Dosing cattle

happylad

Hi just wondering what people are using for dosing cattle for worms. I have 3 products at the moment in the cabinet. IVOMEC SUPER & IVOMEC CLASSIC and Zanil. We have cows, heifer and calves. Hoping to keep animals out for another few weeks. Generally we seem to have problems with rumen fluke when dung samples come back but haven't got any results as of yet.

Water John

TMK Zanil will kill mature rumen fluke but not immature. If you have a heavy infestation you need to be careful. Zanil is strong and will wipe out the mature ones, then the immature emerge and overload the animal.

happylad

Thanks Water John. Is that a reason to use an injection of some sort as well. Must link in with the vet to check it out

greysides

I wouldn't use any of those. For winter dosing you need to hit the inhibited worms, so a white dose or ivomec type, and not levamisole.

The choice between the two comes down to trying to preserve the doses for the future (Anthelmintic resistance). The main advantage of ivomec is its persistence which is of no benefit after housing. Its other advantage is it hits lice, but this can be done with a separate lice treatment.

The problem with using ivomec is encouraging resistance in a product with an already worryingly hit incidence.

I'd prefer using a white dose.

greysides

The flukicides you have, Zanil and the clorsulon in Ivomec Super, will only kill liver fluke that are 10-12 weeks in the animal and miss any younger ones. As does Albedazole at the higher rate. So their effect will depend on where in the country you are and how many immature fluke might be present.

If Fasinex works (there is resistance to it in some places) it will kill from two weeks in the animal, so delaying dosing until the animals are housed two weeks will clean out the animals in one go.

Flukicides like Flukiver, Flukanide and Trodax (where these or their generics are available) will kill fluke six weeks old or over. So wait six weeks after housing (in a good year) or dose at housing and again in six weeks (bad year).

greysides

Rumen fluke are hard to get a solid handle on. The adults which lay the eggs that are detected are considered harmless. It's the juveniles that cause problems.

The general advice is to ignore them unless:

1. You've previously had a problem, or,

2. You still have a problem after your other dosing.

greysides

A modern way to approach dosing is to sample the different groups and dose accordingly. It can frequently reduce the amount of dosing you need to do.

Two caveats.

1. The sampling must be done in a fashion you can depend on the results.

2. Still treat the individual exceptions. The thin cows, the scoury cow, the cow that was very sick, the thin lame cow, etc.

funkey_monkey

@greysides - what is your thoughts on pour-on treatments?

Presume you prefer drench and injection?

greysides

I have a passing familiarity with a syringe and needle so that would be my favourite mode. Of course some doses are only available as oral preparations so if you have to...

Pour-ons should work if used according to directions. Before being made available they have to prove themselves. Their advantages are obvious ...

I would be chosing a dose by any other factor than its mode of application. I know that doesn't work for everybody but you dose because you need it to work, not just to tick it off your "To do" list.

greysides

Look up the Animal Health Ireland publications on dosing. There's several booklets covering aspects of dosing. They're up to date and free. Great info at a great price!

https://animalhealthireland.ie/resources/?q=&resource_type%5B%5D=documents&prog%5B%5D=parasite-control

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121353822#Comment_121353822

Better to weigh animals for correct dosing. Over dosing could have adverse effects, even toxic - causing liver or kidney damage