Field trials in sheep with the anthelmintic thiophanate

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Parasitology
• Sheep Health Management
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Gastrointestinal nematodes pose a significant threat to sheep productivity.
• Effective anthelmintic treatments are crucial for maintaining flock health and economic viability.
• Thiophanate is an anthelmintic agent used in livestock.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the tolerance and productivity effects of the anthelmintic thiophanate in sheep.
• To assess the efficacy of thiophanate against gastrointestinal nematodes in lambs.
• To compare thiophanate with another anthelmintic, tetramisole.

Main Methods:

• Tolerance studies involved oral administration of thiophanate at various dosages (50-250 mg/kg) to sheep under different management systems.
• Productivity trials included assessing weight gain in growing lambs and lambing performance in ewes treated with thiophanate.
• Efficacy trials compared monthly thiophanate treatment with tetramisole in naturally infected weaned lambs.

Main Results:

• Thiophanate was well tolerated by all treated sheep at recommended and multiple dosages, with no adverse effects on weight gain or lambing performance.
• Treatment with thiophanate resulted in significantly improved weight gain in lambs infected with gastrointestinal nematodes compared to untreated controls.
• Thiophanate showed comparable efficacy to tetramisole in improving lamb weight gain.

Conclusions:

• Thiophanate is a safe and effective anthelmintic for use in sheep.
• The drug can be used without compromising reproductive performance in ewes.
• Thiophanate offers a viable option for controlling gastrointestinal nematodes and enhancing productivity in sheep flocks.