What Is Credelio Quattro for Dogs
Credelio Quattro is a beef-flavored chewable tablet for dogs that combines four active ingredients to prevent fleas, ticks, heartworm disease, and intestinal parasites in a single monthly dose. The product is manufactured by Elanco Animal Health, a global animal health company that markets veterinary pharmaceuticals and flea and tick treatments under brands such as Credelio and Simparica Trio. Credelio Quattro is designed for dogs and puppies aged 8 weeks and older or weighing at least 4.4 pounds, and it is available by prescription or through online veterinary platforms that connect pet owners with licensed veterinarians. Elanco Animal Health is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ELAN, and its portfolio includes several leading prescription parasite prevention products for companion animals Elanco Animal Health overview.
The four active ingredients in Credelio Quattro are lotilaner, milbemycin oxime, praziquantel, and pyrantel pamoate. Lotilaner, the same active ingredient found in Credelio, kills adult fleas and black-legged ticks, including those that may transmit Lyme disease. Milbemycin oxime prevents heartworm disease by killing larval heartworm stages transmitted by mosquitoes. Praziquantel treats tapeworms, while pyrantel pamoate treats roundworms and hookworms. Together, these ingredients provide a broad-spectrum parasite prevention regimen that simplifies monthly dosing for dogs, reducing the need for multiple separate medications FDA Chemistry Review Letter.
How Credelio Quattro Works and Dosing Guidelines
Credelio Quattro works by targeting the nervous system of parasites. Lotilaner inhibits GABA-gated chloride channels in insects and acarines, leading to paralysis and death of fleas and ticks within hours of administration. Milbemycin oxime disrupts neurotransmission in heartworm larvae and certain intestinal nematodes, preventing development and clearance of existing infections. Praziquantel causes severe spasms and paralysis of tapeworm muscles by increasing cell membrane permeability to calcium ions, while pyrantel pamoate acts as a depolarizing neuromuscular blocker that immobilizes roundworms and hookworms for expulsion. The chewable tablet is administered once monthly, ideally on the same day each month, with or without food, and should be given at the minimum recommended dose of 2.5 mg lotilaner, 1.25 mg milbemycin oxime, 5 mg praziquantel, and 5 mg pyrantel pamoate per pound of body weight Elanco Credelio Quattro product page.
Dosing is based on weight brackets, with Credelio Quattro available in tablet sizes ranging from 2.5 to 60 pounds. Veterinarians typically select the appropriate tablet size based on the dog's current weight and adjust at subsequent monthly doses if the dog's weight changes. For dogs that weigh exactly at the boundary between two tablet sizes, the higher tablet size should be used to ensure adequate dosing. Missed doses should be administered as soon as remembered, and the monthly schedule resumed, but pet owners should consult a veterinarian if more than one dose is missed, as this may require re-testing for heartworm and restarting a new treatment cycle AVMA Parasite Prevention Guidelines.