ORIGINAL PAPER Efficacy of oxfendazole and fenbendazole against tortoise (Testudo hermanni) oxyurids S. Giannetto & E. Brianti & G. Poglayen & C. Sorgi & G. Capelli & M. G. Pennisi & G. Coci Received: 19 September 2006 / Accepted: 4 October 2006 / Published online: 21 November 2006 # Springer-Verlag 2006 Abstract Thirty-six tortoises (Testudo hermanni) with naturally acquired oxyurids infections were used to assess the anthelmintic efficacy of oxfendazole (Dolthene\; Merial) and fenbendazole (Panacur\; Hoechst Roussel Vet). Animals were randomly assigned to three groups (A, B, and C) based on sex and weight. Animals in group A (seven males and six females) were orally treated with oxfendazole at dose rate of 66 mg/kg, group B animals (nine males and eight females) were orally treated with fenbenda- zole at dose rate of 100 mg/kg, and group C animals (three males and three females) were not treated and served as controls. All animals were individually stabled in plexiglas boxes under controlled conditions of temperature, humidity, and light beginning 7 days pretreatment and continuing for the duration of the trial. Individual tortoises feces were examined daily by the McMaster technique and drugs efficacy was assessed by the fecal eggs count reduction (FECR) test. Both drugs showed 100% of FECR. However, oxfendazole reached this level 12 days after treatment, whereas 31 days after treatment were necessary to obtain the same stable result with fenbendazole. The two drugs were well tolerated by all the animals and no adverse reactions were observed after treatment. Introduction Tortoises are a new entry in the world of pets. Despite recent report from the CDC (2003) discourages the adoption of tortoises as pets, the appearance of this “living fossil” has favored the change of its role in the modern human society, from an “ornamental” garden’ s animal to a nonconventional pet living inside our houses. The exiguous veterinary knowledge on tortoises and the different physiological patterns of these reptiles from mam- mals generates difficulties in the treatment of many diseases. For instance, most of the present deworming protocols for tortoises originated from cat and dog medicine experiences and demonstrate all the difficulties expected in this simple transfer of knowledge without a thorough examination (Claussen and Forstner 1981; Teare and Bush 1983; Divers et al. 1999). The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the anthelmintic efficacy of two drugs of common use in tortoises, oxfendazole, and fenbendazole (Holt and Lawrence 1982; Brogard 1987; Highfield 1990; Frye 1991; Page and Mautino 1991; Klingenberg 1993; McArthur 1996; Divers et al. 1999; Carpenter et al. 2001; Gabrisch and Zwart 2001) using a scientific protocol trial (Coles et al. 1992) opportunely adapted to tortoises. Parasitol Res (2007) 100:1069–1073 DOI 10.1007/s00436-006-0361-2 S. Giannetto : E. Brianti (*) : C. Sorgi Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Messina, Polo Universitario della Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy e-mail: ebrianti@unime.it G. Capelli Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell’Università 10, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy M. G. Pennisi : G. Coci Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche Veterinarie, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Messina, Polo Universitario della Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy G. Poglayen Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Patologia Animale, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Via Tolara di sospra, Ozzano Emilia (BO), 40064 Bologna, Italy