The Future for Worm Resistance is Orange!

 

With the introduction to the UK in the past month of a new broad spectrum anthelmintic group (4-AD monepantel*) it represents an important addition in the fight to maintain good worm control in UK sheep flocks, says the SCOPS group. But, they warn, it does not take the pressure off the need to reduce our reliance on anthelmintics and it must be used carefully.

 

The product Zolvix will become known as the Orange drench.

 

"Resistance has become an ever increasing threat since the last new anthelmintic group was introduced to the UK market more than 25 years ago" says Peter Baber, NSA and Chair of SCOPS. "Zolvix offers farmers a valuable opportunity to maintain good worm control and prolong the effective life of the existing products. Following the SCOPS guidelines to carefully integrate Zolvix into worm control strategies, before the other groups fail, will allow our sheep industry to reap the full benefits of this new novel group for longer" he adds.

 

With respect to the application of Zolvix, Lesley Stubbings, independent consultant says "Controlling worms on farms with triple resistance is a clear application. However, by far the largest benefit will come from the integration of Zolvix into the chemical control strategy on a farm at an early stage, before resistance levels are so high that other groups are no longer effective. Done carefully this allows us to reduce the selection pressure for resistance to the existing groups, keeping them effective for longer. "In the UK we are in a better position than many other parts of the world, because it's not too late for us to sustain the effectiveness of other groups" says Ms Stubbings. "But we must act now" she stresses. "With our [UK] ever increasing reliance on the macro-cyclic lactones (Cydectin) as endectocides for scab control, the pressure is really on if we are to maintain their effectiveness as a means of worm control" she adds.

 

"SCOPS believes that Zolvix can have a major impact on worm control in the UK, but this depends heavily on Vets and advisers encouraging farmers to use it carefully, before double or triple resistance becomes more common," says Peter Baber. "The industry has a major responsibility to exercise great care to protect the new group from over-use and mis-use to maintain its effectiveness. The application of SCOPS principles is more important than ever" he adds.

 

How does SCOPS recommend Zolvix is used on farms?

 

SCOPS has discussed at length how any new group should be used because the group believes it is vital that the industry is given guidance at the earliest opportunity. The guidance will be refined over time by monitoring the impact on farms, but initially two facets are clear.

 

1.Quarantine Treatment

 

Treatment of all in-coming sheep to prevent them importing resistant worms on to the farm has always been a cornerstone of SCOPS advice. The principle is that if sheep are treated with the two different groups with the least frequency of resistance in the worm population, the risk of any worms surviving is minimal. The advice now is that these two should be Zolvix and Cydectin (the latter also covering for sheep scab if used in injectable form). The two to be given sequentially (see note below) , treated sheep held off pasture (yarded) for 24-48 hours and then turned out on to dirty (worm infested) pasture.

 

2.Integrated annually into the control programme

 

Evidence suggests that used once a year in lambs, in the mid/late season, when worm counts are high is the best time to gain benefit in terms of reducing selection for resistance to the other groups. This is because it [the new group] will kill worms resistant to the other groups, reducing the selection effect from the earlier part of the season. It may also help with lamb performance if this is being affected by the fact that less than 95% of worms are being killed where resistance is building, so performance is pegged back.

 

 

SCOPS encourages sheep farmers to talk to their Vet and/or adviser about how they might integrate Zolvix into their worm control. "The more information the Vet has about the farm, such as resistance status to other groups, the more effectively the product can be used" said Neil Sargison, leading Sheep Vet and SCOPS group member. "This is a great opportunity for Vets and farmers to work more closely and improve worm control while extending the useful life of the anthelmintics we have available" he added.

 

Moving away from annual rotation of groups.

 

SCOPS acknowledges that this advice means we are moving further and further away from the simple recommendation to change your wormer group annually" says Lesley

 

Stubbings. "What is important is that farmers know which group they are using and why. They must be prepared to use two or more groups in a season if it means they get the best worm control and performance, as well as the long term benefit of effective

 

DWT

 

 

Calf Scour- Rehydion Gel

 

With lambing well underway and calving fast approaching once again we face the all too common problem of scouring calves. While not all scouring calves require treatment, picking out those calves which are deteriorating and instigating early intervention is vital to ensure a successful outcome. While anti-inflammatories can improve a calf's sense of well being and injectable antibiotics (oral antibiotics are rarely beneficial) can help prevent from further bacterial challenge the mainstay of treatment is geared at keeping the calf hydrated, restoring electrolyte balance and providing energy for recovery.

 

Symptoms of Dehydration***

 

 

Mild (0-5%) Depressed, dry nose and tacky oral membranes, suck reflex present

 

Moderate (5-9%) Reluctant to stand, reduced suck reflex

 

Severe (>10%) Collapsed, no suck reflex

 

***It should be remembered that calves with moderate to severe dehydration require more aggressive intervention with intravenous fluids and veterinary attention should be requested.

 

Over the last year we have been using Rehydion Gel to treat mild to moderate dehydration associated with calf scour and we believe this product has advantages over others designed for a similar purpose such as Effydral and Lectade.

 

All these products contain electrolytes which are aimed at buffering the acidosis created by calf scour, however, the compounds contained in Effydral and Lectade prevent clotting of milk in the calfs stomach and are designed to be diluted in water. They are much less efficient when used with milk or with a calf which is still sucking its dam. Rehydion allows this clotting to take place and is designed to be used either neat if the calf is sucking or diluted in milk via a stomach tube. This allows the calf to stay with the dam which is easier to manage and allows the calf the benefit from milk- the best source of energy available.

 

Rehydion also contains a low level of glucose to provide an immediate energy source to provide the calf with a 'lift', without causing an osmotic diarrhoea. As with treatment of all calf ailments, the curative power of TLC should not be forgotten!

 

Where several calves are affected by scour it is worth submitting samples to check for conditions such as cryptosporidium or coccidiosis which may require specific treatments.

 

PM

 

 

An Aussie Cattle Vet's Impression of Beef Cattle production in the Scottish Borders

 

 

In November we had Scott Parry, a livestock vet from Australia visit the practice as part of a study trip funded by the Australian Cattle Vets Society. He spent several days in Kelso, and also visited some vets in Kirriemuir and Edinburgh. I asked him to write a newsletter article about how he viewed our cattle industry and in typical blunt Aussie style here it is!! He travelled with me for several days and I am particulary indebeted to several farmers and cattlemen who took the time to speak to Scott and show him their cattle and talk about livestock farming in the Borders. They included James Playfair, Ewan and Iain from Eastfield, John and Johnny from Humebyres, Keith Redpath from Spylaw Bull Stud, some wise advice from Jock Bryce, and in particular Sarah and Mick from Sharplaw, their late-outwintered cross cows with BB calves at foot were a great hit with Scott and came closest to what is common and profitable in his area.We met individual farmers in the clinic and out and about, and again Scott was very grateful for the hospitality shown to him by everyone.

 

 

 

At the end of his trip we attended the British Cattle Vets conference in Southport, but despite several hard training days drinking including a memorable overnight in Edinburgh after Australia were soundly beaten (Scotland 9 v Australia 8) at Murrayfield, he had to admit defeat and conceded that he was a lightweight when it came to the drinking games with the Pom vets!!

 

Scott.

 

In late November 2009, the Australian Cattle Veterinarians and Australian Veterinary Association sponsored my study tour to Scotland. I had the great privilege of visiting the Borders and spending time studying the beef cattle production system and associated veterinary industry there. I am a beef cattle veterinarian from Coonamble in north-west NSW, Australia. Rob and Sharon Anderson were my extremely generous and obliging hosts, on behalf of the Merlin Vet Group, Kelso.

 

During my time in Kelso I was able to visit several beef cattle operations, look at the cattle and meet the producers. This has given me a much greater insight into your production system and industry. Rob has asked me to give a brief summary of my impressions of the Scottish industry as an outsider but also as a stakeholder in the Australian beef industry.

 

The Report Card...

 

 

Positives.

 

There were plenty of these - in a nutshell, my overall impression of the Borders beef industry that it is progressive, vibrant and very commercially orientated. Things that really impressed me were:

 

• Excellent use of crossbreeding to meet market specifications.
• Genetics and feeding techniques that allow you to produce a marketable carcase at a young age at relatively low body weights (ie. Very high dressing %'s).
• A very proactive approach to the control of infectious diseases - respiratory disease, JD & BVDV in particular.
• Excellent vaccination protocols for weaned, fast growing, high value stock - particularly respiratory disease.
• Good control of the nutrition of your breeding stock - gives you better control of variability in reproductive performance.
• Overall I got the impression that many of your breeder herds achieve very good reproductive rates and tight calving spans.
• A growing awareness of the importance of regularly monitoring bull fertility - with so much single sire mating it is imperative that you continually put pressure on your bulls to meet minimum reproductive standards.

 

Room for improvement.

 

There are always things that we can be doing better. Please remember that I am coming from an Australian, rangeland pastoral production perspective. Please don't take my comments as pure criticism, look at them as starting points for discussion. The weak points in your production systems that really stood out to me were:

 

• Handling facilities. Taken as a whole, the facilities for handling cattle (pregnancy testing, bull testing, treating and examining individual animals, drafting (shedding), loading etc) - were abysmal. Somewhere between medieval and third world. Poor facilities are hard on man and beast. They teach animals bad behaviour, they injure animals and staff. This factor is really holding your industry back.
• Expensive production systems, based on long periods of housing stock. I would have thought that big savings in cost of production could be made by running more easy care animals that require shorter periods of housing.
• High mature bodyweights of breeding cows. On the whole I felt your cows were extremely big, high maintenance animals. A 450 kg cow has 1 calf a year, as does a 700 kg cow. The 700kg cow is much more expensive to run though.
• Little or no idea of true costs of production ie. Not a single Scottish cattle farmer could tell me how many pence or pounds it costs them to produce a kg of beef. Until you can do that, it will be hard for you to look critically at the profitability of your production system and make proactive changes to increase profit margins.
• Little or no focus on eating quality of the beef you produce. This isn't the fault of the producers per se, but more of the processors, retailers and greater industry. The grading and payment system which you are paid on promotes the production of fast growing, high yielding, more extreme European types of cattle. They are killed at a young age, which is a big positive, but there is little fat cover and no focus on meat colour, flavour, tenderness and overall eating quality. As producers you need to be looking beyond the farm gate - if you don't produce beef that is tasty and tender and provides a positive, predictable eating experience, then beef will continue to lose ground to the pork and poultry industries.

 

Obviously I could talk to you for hours about this whole topic, but I hope that this gives you a bit of feedback on your industry. I would like once more to thank all the producers who gave of their valuable time to speak to me and let me look around their farms. Finally a huge thanks to Rob Anderson who made the whole trip possible and did so much to make me feel welcome whilst over here. I hope that we can continue to build relationships between north-west NSW and the Borders. If anyone is heading my way, be sure to get my contact details from Rob so that I can show you my part of the world!

 

 

RA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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