The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Credelio, a beef-flavored chewable tablet for dogs that starts to kill ticks and fleas within four hours of administration.
The manufacturer, Elanco Animal Health, stated that the monthly preventive is effective against the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) and brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus).
The active ingredient, lotilaner, was selected from among “hundreds of candidate molecules,” said Tony Rumschlag, DVM, director of regional consulting at Greenfield, Indiana-based Elanco.
“Credelio rounds out the Elanco portfolio of companion animal parasiticides to allow a very broad set of options to best meet the needs of pet owners and their pets,” he said.
Lotilaner circulates in a dog’s blood stream and targets the nervous system receptors of biting ticks and fleas, Elanco stated.
“Credelio works fast because it is absorbed rapidly and achieves peak plasma levels quickly,” the company reported. “When given with food, Credelio reaches peak blood levels within two hours of dosing.”
Clinical studies also found that the preventive killed 100 percent of fleas within 12 hours.
Credelio is indicated for dogs at least 8 weeks old and weighing 4.4 pounds or more. It should be administered with food or within 30 minutes after feeding.
The American dog tick, left, and a flea (Ctenocephalides felis).