Safety, efficacy, and tissues residues of ivermectin in reindeer

Abstract

Safety, efficacy, and tissue residues of ivermectin, a broad spectrum parasiticide, were determined in Alaskan reindeer (<em>Rangifer tarandus</em>). Reindeer treated at 5 times and 10 times the standard dose of 200 mcg/kg had no detectable physical or behavioral reactions to ivermectin injected subcutaneously in the mid-cervical area. Ivermectin eliminated essentially 100% of reindeer warble larvae (<em>Hypoderma</em> (<em>Oedemagena</em>) <em>tarandi</em>). Tissue levels of ivermectin in back fat, injection site, muscle, liver, and kidney collected 3, 10, 17, and 24 days post injection were determined. All tissues levels rapidly declined and were approaching low unmea-surable amounts at the end of the 24 day test period. Ivermectin is a safe effective parasiticide that has been used successfully to threat thousands of reindeer in Alaska.