Large Animal Parasite Control
by Ben J. Character, DVM
Internal parasites can cause significant weight loss in grazing animals during the lean winter months. Now is the time to institute a deworming program to address this problem.
Most parasites in Alabama choose the mild climate of spring and fall to emerge from their hibernation and become active feeding and reproducing. This emergence can cause damage to the gastrointestinal lining and result in weight loss and/or mild colic.
Fall herd work is an excellent time to deworm brood cows while there are up to work the fall calf crop. It is also a safer time to treat for external parasites, such as grubs, which if treated before October, can cause reactions in the spinal cord and even paralysis.
Although the standard of care for equine deworming has always been the “tube worming”, today’s paste dewormers offer an equally effective alternative so that year-round parasite control can be done. There are several different active ingredients available for deworming. A good program should vary the active ingredient of the product used. To kill bot fly larva, a product with ivermectin is most effective, and it should be given after the first frost.