Safe-Guard is one of the few cattle dewormers sold in Canada as an oral drench rather than a pour-on or an injection, and the questions people search for are the ones its label answers: how much per cow, how long before slaughter, whether milk has to be held, and whether the horse paste can be used on cattle. This guide answers them from the Canadian label and Health Canada's Drug Product Database (DPD). It is not veterinary advice — your veterinarian should set your herd's parasite program.
What Safe-Guard Suspension 10% is
Safe-Guard Suspension 10% is a non-prescription veterinary drug, DIN 02113171, registered with Health Canada to Intervet Canada Corp. (a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc.). The DPD lists it as an oral suspension of fenbendazole, 10%, for cattle and horses, and its status as marketed. The label describes each mL as containing 100 mg of fenbendazole and calls the product a "HORSE AND CATTLE DEWORMER". The label lists two bottle sizes, 250 mL and 3.785 L; the bottle we list is the 250 mL.
Is fenbendazole the same as Safe-Guard?
Fenbendazole is the active ingredient; Safe-Guard is Merck's brand name for products that contain it. In Canada the two Safe-Guard products we list are the 10% suspension (cattle and horses) and the 10% paste (horses only), and each has its own DIN.
Is Safe-Guard the same as ivermectin?
No. Safe-Guard's active ingredient is fenbendazole. Ivermectin is a different active ingredient — it is what Bimectin Pour-On contains — and the two labels list different parasites, doses and withdrawal times (see the comparison below).
What parasites does the label list for cattle?
The label's indications read "For the treatment of parasitic infections due to the following internal parasites:" and, for cattle, list:
- "Lungworm: Adult and 4th larval stage of Dictyocaulus viviparus."
- "Stomach worms: Adult and 4th larval stages of Haemonchus contortus, Ostertagia ostertagi and the adult stage of Trichostrongylus axei."
- "Intestinal worms: Adult and 4th larval stages of Cooperia punctata, C. oncophora, C. pectinata, C. mcmasteri, Trichostrongylus colubriformis, Nematodirus helvetianus, Bunostomum phlebotomum, and Oesophagostomum radiatum."
Those are all internal worms. We searched the label text for lice, mites, grubs, flukes and tapeworms and it lists none of them for cattle. If lice are the problem, our guide Cattle Lice Pour-Ons in Canada: Lice-Away, BackLine and Bimectin by Label compares the pour-ons whose labels do list them.
How much Safe-Guard per cow?
The label: "The recommended dose is 5 mg of fenbendazole per kg of body weight for cattle and horses (10 mg/kg for foals under 18 months)." And: "Administer orally to cattle and horses at the recommended rate of 2.5 mL/50 kg (2.5 mL/110 lb) body weight using a dosing syringe or drenching gun." The label also says "SHAKE WELL BEFORE USING."
The label's own table gives 2.5 mL for 50 kg, 5 mL for 100 kg and 25 mL for 500 kg. At the same 2.5 mL per 50 kg, our arithmetic for other weights is:
- 250 kg calf: 12.5 mL
- 350 kg yearling: 17.5 mL
- 600 kg cow: 30 mL
- 700 kg cow: 35 mL
Weigh, or estimate weight carefully, before you dose — the rate is per kilogram.
How many cattle does a 250 mL bottle treat?
The label says the 250 mL bottle "contains 25 000 mg of fenbendazole which is sufficient to treat 5000 kg (11 000 lb) of animal weight at the 2.5 mL/50 kg dose." By our arithmetic that is ten 500 kg animals, or about eight 600 kg cows. For the 3.785 L bottle the label gives 75 700 kg (166 890 lb) of animal weight.
Does Safe-Guard have a withdrawal period?
For meat, yes. The label's warnings: "Treated cattle must not be slaughtered for use in food for at least 10 days after the latest treatment with this drug."
For milk, the label says: "No milk withholding time is required when this drug is used according to the label directions."
For horses: "Do not use in horses to be slaughtered for use as food." And on every bottle: "Keep out of reach of children."
Can I use the Safe-Guard horse paste on cattle?
Not under its Canadian registration. Safe-Guard Paste 10% (DIN 02069490, Intervet Canada Corp.) is listed in the DPD as an oral paste for horses only. The suspension is the Safe-Guard product whose Canadian label includes cattle. The suspension's label likewise lists cattle and horses only; for any other species, ask your veterinarian.
Safe-Guard Suspension vs Bimectin Pour-On, by label
- Active ingredient: Safe-Guard, fenbendazole (oral drench); Bimectin Pour-On, ivermectin (applied along the top-line).
- Cattle rate: Safe-Guard, 2.5 mL per 50 kg; Bimectin Pour-On, 1 mL per 10 kg.
- Meat withdrawal: Safe-Guard, at least 10 days; Bimectin Pour-On, 49 days.
- Milk: the Safe-Guard label requires no milk withholding time when used as directed; the Bimectin Pour-On label restricts its use in dairy cows — see our Bimectin Pour-On guide for the exact wording.
- External parasites: the Safe-Guard label lists none; the Bimectin Pour-On label does, and the cattle lice guide covers which ones.
Which one fits depends on the parasites, the class of cattle and your marketing dates — a question for your veterinarian, who can also advise on fecal testing and timing.
Storing it through an Alberta winter
The label: "Store at room temperature (15 °C - 30 °C). Protect from freezing." In practice that means the bottle should not live in an unheated truck, shop or barn between November and March.
Where to buy Safe-Guard in Alberta
Pipestone Farm Supply in Millet (between Leduc and Wetaskiwin, south of Edmonton) lists Safe-Guard Suspension 10% 250 mL and Safe-Guard Paste 10% 25 g online, with Canada-wide shipping and free store pickup. Our cattle dewormers and parasite control category also lists Bimectin Pour-On and Bimectin Injection, and for horses our guide Horse Dewormers by Active Ingredient reads the paste labels side by side. Read the label before every use.
Sources: Health Canada Drug Product Database, SAFE-GUARD SUSPENSION 10% (DIN 02113171, Intervet Canada Corp.) and SAFE-GUARD PASTE 10% (DIN 02069490, Intervet Canada Corp.); Safe-Guard Suspension 10% Canadian label, version dated July 12, 2024 (pdf.hres.ca/dpd_pm/00076460.PDF); Bimectin Pour-On label as cited in our Bimectin guide. Viewed October 2026.