07/02/2025
Liver Fluke Awareness!
The importance of testing for fluke is being strongly highlighted by the industry led groups COWS (Control of Worms Sustainably) https://www.cattleparasites.org.uk/ and its sheep counterpart, SCOPS (Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep) https://www.scops.org.uk/ .
Fluke is becoming a moving target, particularly with changes in climate, and it is no longer sufficient to simply treat by calendar month. Liver fluke spend nearly half their life outside your cattle/sheep (on the grass or inside their intermediate host the mud snails) and so are very influenced by weather conditions. Also resistance has been confirmed with some flukicide products.
Consequently, it is more important than ever to know the fluke risk and fluke infection on your farm.
Here at Kidd Vets we can now do in-house detection for fluke eggs in dung samples using a state of the art automated microscope that captures images. Advanced AI technology allows for accurate searching and identification of fluke eggs in the sample. Evidence of fluke eggs indicates the presence of adult fluke in the liver.
This time of year is ideal to check your herd/flock in this way, and help answer questions like
Do you need to treat?
Did your previous treatment work?
Might you have resistance to the product previously used?
Are bought-in animals bringing fluke onto your farm?
Checking for adult fluke now would mean you know your animals are not being held back by liver damage, PLUS you would be decreasing next year's fluke risk by not allowing adult fluke to remain in your cattle/sheep over spring (otherwise the eggs they lay contaminate these grazing areas after turnout).
'Testing To Know' will become increasingly important and could save you money by not doing unnecessary or badly timed treatments.