5 ms·
Veterinarian here, used to ivermectin as it should be used - as an anti parasitic. I fully agree with this view above.
by dkga 5y ago
Veterinarian here, used to ivermectin as it should be used - as an anti parasitic.
I fully agree with this view above.
- WithinReason 5y agoYou mean you believe that a widespread administration of ivermectin would lead to development of ivermectin resistance in parasites?
- marcosdumay 5y agoWidespread administration does lead to the development of resistant parasites. That's not an hypothetical, that's what you see on any farm if you prolong the treatment for too long. It's always recommended that you cycle through different anti-parasite treatments.
- crazyjncsu 5y agoThat’s certainly already the case. Ivermectin has lost effectiveness against particularly insidious parasites such as Haemonchus Contortus (barber pole worm). We’ve resorted to other treatments such as Moxidectin, Levamisole, etc, all of which are more expensive and harder to dose safely and effectively. I can totally understand how Ivermectin got its following— it’s an amazing general purpose medicine around the farm. I generally use it responsibly by verifying the presence of parasites before administering (which can be literally any animal on the farm with almost any parasite) … but then there are times such as when my daughter had a single pet chicken (among many healthy ones) that wasn’t looking so hot … Whereas previously I’d just dispatch the animal and be done with it, now I give a dose of Ivermectin and isolate for a few days before calling in the grim reaper. So far the success rate is something like 90% where now my 9 year old daughter administers it herself. While I acknowledge this isn’t the most responsible, I can imagine others have had similar experiences which explain some of the popularity of Ivermectin with rural folk.
- WithinReason 5y agoWhat's the downside of giving Ivermectin to livestock that don't have parasites?
- mumblemumble 5y agoIvermectin stops working.
- WithinReason 5y agoThrough what mechanism?
- mumblemumble 5y agoNatural selection.
- WithinReason 5y agoHow will natural selection act on parasites if there are no parasites in the animal?
- technothrasher 5y agoIt obviously cannot. But the issue isn't giving it to animals without any parasites, it is in giving it to animals with parasites but that do not need the anti-parasitic in order to recover. Once you have determined that the animal is sick enough to need treatment and that the sickness is most likely caused by the parasites, then you can make the decision that the risk of furthering resistance is outweighed by the need to treat the animal. If you have determined that there is no chance the animal has parasites, then there's no risk of furthering resistance but also no need to give the treatment.
- mattmcknight 5y ago
- imwillofficial 5y agoWhy would I take human medical advice from you? Are you saying there are no human uses beyond an anti parasitic?
- blitzar 5y agoI guess in theory you could use the topical cream form as a moisturiser. Perhaps even use the tube as a doorstop in a pinch.