Most current control strategies against gut worms, lung worm and liver fluke rely on the use of wormers applied to entire groups of animals at pre-determined times of the year. On many farms the same products have been used at the same time every year, for more than a decade. But cattle vet Rob Howe, … Continued
Parasite control in food producing animals is fraught with challenges and endoparasiticide resistance is a serious threat that left unchecked could cause irrevocable damage to the future health and profitability of the sector. To help meet these challenges the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) has developed a policy as a basis on which farm vets … Continued
COWS has uploaded a video of the different stages of the liver fluke parasite from egg-laying adult to egg-laying adult. Moving images prove to be much more powerful than any Life Cycle drawn on a piece of paper, and really hit home how fascinating and potentially pervasive these parasites are. See the video here This … Continued
Housing is a good time to treat calves for internal and external parasites. However, doing what has always been done routinely in the past, may not be the way forward this year Traditionally young calves are treated at housing with broad-spectrum products to kill a range of parasites including roundworms, lungworms, liver fluke, lice and … Continued
A dry, cool spring across most of the UK, followed by some hot, dry spells over the summer, means the liver fluke risk is generally going to be low this autumn and winter. However, the Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) and Control of Cattle Parasites Sustainably (COWS) groups say producers need to test … Continued
Wiltshire organic dairy farmer Dai Wilson ensures all first season grazing calves go out into fields that have not had cattle the previous 12 months. The clean grazing policy at Starveall Farm, Bishopstone keeps any potential worm populations to a minimum, saving time and money in products and administration. “We haven’t had liver fluke or … Continued
SCOPS and COWS Principles are based on the responsible use of medicines such as anthelmintics, flukicides, and ectoparasiticides. Our aim is to ensure these products are only used when necessary and ideally supported by a diagnosis or a risk assessment that confirms the need to protect animals from a genuine risk of disease. This approach … Continued
Experts from the Control of Worms Sustainably (COWS) group are urging dairy and suckler beef producers with autumn-born calves, to think carefully about their worm control programme this spring. Testing and treating calves only when needed might be a better way forward than using traditional routine worming programmes, which can select for resistance. “This has … Continued
There was a relatively low and later-than-normal liver fluke challenge in many parts of the UK throughout 2020, largely due to the legacy of the dry summer in 2018 and successive dry springs in 2019 and 2020. But more recent weather patterns mean there is evidence of fluke infection in some parts of the country. … Continued
Robert Smith, director at Farm First Vets, Abergavenny and a member of the Control of Worms Sustainably (COWS) steering group, urges farmers to consider the effect treatments they give for internal parasites at housing might also be having on skin parasites. “Most cattle producers apply a pour-on macrocyclic lactone (ML) anthelmintic at, or just after … Continued