Greek word "," meaning bow or quiver, and the Latin word "caro," meaning flesh.Bassert , J., & T ...

'' and ''

Toxascaris leonina ''Toxascaris leonina'' is a common parasitic roundworm found in dogs, cats, foxes, and related host species. ''T. leonina'' is an ascarid nematode, a worldwide distributed helminth parasite which is in a division of eukaryotic parasites that, ...

''). The USA FDA approval for Sentinel says "Concurrent use of insecticides may be necessary". It is the concurrent use of Sentinel and

nitenpyram Nitenpyram is a chemical frequently used as an insecticide in agriculture and veterinary medicine. The compound is an insect neurotoxin belonging to the class of neonicotinoids which works by blocking neural signaling of the central nervous syst ...

(Capstar) that has an FDA-approved indication "to kill adult fleas".

Side effects

Milbemycin oxime/lufenuron can lead to a negative physical response in some animals, most severely those that have heartworm disease or weigh under 2 lbs. It is recommended that all dogs be tested for heartworm prior to taking the medication to minimize this risk. Serious side effects may include lethargy, weakness, stumbling, seizures, coma, excessive drooling, and wide dilated pupils. Less serious side effects are an upset stomach or loss of appetite, various skin irritations, and mood changes.

References

Antiparasitic agents Veterinary drugs Novartis brands Combination drugs {{Veterinary-med-stub