outdated Drontal?

[Emeraldgreen]

Does anyone know if Drontal would still be safe to give after 2.5 years of having it in a drawer? They've been tightly locked in a pill vial with the lid on so no air has gotten inside. I got them before our last move for my whole crew but never ended up giving it to them.
I was going to offer them to Rebecca to help her deworm her feral cats to help off set some of the costs. I know she will be getting deworming meds for the 3 cats that she is taking in for surgery on the 22nd but in the meantime she sent me a PM that said that the ferals are throwing up worms and have worms in their feces. It wouldn't be a big deal if the pills weren't effective but I don't want to harm the cats in anyway and that is my main concern. I've emailed the Drontal company but haven't heard back from them. And I know if I call my vet, they will of course recommend that I come on in and buy some 'new' drontal to be on the safe side. So, I thought I'd ask and see if anyone here has ever given some outdated Drontal to their cats without any adverse effects?

[Craftlady]

Shelf life is 3 years.
This is where I got my information drug (http://www.petalia.com.au/Templates/ProdMoreInfo.cfm?Group_Name=Bay-o-Pet%20Drontal%20Allwormer%20Cat%20Tablets&Story_No=608)

[moosmom]

I'd use the pills anyway. I didn't think pills HAD a shelf life. Liquid, on the otherhand, has a shelf life of 2 weeks max.

[Craftlady]

I'd use the pills anyway. I didn't think pills HAD a shelf life. Liquid, on the otherhand, has a shelf life of 2 weeks max.
Yep, pills do have "use by date", check your bottle of asprin it will have one on it.

[critters]

Typically, dates don't mean a whole lot; that's just how long they're potency-guaranteed . My understanding is that most things just lose potency as they get older & older and that it's unusual that something becomes toxic with age.

[Emeraldgreen]

Thanks everybody for the replies! I was thinking the same thing but wanted to run it by some other people as well. I have PM'd Rebecca and will send her the tablets today. She is going to talk with the vet tomorrow and will most likely be getting deworming meds for the 3 that she's taking in for surgery from the vet. Her neutered male house cat that she has at home could use the Drontal I'm sending though and maybe some of the ferals. She would have to grind it up and mix it with their food though. I suggested that she give the drontal one feral at a time so she could watch the one she's giving it to and make sure that only that cat eats the medicated food so no cat gets too much.
I did read that it is unsafe to give to pregnant or nursing cats so the one that just gave birth shouldn't get any until the kittens are weaned. My only concern is that the other feral cats 'could' be pregnant and though they are scheduled for surgery in May, what if they are too far along by then. I wouldn't want the babies to be harmed by the Drontal.
In any case, I'm sending the tablets along to her and have discussed all these things with her and she will be speaking with her vet tomorrow.
Thanks again for the replies. :)

[smokey the elder]

Pretty much every pill-form drug is good for at least 2 years at room temperature, tightly closed and protected from light and moisture. The guideline is 90% potency; the drug will lose potency at a different rate depending on what else is in the pill. You 2.5 year old Drontal should be fine! Aspirin has a smaller shelf-life because the actual molecule breaks down quite easily; I'm sure you've all smelled vinegar in an old aspirin bottle!

[Emeraldgreen]

Pretty much every pill-form drug is good for at least 2 years at room temperature, tightly closed and protected from light and moisture. The guideline is 90% potency; the drug will lose potency at a different rate depending on what else is in the pill. You 2.5 year old Drontal should be fine! Aspirin has a smaller shelf-life because the actual molecule breaks down quite easily; I'm sure you've all smelled vinegar in an old aspirin bottle!

Thank you Smokey! :)