Protect Your Bottom Line: Dr. Mark Alley Shares the Hidden Costs of Neglecting Parasite Control
Small things make a big impact, but in the instance of parasites that impact isn’t a good one from a herd health or economic standpoint. Dr. Mark Alley, a technical service managing veterinarian with Zoetis, helps cattle producers understand the lifecycle of parasites, types of parasites and different treatment options or management practices to control them during a conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast.
Why Should Cattle Producers Care about Parasites?
Herd health impacts animal performance which impacts profit. It’s that simple. Parasites have a direct impact on animal performance because of how they source nutrients to live, grow and reproduce. “We have to remember that the ultimate goal of the parasite is to steal nutrients from cattle. This reduces the host or bovine’s ability to perform to their full genetic potential,” said Alley. Even with high market prices, it’s critical that every animal performs their best as input costs remain high.
You may be asking yourself, how much profit am I actually missing out on by not managing for parasites. That’s a fair question and you might be shocked by the answer. “When we look at the economic impact of parasite management, the research is a little dated. However, Dr. Lawrence out of Iowa State has a study that is well known from 2007-2008. This data shows that when we removed the ability to deworm animals, the impact was about $190 per head at that time. [1] Now, if you look at the cost of things today that impact is probably much larger,” said Alley. That’s a lot of money being lost because of choosing not to control parasites!
Parasite Control Programs
Creating a parasite control program starts with understanding the lifecycle of parasites and visiting with your veterinarian. It is important to understand the lifecycle of parasites and which animals they impact the most to know when to treat your cattle and how to do it. “In general, adults lay eggs and these eggs are passed through feces. Depending on the environment and the parasite, there will be 3 molts before these eggs become infectious. Once eggs get to this larval stage, they will begin to crawl towards the top of the plant and are ingested by cattle,” said Alley. Once parasites are in the animal, there are a couple more molts before they are adults themselves and the approximate 3-week cycle begins again. Dr. Alley reminds producers that oftentimes parasites begin thriving simultaneously with pasture forages. When working with your veterinarian to develop a parasite management protocol for your herd, discuss what your goals are, how you market cattle and what problems you are having or have had in the past. Developing this strategy could include taking a diagnostic like fecal egg count to know what you are working with and where to start.
Parasite control programs take a multifaceted approach to truly be successful and sustainable. “We have to remember that 90% of parasites are in the pasture and only 10% are in the animals. This means our parasite management programs need to include both products and pasture management strategies,” said Alley. Parasites live in the bottom 2-3 inches of plant growth and can’t travel long distances. Evaluating your grazing strategies is one step to managing parasites without having any extra inputs. The other component is using products to treat internal parasites. Dr. Alley warns against blanket-treating everything unless you are coming out of a drought. There are only four ingredient families available to producers today and everyone needs to be cognizant of not creating resistant parasites. For high parasite loads, Valcor™ is a new treatment option available to cattle producers that combines active ingredients from doramectin and the levamisole injection.
As you take a look at your own herd health and parasite management program, Dr. Alley reminds cattle producers to be good stewards by taking weights and giving proper dosage to reduce resistance to the limited treatment options that are currently available. Remember to consult with your veterinarian and follow the instructions on the label to not only ensure optimal animal health but get the best ROI too! After all, it’d be a shame if such small creatures stole dollars right out of your pockets.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Consult your veterinarian for assistance in the diagnosis, treatment, and control of parasitism.
Do not treat cattle with Valcor within 15 days of slaughter. Not for use in female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older, including dry dairy cows; not for use in beef calves less than 2 months of age, dairy calves, and veal calves. Safety has not been evaluated in breeding bulls. Use with caution in cattle treated with cholinesterase inhibitors. This product is likely to cause injection site swelling; tissue damage (including granulomas and necrosis) may occur. These reactions have resolved without treatment. See full prescribing information at ValcorTough.com/PI.
Dectomax Injectable has a 35-day pre-slaughter withdrawal period. Dectomax Pour-On has a 45-day pre-slaughter withdrawal period. Do not use in female dairy cattle 20 months of age or older. Do not use in calves to be processed for veal. Dectomax has been developed specifically for cattle and/or swine. Use in dogs may result in fatalities.
Cattle must not be slaughtered within 27 days after the last treatment with Valbazen. Do not use in female dairy cattle of breeding age. Do not administer to female cattle during the first 45 days of pregnancy or for 45 days after removal of bulls.
1 Lawrence JD; Ibarburu M. Iowa State University; Accessed Sept. 9, 2023, http://www2.econ.iastate.edu/faculty/lawrence/Pharma%202007%20update.pdf
Data on file, Study Report No. A131R-US-21-940, Zoetis Inc.
Data on file, Study Report No. A131C-US-16-504, Zoetis Inc.
Data on file, Study Report No. A131C-US-17-538, Zoetis Inc.
Data on file, Study Report No. A136C-US-17-554, Zoetis Inc.
Data on file, Study Report No. A131R-US-20-812, Zoetis Inc.
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