Evaluation of the safety of flubendazole premix in swine

Forty-eight pigs were used to evaluate the safety of flubendazole, given as a 6% rice-hull premix. In 1 experiment, flubendazole was administered orally to 16 pigs daily for 5 days at dosages of 10 or 20 times the recommended rate. In a 2nd experiment, flubendazole was administered in the feed to 18 pigs daily for 15, 16 or 17 consecutive days at dosages of 1, 3 and 5 times the recommended rate. The remaining 14 pigs received a placebo premix and served as controls. Clinical observations were made each day, and body weights and clinical laboratory values were monitored before, during and after the treatment period. In the 2nd experiment, all pigs were necropsied 1 day after the last day of treatment. Clinical signs during the experiments consisted of soft/fluid feces, observed in pigs from all groups, and occasional vomiting from 3 pigs in the group given the 3X-exaggerated dose. Statistical differences in the frequency of loose feces and vomiting were not detected between the placebo group and flubendazole-treated groups. There were no other abnormal signs noted throughout either experiment. Results of serum chemistry analysis, hematologic examination, and histopathologic evaluation revealed no evidence of drug-related toxicity.