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POM-VPS Prescription Required

Startect Dual Active Oral Solution for Sheep

Active ingredients: Abamectin, Derquantel

Form

Liquid

Species

Sheep

Manufacturer

Zoetis Belgium S.A.

VMD MA No.

60021/3093

What it's used for

spectrum of activity is as follows: Adult and Immature Gastro-intestinal Nematodes: Haemonchus contortus (including inhibited larval stages) Teladorsagia (...

Full indications, dosage and side effects ↓
View official SPC (PDF)

The prescription itself has a price. See what practices near you charge for a consultation and the written prescription fee.

Paying less for Abamectin + Derquantel

  1. 1

    Ask your vet for a written prescription

    They must provide one on request. Under the CMA Order the fee is capped at £21 from 2027.

  2. 2

    Fill it at a registered online retailer

    The CMA found online pharmacies 50–60% cheaper than practice dispensing on common medicines — typically £200–£300 a year.

Prescription required

Your vet must provide a written prescription on request. You can then purchase from any licensed online retailer.

Clinical information

Startect Dual Active Oral Solution for Sheep — SPC Details

Source: VMD Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC). Last updated 27 Mar 2026.

spectrum of activity is as follows:
Adult and Immature Gastro-intestinal Nematodes:
Haemonchus contortus (including inhibited larval stages)
Teladorsagia (Ostertagia) circumcincta (including inhibited larval stages)
Teladorsagia (Ostertagia) trifurcata
Trichostrongylus axei
Trichostrongylus colubriformis
Trichostrongylus vitrinus
AN:00552/2025Page 2 of 7
Cooperia curticei
Cooperia oncophora
Nematodirus spathiger
Nematodirus filicollis
Nematodirus battus
Strongyloides papillosus
Oesophagostomum venulosum (adult)
Trichuris ovis
Chabertia ovina
Lungworms:
Dictyocaulus filaria (adult)
This product is effective against strains of parasites resistant to benzimidazoles,
levamisole, macrocyclic lactones, and combinations of these.
The dose for sheep is 2 mg derquantel and 0.2 mg abamectin per kg bodyweight. i.e.
1 ml of product per 5 kg bodyweight.
Drench sheep orally, using a drench gun with silicone sealed ‘o’ rings.
Check dose rates and the accuracy of the drench gun before treatment commences.
Do not under-or over-dose. To ensure a correct dosage, body weight should be
determined as accurately as possible. If animals are to be treated collectively rather
than individually, they should be grouped according to their bodyweight and dosed
accordingly. Set the dosing gun to deliver the correct dose volume for the weight of
sheep to be treated (see figure 1).
Figure 1
Gently place the nozzle of the drench gun over the back of the tongue and depress
the trigger (see figure 2).
Figure 2
Do not use in dogs as severe adverse reactions may occur.
Do not use in horses as severe adverse reactions, including fatalities, will occur.
Do not exceed the recommended dose rate.
Do not use in cases of hypersensitivity to the active substances or to any of the
excipients.
Sheep:
Very common
(>1 animal / 10 animals treated):
coughing
1
Mild and transient.
Reporting adverse events is important. It allows continuous safety monitoring of a
veterinary medicinal product. Reports should be sent, preferably via a veterinarian, to
either the marketing authorisation holder or its local representative or the national
competent authority via the national reporting system. See also the last section of the
package leaflet for respective contact details.
Care should be taken to avoid the following practices because they increase the risk
of development of resistance and could ultimately result in ineffective therapy:
- Underdosing, which may be due to underestimation of bodyweight,
misadministration of the product or lack of calibration of the dosing device.
- Too frequent and repeated use of anthelmintics from the same class over an
extended period of time.
Assess bodyweight as accurately as possible before calculating dosage. Suspected
clinical cases of resistance should be further investigated using the appropriate tests,
e.g. (Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test). Where the results of the test(s) strongly
suggest resistance to a particular anthelmintic, an anthelmintic belonging to another
pharmacological class and having a different mode of action should be used.

Special precautions for safe use in the target species:
The recommended dose of Startect Dual Active is 0.2 ml/kg; doses of 0.9 ml/kg and
higher (4.5X the recommended dose) can cause signs of toxicity and may lead to
fatalities.
If animals are batched for dosing it is very important that careful consideration be
given to the weight range within each group, to avoid the risk of overdosing smaller
animals. A representative sample of animals should be weighed before treatment.
Accuracy and proper functioning of the dosage device should be checked.
The safety of Startect Dual Active has not been established in sheep under six weeks
of age or weighing less than 10 kg.
AN:00552/2025Page 3 of 7
Special precautions to be taken by the person administering the veterinary medicinal
product to animals:
Do not eat, smoke or drink while handling the product.
Personal protective equipment consisting of impermeable rubber gloves should be
worn when handling the veterinary medicinal product.
Avoid ingestion, inhalation and eye and skin contact. Wash hands after handling the
product. In case of accidental ingestion, seek medical advice immediately and show
the package leaflet or the label to the physician.
In case of accidental eye or skin contact, wash affected areas immediately with clean
running water and seek medical attention if irritation persists.
Special precautions for the protection of the environment:
The product is toxic to dung insects. It is excreted mainly in faeces and it cannot be
excluded that insects using dung excreted after treatment may be adversely affected.
Using the product strictly in accordance with the SPC will keep this risk to a minimum.
Other precautions:
None.
None known.
AN:00552/2025Page 4 of 7
Do not refrigerate or freeze.
Meat and offal: 14 days.
Milk: Not authorised for use in animals producing milk for human consumption.

This information is sourced from the official Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) published by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). It is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace professional veterinary advice. Always consult your vet before administering any medication.

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