Elanco Animal Health Archives - American Cattlemen

How to Formulate a Successful Fall Deworming Plan

By M. Wayne Ayers, DVM, Beef Cattle Technical Consultant, Elanco Animal Health

A fall deworming program that reduces unseen nutrient-robbing parasite load can increase cattle health and improve growth and productivity.

Parasites can have visual impact, but more often the impact is hidden in decreased performance and efficiency. A well-designed treatment program can result in the capture of many more dollars at the end of the day.

Understanding the risk

There are at least 15 internal parasites that affect cattle in the U.S., with five typically blamed for the most serious economic losses.

The parasite that causes the most economic loss, and if left unchecked can cause permanent reduction in performance, is the brown stomach worm (Ostertagia). Untreated calves that experience a heavy Ostertagia load in early life may be less efficient because of damage done to the lining of the abomasum. Reduced growth rates and increased incidences of disease, such as respiratory disease, are also potential issues.

How to time parasite management

Internal parasites behave differently depending on geographic location and environmental conditions; therefore, treatment timing can vary by location and even pasture to pasture.

Treatment timing should be dictated by the life cycle of the parasite and producers are encouraged to work with their local veterinarian to help assess the most effective time to treat parasites in their regions, which parasites are of greatest concern for their herds and which product or combination of products are recommended.

There is no one gold standard for treating parasites, therefore treatment protocols must be dictated by risk and the opportunity to handle cattle. Begin with the ideal treatment plan for your specific location and parasite risk, then adapt that ideal to the operation’s management style and restrictions.

Cattle grazing in actively growing green grass consume and ingest parasite larvae causing active infection and production losses. Spring-born calves, having picked up internal parasites throughout the summer months, will likely come into the fall with heavy loads, making pre-weaning deworming programs especially critical.

A dewormer such as Cydectin, which is highly effective against inhibited and resistant parasite populations including Ostertagia can eliminate those worms and return calves back to a state of increased growth and weight gains.

Choosing a treatment plan

Choosing a parasite control product(s) depends on local risk, handling opportunity and other pests affecting cattle. This may mean choosing between a pour-on or injectable product.

If deworming cattle in late summer or early fall when fly pressure is still heavy, a pour-on product might provide the highest return on investment. When temperatures are cold and flies are not a concern, an injectable product would have the highest return, especially when treating lice with a pour-on product.

A toolbox of options

Elanco’s extensive portfolio of insecticides and parasiticides, which can control various parasites like flies, ticks, lice, mites and internal worms, includes Cydectin.

Cydectin, a pioneer macrocyclic lactone in the milbemycin subclass is effective against both internal and external parasites, and is available in different formulations for various applications, including pour-on, injectable and oral for sheep. By reducing parasite loads, cattle are expected to have an increase appetite utilizing nutrients more efficiently with increased growth rates and reduced disease incidence.

M. Wayne Ayers, DVM, Beef Cattle Technical Consultant, Elanco Animal Health

Moxidectin, the active ingredient powering Cydectin, is the latest molecule available in the macrocyclic lactone class and in the milbemycin subclass allowing it to be more effective against and less resistant to cattle parasites than its predecessors in the avermectin class.

If one has been using any of the avermectin products repeatedly or in rotation with each other, it is possible that resistance has been building and it may be time to reach for something unique, such as Cydectin.

Visit CydectinBeef.com or talk to your veterinarian or local Elanco representative about how Cydectin can benefit your strategic fall deworming protocol.

Keep Cydectin out of reach of children.

How to optimize your cattle deworming program?

Three questions to improve ROI potential

By M. Wayne Ayers, DVM, Beef Cattle Technical Consultant, Elanco Animal Health

Beef producers understand how deworming helps to maximize animal health and contributes to operational profitability, but building a strategic deworming program that yields effective results and a positive return on investment can be a tricky task.

Answering three critical questions can help ensure cattle operations are set up for success by decreasing parasite burden and improving weight gain and performance.

1. Do I know what parasites are present?

Understanding what parasites are present in cattle is the first step to success. Of the nearly 15 species of worms that affect U.S. cattle, four parasites are responsible for the most significant economic losses – the brown stomach worm (Ostertagia osteragi), Barber’s pole worm (Haemonchus placei), cattle bankrupt worm (Cooperia spp.) and small stomach worm (Trichostrongylus axei).

Determining which cattle are infected with parasites, what species are represented and at what population level, using species-specific quantitative analysis, will help you choose the most effective deworming product and target the most susceptible cattle for more timely treatment.

2. Do I know which cattle are at the greatest risk?

When assessing your herd, youngstock are at the highest risk and stand to suffer the greatest potential economic loss due to parasitism. Even when subclinical infections occur without visible symptoms, internal parasites can decrease calf performance, including reduced growth rates. This can limit calves’ ability to reach their full genetic potential and can negatively impact an operation’s profitability.

As cattle age and their immune system has a history of parasite interaction, they become less susceptible to infection and other effects of parasites.

It’s also important to practice refugia when considering which cattle to treat. Refugia is a deworming strategy that maintains a low level of untreated sensitive parasite larvae on pastures, reducing selection pressure and resistance development that can result from repeated deworming.

Capitalizing on the ability of mature cattle to develop some degree of immunity to parasitism, Elanco developed a refugia strategy called “4 Score and 3 Years” for cattle. This resistance management strategy calls for mature cattle with a body condition score of greater than 4.5 and older than 3 years of age to remain unexposed to dewormer. All cattle three years of age and younger, regardless of body condition, should be dewormed.

Remember, what’s in the cow is what’s on the pasture, what’s on the pasture is what’s in the calf, and what’s in the calf is what causes economic loss. The “4 Score and 3 Years” strategy helps maintain a parasite pasture population that can be effectively managed in youngstock.

3. Am I using the most effective product?

Evaluating and choosing the dewormer best suited for your operation can be a daunting task.

As generic formulations are added to farm store shelves, it can be tempting to choose the lowest cost option. However, studies have demonstrated potential effectiveness differences between pioneer dewormers and generic formulations.^1,2 These studies raise the question of whether generic formulations are equally effective.

Achieving efficacy while reducing potential resistance development can be a difficult balance to strike, and reduced effectiveness often equals reduced profitability.

Cydectin^® is the pioneer moxidectin cattle dewormer with 25 years of demonstrated effectiveness. It provides broad-spectrum control of both internal and external parasites, including the four most economically significant parasites.

Cydectin’s active ingredient, moxidectin, has a novel molecular structure and is the only macrocyclic lactone class dewormer in the milbemycin subclass. With a lack of new dewormer molecules on the market, producers can reduce the risk of resistance development by leveraging this unique chemistry.

Compared to other common dewormers, Cydectin Pour-On has proven to reduce fecal egg counts and put more dollars in producers’ pockets by numerically increasing weight gain and additional profit per head³.
In one head-to-head study, Cydectin Pour On was proven to be effective in reducing fecal egg counts by 96.6% assessed by a fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT).3 This reduction was statistically (P<0.05) greater than Ivomec (FECRT = 43.6%). The researchers also found the following derived benefits of treating stocker cattle with Cydectin Pour On:

• +60 lbs. and $150/head more than the untreated control*
• +33 lbs. and $82.50/head more than Ivomec® Pour-On* (ivermectin)
• +16 lbs. and $40/head more than Dectomax® Pour-On (doramectin)
• +11 lbs. and $27.50/head more than Eprinex® Pour-On (eprinomectin)

*Significantly greater (P < 0.05)

(Weights with an asterisk are statistically different from Cydectin Pour On at P<0.05. Dollar differences calculated 07March2024 using $2.50/cwt value)

Implementing a strategic and well-rounded deworming program is essential to maintaining the health and productivity of beef cattle. Answering these three important questions ensures your deworming program further contributes to your operation’s profitability and sustainability.

Remember, a healthy herd is a productive herd, and an investment in deworming goes a long way to ensuring the success of your beef cattle business.

Visit CydectinBeef.com or talk to your local Elanco representative about how Cydectin can benefit your strategic deworming protocol.

Related product/portfolio pages

• https://farmanimal.elanco.com/us/beef/products/cydectin-pour-on
• https://campaign.elanco.com/en-us/elanco-cydectin-injectable/
• https://farmanimal.elanco.com/us/beef

Keep Cydectin out of reach of children.

References

¹ Lifschitz A, Sallovitz J, Imperiale F, et al. Pharmacokinetic evaluation of four ivermectin generic formulations in calves. Vet Parasitol. 2004:119(2-3):247-57.
² Yazwinski TA, Tucker CA, Miles DG, et al. Evaluation of generic injectable ivermectin for control of nematodiasis in feedlot heifers. Bov Pract. 46(1):60-65.
³ Williams JC, et al. A comparison of persistent anthelmintic efficacy of topical formulations of doramectin, ivermectin, eprinomectin and moxidectin against naturally acquired nematode infections of beef calves. Vet Parasitol. 1999:85:277-288.