Evaluation of control schemes using protein supplementation and antihelminitics against gastrointestinal nematodes of dairy ewes

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the possible influence of dietary protein supplementation and anthelmintic administration, in different schemes, for the control of gastrointestinal (GI) nematodes of dairy ewes under field conditions. Towards this end, 40 clinically healthy ewes of a local Greek dairy breed, grazing on infected irrigated pasture, were divided into 5 groups and treated as follows: Group (1S) supplemented with 300 g soybean meal 48%, twice per year (July and periparturiently), Group (2Alb) received albendazole twice as (Group 1S), Group (3S-Alb) supplemented with soybean as in (Group 1S) combined with the use of albendazole (as in Group 2Alb), Group (4Alb3) received albendazole three times (September, periparturiently and April) and Group (5C) (control group). Faecal samples were taken from each animal monthly for nematode egg count (FEC) and blood samples every two months for haematological and biochemical analysis. The results showed that the administration of albendazole twice reduced effectively the nematode FEC, whereas the extra protein supplementation did not significantly influence it. Haematocrit and total proteins were unaffected although they tended to be lower in the control Group (5C). Pepsinogen, calcium, inorganic phosphorus and magnesium were not influenced by the treatments.

Cilj ovog rada je bio da se ispita mogući uticaj dijetetske nadoknade proteina i primene antihelmintika prema različitim shemama radi kontrole GI nematoda kod mlečnih ovaca u terenskim uslovima. Klinički zdrave ovce lokalne grčke mlečne rase (40 grla) koje su pasle na inficiranom navodnjavanom pašnjaku su bile podeljene u 5 jednakih grupa i tretirane na sledeći način: Grupa 1S je kao dodatak hrani dobijala 300 g 48% sojinog brašna dva puta godišnje (u julu i oko jagnjenja). Grupa 2Alb je dobila albendazol dva puta. Grupa 3S-Alb je dobila kao dodatak hrani sojino brašno kao grupa 1S u kombinaciji sa primenom albendazola kao kod grupe 2Alb. Grupa 4Alb3 je dobila albendazol tri puta (u septembru, pred jagnjenje i u aprilu) a Grupa (5 C) je služila kao kontrola bez tretmana. Uzorci fecesa su uzimani svakog meseca od svih životinja zbog pregleda broja jaja nematoda (FEC) a uzorci krvi su uzimani svaka dva meseca zbog hematoloških i biohemijskih analiza. Dobijeni rezultati su ukazali da je dvokratna aplikacija albendazola efikasno smanjila FEC nematoda, dok dodatak proteina nije značajno uticao na ovo smanjenje. Nijedan od ovih dodataka hrani nije značajno uticao na vrednosti hematokrita i koncentraciju ukupnih proteia ali su te vrednosti bile nešto niže kod kontrolne grupe. Primenjivani tretmani nisu uticali na aktivnost pepsinogena i koncentraciju kalcijuma, neorganskog fosfora i magnezijuma.