Companion animal parasite control is an important aspect for animal and public health. Frequent deworming with broad spectrum antihelmintics has nowadays become a common veterinary practice. However, cat owners deworm less than dog owners, due to the difficulty of cat oral administration. Topical treatment is more advisable and less stressing for the cat and the owner.

Bayer has developed a product that combines praziquantel plus a novel nematodicide: emodepside. Emodepside and praziquantel spot-on formulation was evaluated in cats naturally infested with Toxocara cati, Dipylidium caninum and Trichuris campanula, in Great Buenos Aires North area. Privately owned cats over 8 weeks of age, of any sex, with or without signs, infested with at least one of the following parasitic genera: Toxocara, Dipylidium or Trichuris, were included in this trial. Trichuris campanula, a rare parasite in Europe and United States, has been reported in Great Buenos Aires, Argentina, where prevalence is 4.5%. The cats had not received any anthelmintic treatment the month previous to the study.

Cats were allocated to two groups:

 Group A: 36 cats, 17 positive to Toxocara, 11 to Dipylidium and Toxocara, 1 to Trichuris and 7 to Trichuris and Dipylidium.

 Group B: 35 cats, were 15 cats infected with Toxocara, 14 with Trichuris, 5 with Dipylidium, 1 with Toxocara and Dipylidium.

All cats were kept in their owner´s household environment during the experimental period. Animals' parasitic status was evaluated by means of faecal flotation and observation of perineal region to detect Dipylidium proglottids. A quantitative method was performed on positive samples and egg per gram was obtained. Group A received a single treatment with emodepside, (3 to 15 mg/kg) / praziquantel (12 to 60 mg/kg), spot on formulation. Group B received a pyrantel (57.5 mg/kg) / praziquantel (5 mg/kg), single oral treatment. Faecal samples were taken on day 7 and 45 after treatment.

Group A, emodepside/praziquantel formulation showed 100% efficacy on T. cati, T. campanula and D. caninum. In contrast to the efficacy of emodepside/praziquantel against T. campanula the pyrantel/praziquantel combination used for the Group B was unsatisfactory. This is the first report showing efficacy of emodepside/praziquantel against T. campanula in cats.