Bimeda Vet, Rachel Mallet writes about the issues of lice in cattle and sheep.
It’s that time of year where everyone begins to prepare for winter and to consider appropriate treatment of the parasitic problems that our stock carry in to housing, namely liver fluke, nematodes and ectoparasites. Of the ectoparasites, pediculosis is the biggest cause for concern in cattle when housed and one of the biggest issues in sheep, second only to scab. Ironically lice infestation, treatment and control are often overlooked by the farmer and the vet leading to heavy challenges with welfare implications and loss of margin.
As all UK cattle farmers know, Housing is a key time of year for addressing endo-parasite issues in the herd. UK summers often see a lot of rain; which provides the ideal conditions for the development of a number of parasites including stomach worms (Trichostrongylosis), lungworm or husk and liver fluke (Fascioliasis).
In this article, we will look at the different parasite problems cattle may face at this time of year and how the Bimectin product range can help farmers address this challenge.
Farm stock have been back on pasture again for some time and the perennial issue of picking a suitable anthelmintic has come sharply back into focus for most herd or flock owners. There are a number of categories of anthelmintic available for use in cattle and sheep. Some of these include the macrocyclic lactones including avermectins and milbemycins. Avermectins include ivermectin, abamectin, doramectin, eprinomectin, and selamectin), The Milbemycins include moxidectin. Other families include the Benzimadazoles (including fenbendazole, albendazole and triclabendazole), the imidathiazoles(levamisole) and the more recently developed amino-acetonitrile derivatives (montepantel), the benzene-sulphonamides (Clorsulon) and the salicylanilides (Closantel). Each of these individual compound classes has a slightly different range of activity and mode of action due to its chemical structure.
Rachel Mallet is the Bimeda UKIreland Professional Services Veterinarian. Rachel completed her Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Edinburgh in 2012 and subsequently worked in practice for a period of two years. Following this, Rachel spent two years at Bimeda UK in the role of Territory Manager for the East of Scotland. These roles have provided Rachel with practical and commercial experience and insights, which will allow her to provide excellent support to Bimeda’s customers and consumers in her new role.
Rachel is passionate about animal health and about promoting best practice amongst veterinarians, farmers and animal owners. She is a regular and respected contributor to regional, national and international farming and veterinary publications.