Long Acting (LA) Ewe Anthelmintic Products

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LA ewe products are commonly used pre-lambing, and have many advantages for both EWES and LAMBS, including:

  • Improved ewe condition - through increased feed efficiency and improved appetite
  • More milk and less body weight lost during lactaiton
  • Less dags and improved lamb weights
  • Significant benefits for twin bearing 2-tooths.

The production benefits of LA ewe products must always be balanced with the risk of drench resistance - their use can increase selection for resistant worms on your property if not used strategically.  Using best practice guidelines mitigates resistance pressure and extends the longevity of existing drench actives.

Best Practice Guidelines for LA Product use:

  • Use an effective product: The only way to know how effective a drench family is on your property is to perform a Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT).  This will allow sustainable product use which will also maximise production.
  • Utilise Refugia:  Utilising refugia involves not treating selected animals on a property to ensure a balance of susceptible larvae are present on the property.  This is a technical process and advice from a vet should be sought before proceeding.
  • Faecal Egg Counts:  Check if capsules or LA injections are still working on your farm.  Our veterinary policy is to test all farms we have supplied capsules or LA injections to, at our cost, around 60 days after administration.  If eggs are detected, use an exit drench or triple active at the end of the long acting treatment.
  • Use a triple combination or novel active (Zolvix/Startect) drench on lambs at weaning.
  • Exit Drench with a novel drench or triple active at the end of the long acting treatment.

Products on the market:

Bionic:  A 100 days combination capsule with continued release of abamectin and albendazole, plus selenium and cobalt.  Withholding time is 126 days.

Extender SeCo:  A drench capsule which releases albendazole (white drench) for 100 days, plus selenium and cobalt.  A priming dose of an effective combination drench must be given to the ewes when capsules are inserted.  Withholding time is zero.

Exodus LA, Cydectin LA:  These products contain a long acting form of moxidectin.  It is active against Ostertagia for 112 days and Trichs for 42 days after a single injection.

Cydectin Injection including Eweguard:   A moxidectin injection that is active for 35 days against Ostertagia, and at least 7 days against Trich's.  It is best used 2-4 weeks pre-lamb.  Withholding time is 28 days.