Always drench carefully
All cattle and sheep worm drenches (anthelmintics) can be harmful whether they are an oral, a pour-on or an injection.
It can be particularly dangerous to drench calves under 8 weeks of age and lambs under 4 weeks of age. Animals rarely need drenching pre-weaning (while on milk). Those that are sick or debilitated should be drenched with caution.
Anthelmintics can be fatal to your animals if label recommendations are not strictly followed. For example, do not mix anthelmintics with milk, milk replacer or colostrum for feeding calves; do not apply the drench differently to what is recommended on the label; only use the product for the species that it is licensed for unless advised by a veterinarian; and do not use closantel-containing drenches (e.g. Genesis Ultra) in goats, as it may cause permanent blindness.
Dose to the weight of the heaviest animal in the herd or mob. However, do not over-dose, and be aware of the dose when drenching the ‘poor-do'ers'. Ensure that you have a system for identifying those animals that you have already drenched in order to avoid multiple dosing.
Check that your drench gun is delivering the correct dose by squirting a dose into a syringe before you begin drenching the herd or mob. This is also good practice to ensure that you are not under-dosing!
Anthelmintics that also contain copper and/or selenium should not be used in conjunction with other products e.g. vaccines, containing copper and/or selenium. Ask for veterinary advice if you are unsure about the product you are wishing to purchase.
All cattle and sheep worm drenches (anthelmintics) can be harmful whether they are an oral, a pour-on or an injection.
It can be particularly dangerous to drench calves under 8 weeks of age and lambs under 4 weeks of age. Animals rarely need drenching pre-weaning (while on milk). Those that are sick or debilitated should be drenched with caution.
Anthelmintics can be fatal to your animals if label recommendations are not strictly followed. For example, do not mix anthelmintics with milk, milk replacer or colostrum for feeding calves; do not apply the drench differently to what is recommended on the label; only use the product for the species that it is licensed for unless advised by a veterinarian; and do not use closantel-containing drenches (e.g. Genesis Ultra) in goats, as it may cause permanent blindness.
Dose to the weight of the heaviest animal in the herd or mob. However, do not over-dose, and be aware of the dose when drenching the ‘poor-do'ers'. Ensure that you have a system for identifying those animals that you have already drenched in order to avoid multiple dosing.
Check that your drench gun is delivering the correct dose by squirting a dose into a syringe before you begin drenching the herd or mob. This is also good practice to ensure that you are not under-dosing!
Anthelmintics that also contain copper and/or selenium should not be used in conjunction with other products e.g. vaccines, containing copper and/or selenium. Ask for veterinary advice if you are unsure about the product you are wishing to purchase.
Finally, if you do experience any adverse reactions in relation to drenching (up to 48 hours post-drenching), please contact Totally Vets. We have an obligation to notify adverse reactions to the manufacturers of the animal health product used.
