CVS Farm Vets relaunch campaign to promote sheep faecal egg counting
Fourteen CVS Farm practices have relaunched an annual campaign to promote sheep faecal egg counting (FECs) to farm clients across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
In recent years, sheep parasite levels have shown significant fluctuations, with some years experiencing record high parasite burdens. In 2022, a national survey by Zoetis' Parasite Watch Scheme revealed record-high parasite levels in lambs, with average strongyle counts peaking at over 950 eggs per gram.
Parasites in sheep can cause a range of effects, from subtle production losses to severe illness, depending on the type and number of parasites and the sheep's overall health. Common impacts include reduced weight gain, weight loss, diarrhoea, anaemia, poor wool quality, and decreased milk production. Severe infections can potentially lead to death.
CVS Farm vet practices will promote faecal egg counting to regularly monitor sheep parasite profiles on clients’ farms. During the grazing season, undertaking FECs every three to four weeks is recommended to assess worm burdens. This will help to; diagnose worm issues sooner which can reduce production losses; avoid treating for worms when there isn’t a problem, reducing the risk of resistance build up and the cost of unnecessary treatment; target the timing of dosing to improve the effectiveness of treatment and productivity; and to detect any signs of worm anthelmintic resistance.
Based on each farm’s FECs and knowledge of the farm’s grazing system, CVS Farm vets will then recommend using anthelmintics only when necessary and provide targeted anthelmintic and anticoccidial treatments, if needed. This will involve selecting the most appropriate product, including the use of narrow spectrum (instead of combination products) whenever possible. This holistic approach will help to reduce the risk of developing anthelmintic resistance, whilst at the same time promoting the health, welfare and productivity of each flock.
Each CVS Farm practice will use an OvaCyte machine to analyse farm worm burdens. Here, worm egg counts can be performed in as little as 20 minutes, with results delivered the same day. This means farmers can bring in their samples, wait whilst their counts are done, then walk out of the practice with the right worm treatment. Faeces can also be tested again 1-2 weeks after dosing to check it has been effective and to give assurance that animals have been well treated.
Steven Carragher, Farm Quality Improvement Lead at CVS Farm, said
“It is important for farms to understand the parasitic challenges to their livestock to enable them to control worm burdens in their lambs effectively. In recent years, there has been increasing reports of resistance to certain wormers on UK farms. This is of significant concern to sheep farmers. Knowing which wormers work on a farm and how best to maintain their efficacy is essential to prevent poor productivity in lambs.”
CVS Farm practice colleagues are trained to offer advice to farmers on their sheep faecal worm egg count needs. Each practice offers Faecal Worm Egg Count Kits and a variety of worming products at competitive prices.
CVS Farm is taking a ‘One Health’ approach to clinical improvement and developing practical projects to address related challenges, such as anthelmintic resistance, antimicrobial resistance and improving animal welfare. Every practice has appointed a vet to be a Practice Quality Improvement Lead, who collaboratively; brainstorms how to overcome challenges; develops ideas for clinical improvement; identifies the resources and technology needed to implement each project; and advocates for programme delivery within a practice’s team.
CVS Group operates across small animal, farm animal, equine, laboratories and crematoria, with over 500 veterinary practices and referral centres in the UK and Australia. In the last five years the company has invested nearly £80 million in its sites, facilities and equipment, in addition to industry leading training and support, to give the best possible care to animals.