Goat and Sheep Parasite Control

JERRY LAMBUT EXTENSION – RHEA COUNTY

Anthelmintic resistance

• Is widespread and well-documented (especially in southeastern U.S.).

• Varies by species, geographic location, and individual farm.

• Is affected by past deworming and grazing practices.

. . . is inevitable!

No treatment is 100% effective.

Percent farms with anthelmintic resistance

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Benzimidazole Ivermectin Cydectin Levamisole

Mid-Atlantic (n=33) Southern (n=46)

Source: Howell et al (2008). O’Brien (2010).

Fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT)

• Collect fecal samples (> 200 epg) at time of anthelmintic treatment and 7 to 14 days later.

• Calculate % reduction in fecal egg counts (epg).

Buck #3252,650 epg on 6/27 (F1)Dewormed with levamisole

200 epg on 7/11 (F2)

FECR calculation[(F1-F2)/F1] x 100

[(2650-200)/2650] x 100

= 92.5% FECR

Targeted selective treatment (TST)Identifies those animals which require treatment.

Identifies which animals would benefit from treatment.

Targeted selective treatment (TST)• For TST to be viable, there

must be practical tool(s) that producers can use to make deworming decisions.

• The first tool developed was the FAMACHA© system.

• The Five Point Check© is an extension of the FAMACHA system.

Five Point Check© (5)• Addresses limitations of

FAMACHA©.

• Extension of TST to determine need for deworming for all internal parasites that affect sheep and goats.

• Especially useful when deciding whether or not to deworm FAMACHA 3’s.

• Involves 5 check points on the animal: eye, back, tail, jaw, and nose.

• Developed for sheep.– Replace nose checkpoint

with coat condition.

Check Point Observation Possibilities

1. EYEAnemia1-5(FAMACHA© card)

Barber pole worm (Haemonchus)Liver flukeHook wormsOther worms and causes

2. BACKBody condition score1-5(BCS card)

Brown stomach worm (Teladorsagia)Bankrupt worm (Trichostrongylus)Nodular wormOther worms and causes

3. TAILFecal soiling(1-5)Dag score card

Brown stomach worm (Teladorsagia)Bankrupt worm (Trichostrongylus)Coccidia (Eimeria)Nodular worm (Oesophagostomum)Other worms and causes

4. JAWSoft swelling“Bottle jaw”1-5

Barber pole worm (Haemonchus)Coccidia (Eimeria)Liver flukeHook wormsOther worms and causes

5. NOSE Discharge1-5

Nasal botflyLungwormsPneumoniaOther causes

5. COAT Coat condition1-3

Barber pole worm (Haemonchus)Brown stomach worm (Teladorsagia)Bankrupt worm (Trichostrongylus)Coccidia (Eimeria)External parasitesOther causes

# 1 Eye - ocular membranes• Anemia is caused by blood-feeding parasites, such as

Haemonchus, hookworms, and liver flukes. Coccidiosis can also cause anemia.

• Anemia (packed cell volume) is estimated by evaluating the color of the lower eyelid and comparing it to the colors on the FAMACHA© guide.

Category Color PCV Tx

1 Red > 28 No

2 Red-pink 23-27 No

3 Pink 18-22 ?

4 Pink-white 13-17 Yes

5 White < 12 Yes

#2 - Back - Body condition score (BCS)• Many worms can cause a loss of body condition.• Poor or declining body condition can also be a

sign of age, poor nutrition, or other diseases.• Animals also vary in their ability to carry and hold

body condition.

Body Condition Scoring GoatsScore Spineous process Rib cage Loin eye

1 Very thinEasy to see and feel,

sharpEasy to feel and can feel

underNo fat covering

2 ThinEasy to feel, but

smooth

Smooth, slightly rounded, need to use slight pressure

to feel

Smooth, even fat cover

3 Good condition

Smooth and rounded Smooth, even feelSmooth, even fat

cover

4 FatCan feel with firm

pressure, no points can be felt

Individual ribs cannot be felt, but can still feel indent

between ribsThick fat

5 ObeseSmooth, no individual

vertebra can be felt

Individual ribs cannot be felt. No separation of ribs

felt.

Thick fat covering, may be lumpy and

“jiggly”

Source: www.smallstock.info

#3 - Tail - dag score

• The hindquarters of the animal are assessed to determine dag score or degree of fecal soiling.

• Many worms can cause scours (diarrhea).• Stress and diet are other causes of diarrhea.

Dag scoringScore Description Action

0 No fecal soiling at all. No indication for treatment/action.

None

1 Very slight soiling on edge of tail/on each side

None

2 Slight soiling on edge of tail/on each side Usually none

3 Moderate soiling, dag formationConsider treatment/action

4 Severe soiling, severe dag formationTreatment recommended

5 Very severe, watering diarrhea extending to hocks.

Treatment essential

Source: University of Pretoria

#4 - Bottle jaw(submandibular subcutaneous edema)

• An accumulation of fluid (swelling) under the lower jaw of a sheep, goat, or calf.

• Usually a result of anemia (blood loss).

• Occurs primarily due to the infestation of barber pole worms (Haemonchus contortus) or other blood-feeding parasites.

#5 - Coat condition• The condition of a goat’s hair coat can be indicative of its

overall health and thriftiness.• At the Western Maryland Research & Education Center, we

use a scoring system of 1-3, where 2 is average coat quality.

Which dewormer to useFAMACHA© 4 or 5 Most effective dewormer

FAMACHA© 3 - High risk Most effective dewormer

FAMACHA© 3 - Low risk Less effective dewormer

Multiple drug resistance Drugs from 2 or 3 anthelmintic classes

Quarantine drench Albendazole + moxidectin + levamisole(Valbazen® + Cydectin® + Prohibit®)

Tapeworms Fenbendazole or Albendazole(SafeGuard® or Valbazen®)

Tapeworms tend to be non-pathogenic and there is no evidence to suggest a treatment benefit (sheep).

Liver fluke Albendazole (Valbazen®)

Meningeal worm Fenbendazole + ivermectin(SafeGuard® + Ivomec®)

Nasal bots and other externalparasites

Ivermectin (Ivomec® drench)