How to Remove Worms in Cattle

Growing and raising cattle requires a special approach to their health. The period of free-walking of animals in unverified pastures increases the risk of infection with helminthiasis, especially if the animals are not taken preventive measures to combat helminths according to the scheme once every 6 months. Did you know? The largest tapeworm reaches 15 meters in length. It enters the human body when eating meat products that have not undergone sufficient heat treatment.

Types of helminths in cows

Most often, cattle are affected by such types of worms:

1. Nematodes are the most common and numerous group of helminths (24, 000 species) that can affect any internal organs. Worms with a circular cross section, parasitic in a humid environment.
   

2. Flukes - represented by gastric and hepatic parasites.
   

3. Tapeworms - are in the body of animals in the larval stage. Parasitize mainly in the digestive tract.
   
   Once in a living organism, worms actively absorb nutrients from the food they receive. At the location of parasites, helminthiasis is classified into intestinal and extraintestinal. Helminths quickly reach puberty and give birth to numerous offspring.

   How can an animal get infected?

   Cows can be infected with helminths through water sources: an open pond or water infected with another animal in the barn. Also, parasites can enter the body of the animal with food. Larvae of worms infect grassy plants and live in the upper layers of the soil. Dictiocaulosis - a disease caused by helminths, is observed in calves, less often in adults.

   Carriers are one-year-old animals that were grazed on a pasture last year. Together with feces, larvae and adults spread throughout the land and the barn. The incubation period is 15 days. After this period, the young growth itself becomes a carrier. The peak incidence of dictyocaulosis occurs in June.

   Common symptoms

   The symptomatic picture of helminth infection is the same for cows of any age.

   
   In this case, there are:
   • bronchospasm;
   • rapid weight loss;
   • signs of intoxication;
   • exhaustion;
   • decreased appetite or a change in taste preferences (cows eat their own feces).

   After penetrating the gastric tract, the larvae spread with blood flow to the lungs. Here the larvae become sexually mature and, multiplying, tear the alveoli and bronchi. Worms stray into a tight ball, thereby blocking the access of air to the lungs, which causes bronchospasm, shortness of breath, respiratory arrest. Animals become lethargic.

   With free grazing, infected individuals often lag behind the general herd, trying to lie down. If the infection was not stopped on time, inflammatory processes in the bronchi begin. Abscesses form on the mucous membranes, which causes pneumonia and an abscess. In the end, animals die.

   Diagnostics

   Symptoms of helminthiasis are similar to enterocolitis, liver dysfunction, and appendix inflammation. To confirm infection with parasites allows the differentiation of these diseases. Venous blood is taken from sick animals for testing for the presence of antibodies to giardia.

   
   In the early stages, the analysis does not give an exhaustive answer, since the concentration of toxins in the blood is still too low. At a later stage, the analysis of blood determines the increase in eosinophils, stab-nucleated, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

   To confirm helminthiasis, feces are examined for the presence of antigens to the worms. Microscopy of bile secretions and residual fecal components is performed. Intestinal cysts are determined using an enterostest. The animal is allowed to swallow a capsule containing a special thread. Walking along the intestinal tract, the thread collects the cellular organisms that will be required for a detailed analysis.

   How to remove worms from cows?

   Helminthiasis treatment is carried out comprehensively and includes several measures:

   1. Drug therapy.
   2. Folk remedies.
   3. Nutrition correction.
   4. Processing facilities.
   After a diagnosis is established, care must be taken to resettle healthy individuals in separate, disinfected rooms. Infected animals are transferred to a strict diet that excludes carbohydrate foods: root vegetables, fruits, and green, succulent grass. The premises are washed daily with a solution of chlorine.

   Video: how to remove worms from a cow

   Special disinfection mats are placed on the threshold to prevent the spread of helminths on shoes. For a healthy part of the herd, pasture is being changed. The bull, which was treated for helminthiasis, is not allowed to reach the females in the hunt for a year. All offspring received from a cow infected with helminths are kept separately. Every 2 weeks, blood and feces are taken for analysis.

   Veterinary drugs

   In the treatment of helminths, drugs such as:

   1. "Flubendazole".
   2. Febtal.

   "Flubendazole" is a powder compound. The drug is added to the feed. 2 kg of substance are added to 1 ton of food. The course of treatment is 10 days. Effective in the initial stages.

   The active substance is built into the DNA chain of the worm and blocks its nervous system, which leads the worm to starvation. After using the drug, meat products can be consumed after 10 days, dairy - after 5.

   
   “Febtal” is produced in granules. The dosage for cattle is 4.5 g / 100 kg live weight. The drug is added to the food once. After use, meat and dairy products can be used by humans in 2 weeks. In case of forced slaughter, it is permissible to leave meat for feed to fur animals. Important! All anthelmintic drugs are highly toxic, therefore they are used after a doctor’s appointment. Do not change the prescribed dosage. Most drugs are not suitable for pregnant cows - take care of quality prophylaxis before insemination.

   Folk remedies

   Garlic juice is a folk remedy that allows you to effectively get rid of intestinal parasites. 50 ml of juice are added to 10 l of water. Practice feeding animals with a weak solution of manganese.

   In the drink add a decoction of wormwood. 300 g of dry raw materials pour 2 liters of boiling water, insist 2-3 hours. The concentrate is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:20. Flax seeds and oil help to quickly clear the stomach of cows from toxins and reduce the activity of nematodes.

   

   Can I drink milk and eat meat?

   Products obtained from sick animals cannot be consumed. Most of the worms that infect cattle are dangerous to humans. After deworming, meat and dairy products should not be consumed for at least 2 weeks, depending on the toxicity of the drug and the intensity of the damage to the animal. Important! All people in contact with sick cattle should be screened and take a course of anthelmintic drugs.

   It is forbidden not only to consume food products from infected cattle, but also to use skins, horns, and bones. Other animals are also not given the meat of cows or bulls, who were forced to be killed or died from dictiocaulosis.

   Prevention

   Regular preventive measures prevent the spread of parasites among cattle and people.

   
   For this purpose, the following measures are taken:
   1. All livestock and animals in contact with it receive preparations from worms 2 times a year.
   2. Selecting a pasture and an open reservoir for watering, take samples of soil and water.
   3. Unfinished food that has fallen to the floor is cleaned and disposed of.
   4. The premises are sanitized once a week with non-aggressive detergents.
   5. The litter is completely changed every 6 months, the top layer is changed as it is moistened.
   6. Before insemination, cows and bulls are carefully checked.
   7. Young animals are kept separately from the general herd prior to routine vaccinations.

   Infection with parasites without timely treatment leads to a decrease in the number of livestock. To avoid this, you need to adhere to the basic rules for caring for cows and timely preventive measures.