creepy crawlies inside: Parasite management

Keeping our animals in tip-top shape is at the peak of our priority list. Without a healthy animal, they cannot meet the demands their own bodies require just to survive never mind being asked to do more such as travel, carry a rider, plow a field, provide milk , grow nice wool, transfer plant matter into a cocoon to make silk or even produce healthy offspring.

All of these things and more balance on the potential infestation of microscopic freeloaders : Parasites!

Today we will be exploring parasitism and why its so important to know what your pets poop is trying to tell you. That’s right, it all comes down to the poop!

Q: Why are fecal exams preformed ?

A: Fecal examinations are primarily performed to detect microscopic gastrointestinal parasites, such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, Giardia, coccidia and tapeworms. Some abnormal parasites known as spirochetes or flagellates can also be detected. A positive test result indicates gastrointestinal parasitic disease and should proceed with necessary treatment for removal.

Q: Out of sight, out of mind… if I don’t make an issue out of it, is it really going to be that big of a deal?

A: YES! Parasites are the freeloaders your animal is feeding 24/7 whether we choose to look into it or not they are there.

There are five main symbiotic relationships: mutualism, commensalism, predation, parasitism, and competition and all beings on Earth take part in this contributing to each others symbiotic relationship in some way but at the very least, the competition to survive.

Taking a closer look at today’s topic, parasitism is defined as a relationship between two species of plants or animals in which one benefits at the expense of the other, sometimes without killing the host organism. Q: So how do we know if this is a problem? A: check the poop!

Thanks to many studies and outreach programs through the years provided by co-operative extension programs, farmers and animal enthusiasts have been able to take advantage of the education provided to give an educated assessments about their animal’s health through fecal examinations. All of this gives a better idea of what else is taking nutritional advantage of the host animal’s diet and where all that money is going that is used to feed the animal.

Q: What exactly is in the animal’s poop that gives the farmer an idea of whats going on inside the animal?

A: parasites living inside the animal (AKA “the host”) burrow into cavities or attach themselves within the host’s organs and being to literally suck the life out of the host. As the parasites grow, they begin to lay eggs within the animal that are shortly thereafter discarded by the animal when it poops. *This is a critical phase for the parasite egg because it needs to live its infancy stage on the ground preferably in a warm, damp environment before hatching into its first phase. What a better environment for parasite eggs than a steamy pile of poo?

A Personal Example

Today our farm ran fecal exams on 6 Sheep (the rams, specifically) . This helped us in many ways understand

1. body condition and weight

2. who needs more attention to regular de-worming procedures and who can be skipped

3. is the pasture ready to have a break from grazing

4. Most importantly, where is my “money” going? Is the animal getting the best benefit from a high quality diet I am paying for or is the animal quietly struggling with a parasite issue in which case, am I just feeding a bunch of parasitic freeloaders?

To answer all of the above, we have a mixed variety out of the herd of 6 Rams sampled. Some rams had a very low or ZERO fecal egg count and our highest count of the day was 1,222 parasitic eggs. Sounds crazy right? This is on the high side for sure but far from the worst case scenario. [Historically, this sheep came from dirty, overcrowded, wet conditions nearly a year ago which is the prefect storm to create high numbers like this. Several factors have aided to his long winded parasitic fight but we press on optimistically] This sheep particularly received an immediate dose of over the counter, veterinary approved de-worming solution to get these numbers much lower. Follow up doses and testing will be needed to get these parasites eradicated as quickly as possible to avoid contamination of the rest of the flock. Additional testing may be needed to determine exactly what type of parasites we are dealing with. Many can be identified under a microscope but some take a bit more testing to know exactly what parasite they belong to for a more targeted treatment. For those with a zero count (which I happily report was 5 out of the 6 tested) have not been given any unnecessary medications. Treating for a problem that is not there can cause more harm than good by creating drug resistance among parasites that may be freshly picked up and introduced to the body at the time of unnecessary de-worming.

Q: Why can’t you treat all the animals anyway as a means of prevention to ensure no parasites?

A: In this instance, unnecessary de-worming as a “preventative measure” is not an acceptable option as these products are not designed for long term prevention, but for treatment of the afflicted. Providing quality control over clean housing and feeding stations, not overcrowded populations, and ample grazing with time for rested pastures to grow lush and tall is the best measure of prevention.

Q: How often should a fecal exam be preformed on animals?

A: According to the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC), fecal exams should be conducted “at least four times during the first year of life, and at least two times per year in adults, depending on patient health and lifestyle factors.” *Factors of housing, diet, health concerns and species of animal may require more frequent testing.

Looking forward

As we progress through the year, we can track critical times where testing is most recommended. The turning point between July and early August is known for its hot and muggy conditions in the North East. This is one of the critical mile markers in the year to assess the animals, know they are receiving high nutritional values and are free of parasites as they pack on the pounds heading into winter. At the onset of the cold months and the first few hard frosts, we are given a period of slow to no parasite shedding as those eggs that have hit the ground freeze and die. Many of the remaining parasites living within the body of the animal settle into a dormant period (unless the parasite load is exceptionally high).This is one of the few perks of winter when living the farm life. With the onset of spring, they parasitic worms move out of dormancy and the breeding cycle continues.

Horse specific parasites

A variety of parasite infestation stages can be viewed here in a basic google search of horse (equine) parasites. One of the most troubling parasites to horses is the Strongyle.

Alpaca Strongyle Eggs

This is a sample taken from one of our Alpacas. How many can you find?