Oxfendazole pulse release intraruminal devices and bovine parasitic bronchitis: comparison of two control strategies in a field experiment

Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Hertfordshire.

Lungworm-infected seeder calves were used on two 1.41 ha paddocks to ensure that groups of 11 susceptible trial calves would be exposed to heavy early season challenge with Dictyocaulus viviparus. This produced conditions for an artificially severe test of two control strategies. The first employed a front-loaded oxfendazole pulse release bolus, ie, an intraruminal device which released one therapeutic anthelmintic dose immediately and five subsequent pulses at approximately three-weekly intervals. These front-loaded boluses were given to five of 11 calves on one paddock as soon as parasitic bronchitis had become clinically obvious (34 days after turnout) while the remaining six calves were kept as untreated controls. Clinical signs quickly subsided in the treated animals and no further respiratory problems occurred despite continued exposure to reinfection. The other control strategy involved the administration at turnout of an oxfendazole pulse release device which released the first of five anthelmintic doses approximately three weeks after administration, to all 11 calves on the other paddock. This strategy was almost completely successful in preventing patent infections from establishing and reduced the infectivity of the pasture in August and September by 94.1 per cent as shown by tracer calf studies. The calves treated at turnout performed better than the calves treated with the front-loaded boluses for most of the season and had an average weight-gain advantage of 20.4 kg at housing (P less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)