MSD Animal Health are delighted to announce that Bovilis INtranasal RSP Live vaccine can now be administered to newborn calves from the day of birth.
Bovilis® INtranasal RSPTM Live is licensed for the active immunisation of calves from the day of birth to reduce the clinical signs of respiratory disease and viral shedding from infection with Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Parainfluenza-3 (PI3).
Bovilis INtranasal RSP Live can now be administered from the day of birth.
Launchedto Irish vets and farmers in 2019, Bovilis INtranasal RSP Live brought new innovative technology such as offering the earliest administration available (from 7 days of age) and the fastest onset of immunity against RSV and PI3 viruses (7 days post administration).
Now this intranasal vaccine offers farmers the earliest administration available on the market, from the day of birth. As a once-off intranasal application, it will provide full protective immunity in 6 days against RSV and 7 days against PI3; providing the fastest protection on the market against RSV and PI3.
“Bovine respiratory disease is a significant threat to calf health and welfare that can cause pneumonia and permanent lung damage. As a major cause of morbidity in cattle populations around the world, it results in significant economic loss in the dairy and beef industries,” said Geert Vertenten, Global Technical Director, Ruminant Biologicals, MSD Animal Health.
A single 2ml intranasal dose will protect the calf against RSV and PI3 for 12 weeks.
“Unlike other vaccination methods, intranasal vaccination is still effective in the presence of maternal antibodies found in colostrum, allowing it to be effective when administered to a newborn calf. Bovilis INtranasal RSP Live is the only vaccine that can be administered from the day of birth, offering young calves the earliest protection against BRD.”
Bovilis® INtranasal RSPTM Live will be used to protect against bovine respiratory disease (BRD) from the earliest possible age, with the fastest onset of immunity.
This vaccine is available to farmers from their veterinary practitioner and sits alongside the other stalwart BRD vaccines in the MSD Animal Health portfolio namely, Bovilis Bovipast® RSP and Bovilis® IBR Marker Live. For more information, please speak to your local veterinary practitioner
The newborn calf will face many infectious diseases in the early stages of life, with calf scour being one of the most common challenges.
Creating a calf health plan now, will help reduce the risk of calf scour occurring in the first place. For Cork dairy farmer, James Murphy, this means making sure colostrum is of the highest quality, in addition to ensuring good environmental hygiene and management on farm.
James highlights the key steps he is taking in preparation for calving 2022 and why vaccination plays such an integral role in his calf health plan to reduce the risk of calf scour occurring on his farm.
Good Colostrum Management – Key to preventing calf scour
Calves are most at risk of calf scour during the first 4 weeks of life; therefore, rely entirely on good high-quality colostrum for protection.
Paul Ryan, Vet Practitioner with Waterside Vets, Co. Limerick, said that “to achieve adequate protection from calf scour, we recommend vaccinating the cow or heifer with Bovilis Rotavec Corona 12-3 weeks prior to calving.
“This will allow her to increase the concentration of antibodies produced in colostrum antibodies against the main calf scour causing pathogens,” said Paul.
It is critical that the calf receives three litres of good-quality colostrum as soon as possible after birth. The calf should also be fed within the first two hours of birth, to obtain the necessary antibodies which will kick start the calf’s immune system and protect against disease.
According to James, “vaccinating the cows prior to calving gives us an extra boost of confidence going into the calving period as we know the colostrum contains the critical antibodies to reduce the risk of calf scour.
“We place a big emphasis on getting the colostrum right and into the calf as soon as possible after birth. We operate the 1,2,3 rule of colostrum, and use a Brix Refractometer to ensure calves receive high-quality colostrum with a reading greater than 22%.”
Calf health programmeto reduce calf scour
The direct cost of treating calf scour can be easily determined from treatment costs and losses, but the overall indirect losses, such as reduced growth rates and labour requirements, are often underestimated.
“We vaccinate against calf scour for two main reasons: Animal welfare and labour. We don’t want the animals getting sick, and from an animal performance point of view, it is important that they reach their target growth rates. Sick calves also add to the workload at an already busy time of year,” explained James.
He continues, “since vaccinating with the Bovilis Rotavec Corona, we have had no sick calves and there is less pressure on the animals as well as the people working on the farm.”
It is important to remember that calf scour vaccination is not a substitute for good hygiene, housing, and environmental factors. Every attempt should be made to keep housing clean and dry, and reduce draughts, where possible.
All feeding equipment should be disinfected after every milk feeding and calf pens should be cleaned out, power washed and disinfected between batches of calves to reduce the build-up of bugs.
Bovilis Rotavec Corona – At A Glance
Single shot primary course.
Low dose volume (2ml shot).
Intramuscular administration.
Broad window of vaccination (Vaccinate pregnant cows 12-3 weeks pre-calving).
Reduces the severity of diarrhoea caused by E. coli (K99 and F41).
Reduces the incidence of scours caused by rotavirus.
Reduces the shedding of virus by calves infected with rotavirus and coronavirus.
The Bovilis Rotavec Corona is a single-shot injectable vaccination, given to pregnant cows to subsequently help protect the calf from diarrhoea caused by rotavirus, coronavirus and E. coli (K99 and F41), once the calf has been fed sufficient colostrum.
Bovilis Rotavec Corona is a single 2ml vaccine. It is administered to pregnant cattle 12 – 3 weeks prior to calving. It is given into the muscle of the animal.
Bovilis Rotavec Corona will stimulate the dam to produce antibodies which will protect the calf against rotavirus, coronavirus and E.coli (K99 and F41). These antibodies will be stored in the dam’s colostrum. The dam will pass these antibodies to the calf through the colostrum at the first milk feeding.
This is why is is crucial that the calf receives adequate colostrum as soon as possible after birth.
Remember the 1,2,3 rule when feeding colostrum. In the 1st 2 hours, ensure the calf gets at least 3 litres of colostrum. Feeding the calf good quality colostrum will enhance the protection of the calf against these scour causing pathogens.
New additions to Bovilis Rotavec Corona
Bovilis Rotavec Corona has undergone some recent changes. The following are some of the changes to note:
Bovilis Rotavec Corona is now the only “one dose” neonatal vaccine with both an E. coli F5(K99) and a new F41 claim. E. coli bacteria adhere to the small intestinal epithelium by fimbriae, F5(K99) and F41 are the most commonly observed fimbriae in diarrhoeic calves.
The vaccine pack has changed from blue to purple packaging.
A new 50 dose pack size, is now available to complement our current 5 dose and 20 dose presentations and to support use whatever the herd size.
All presentations are being transitioned from glass to a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle, instead of glass vials, to reduce the risk of breakage.
Bovilis Rotavec Corona – How does it work?
Single shot primary course
Low dose volume (2ml shot)
Intramuscular (IM) administration
Broad window of vaccination (Vaccinate pregnant cows 12-3 weeks pre-calving)
Why choose Bovilis Rotavec Corona?
Reduces the severity of diarrhoea caused by E. coli (K99 and F41)
Reduces the incidence of scours caused by rotavirus
Reduces the shedding of virus by calves infected with rotavirus and coronavirus
Unique 28 day in-use shelf life
Reduces the risk of breakage with new PET bottles
Available in 5, 20 and now 50 dose packs
Calf scour guide
Want to learn more about calf scour and how you can use Bovilis Rotavec Corona to protect your calves against scour? Check out our Calf Scour Guide by scrolling through the PDF document below.
Ask your vet about our Calf Scour Guide and how you can use Bovilis Rotavec Corona to help reduce the risk of calf scour occurring on your farm.
It’s that time of year again, where the farmers turn their focus to preparing for the dry-cow period.
We recently caught up with Wexford farmer, Patrick Banville, to learn more about how he is getting on with our new teat sealer CepraLock and the steps he takes when drying off cows to ensure they have an adequate dry period to rest and recuperate leading to a productive lactation next year. Watch the full video below:
Located near Taghmon in Co. Wexford, Patrick runs a 140-cow spring calving herd alongside his wife Carmel and children, John, Brian and Orla. The family have been farming the land since 1919 and they now operate over 90ha, 50 ha of which are on the milking platform.
“It pays dividends to have a good dry-cow management programme in place. Treating one sick cow can be just as time consuming as looking after a full herd of healthy cows. On top of that, you have the associated treatment costs, loss of milk production and increased antibiotic usage,” said Patrick.
Paying close attention to herd health and doing the basics well has been key to the Banville’s success. In April 2021, took home first prize in the milk quality category of the National Dairy Council and Kerrygold National Quality Milk Awards. The Banvilles have also been recipients of the CellCheck Milking for Quality Awards on six occasions.
Dry-Cow Period
A key part of Patrick’s drying-off procedure is the use of CepraLock®, a teat sealant from MSD Animal Health which was launched in 2021.
CepraLock is available in a 6-cow box (24 tubes) and 36-cow bucket (144 tubes)
60% of all new infections in early lactation can be traced back to the dry-cow period. Adding a teat sealant to a dry-cow management programme has been proven to reduce mastitis incidences by up to 25% in the next lactation.
CepraLock® is designed for use at drying-off, with or without a dry-cow intramammary antibiotic, and provides an important inert barrier in the teat canal to reduce the risk of a bacterial infection of the udder during the dry period.
CepraLock – Easy and fast application
“We are very happy with the CepraLock®teat sealant. It is not easy trying to teat seal on a cold winters day when you are drying off 10 cows and handling up to 40 tubes.
“You need to have something which is easy and efficient to use while maintaining a strong, tacky consistency. We switched over to CepraLock® last year and that’s exactly what it had”, explained Patrick.
CepraLock has a strong tacky consistency.
CepraLock® has a minimal air bubble and a significantly shorter plunger. This leads to easier administration into the teat canal, but it is also easy on the person’s hand who is administering the tube. Over time, administering many sealers in one setting can be tiring on the farmer’s hand.
It’s designed with a dual-tip syringe, giving the flexibility to choose between either the preferred short tip or the long tip for administration. This will help avoid the risk of teat damage and incorrect administration beyond the teat canal.
Don’t compromise on hygiene
According to Patrick, SDCT will only be a success if good hygiene practices and sufficient time is allocated when drying-off cows.
“Preparation is key. It’s all well and good using CepraLock teat sealer, but you can’t compromise on hygiene. Drying off cows is a two-person job, and we have all the gear ready to go in advance, tubes, cotton wool, methylated spirits, gloves, etc.”
Everything is prepared in advance of drying-off any cows.
Strict hygiene protocols don’t stop there for the Banvilles. Prior to housing, sheds are washed out and disinfected thoroughly. Once the cows are housed, cubicles are scraped and limed twice daily during the dry period, as if they were milking.
“We put the work in during the dry cow period to ultimately cut down on our workload next spring and ensure healthier and more productive cows in the next lactation,” concluded Patrick.
CepraLock: Udder Health Video Series
As part of bringing our new teat sealant – Cepralock – to market, MSD Animal Health have launched a new udder health video series to raise awareness about the correct procedure when drying-off cows, ahead of the upcoming dry cow season.
The video series features well-known veterinary consultant, Tommy Heffernan – better known as Tommy the vet – who shares lots of practical tips, tricks, and advice to help farmers get prepared for a successful dry-cow period.
A total of six in-depth videos explores every aspect of the drying-off procedure, from effective use of milk recording data, what needs to be taking into consideration when going down the selective dry-cow therapy (SDCT) route and best practice protocols pre, post and when drying-off cows.
Salmonella is a significant disease on Irish dairy farms and can greatly impact on herd productivity and profitability. The implications include high abortion rates, high calf mortality, reduced growth rates and depressed fertility in animals that do overcome the infection. It is also a zoonotic disease, which means it can be transferred easily from animals to humans.
Tom Power, Dairy Farmer, Waterford
One farmer who doesn’t take any risks when it comes to Salmonella is Waterford farmer, Tom Power. Farming in Drumhills, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Tom is milking a herd of 300 cows in a spring-calving system.
In the video below, Tom outlines the importance of Salmonella control on his farm and why vaccinating with Bovilis® Bovivac® S has become a critical component of his herd management programme.
“The herd is at a size now, where we can’t take any chances with their health and that’s why we vaccinate against Salmonella. Like most farmers do, we put a huge amount of time and effort into getting the cows into calf, so keeping them in calf is our number one priority,” says Tom.
No farm is risk free
According to Tom’s local Veterinary Practitioner, Declan Gilchrist from Deise Vets in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, “no farm is risk free. Just because you haven’t had Salmonella on your farm before, doesn’t mean you are protected from it.”
Vaccination against Salmonella
Currently in Ireland, Bovilis® Bovivac® S is the only vaccine available for the control of salmonellosis in cattle. Healthy calves from approximately three weeks of age can receive the primary vaccination course of two 2ml injections separated by an interval of 14 to 21 days.
Calves over six months of age and adult cattle should receive two 5ml injections 21 days apart. All cattle vaccinated with the primary vaccination course of Bovilis® Bovivac® S should receive a 5ml injection at least two weeks prior to each period of risk or at intervals of no more than 12 months thereafter.
Tom concludes: “We try to give each animal a chance and by vaccinating against Salmonella every year, we are reducing the risk of illness and ensuring the cow’s health and performance is not impacted. As it is a zoonotic disease, vaccination also possibly lowers the risk to anyone working here on the farm.”
Reasons to control Salmonella
There are two strains of Salmonella to be aware of for your herd. Salmonella dublin (S dublin) is the most common type associated with abortion in cattle in Ireland and has a high carrier status. Salmonella typhimurium is more commonly associated with diarrhoea outbreaks but can be a cause of abortions.
As well as causing abortions, clinical signs can vary from very mild diarrhoea to those which show obvious signs of fever, dehydration, and profuse diarrhoea, followed by death in a few days.
Clinical outbreaks in young calves can often resemble pneumonia. Acute infections can become chronic and may result in poor thrive, chronic diarrhoea, and terminal dry gangrene.
Salmonella is a significant disease on Irish dairy farms. It can survive for up to two years in the right conditions and the disease is shed mostly in faeces.
In many cases, cows that are infected with Salmonella will often appear clinically normal and Salmonella can survive for up to two years in the right conditions and the disease is shed mostly in faeces. In many cases, cows that are infected with
Salmonella will often appear clinically normal and healthy. It is common when these animals become stressed that they begin shedding the bacteria, infecting other cows, or getting sick themselves.
Hygiene and biosecurityto control Salmonella
Vaccination is critical; however, to maximise animal immunity and minimise exposure, it must coincide with the strict management measures outlined below.
Maintain a closed herd.
If buying in, quarantine arrivals for a period of four weeks minimum.
Strict biosecurity should be particularly maintained around cases.
Faecal material from clinical cases must not enter the slurry tank.
A disinfection point should be in place for everyone who enters and leaves the farm to use.
A rodent and bird control plan should be in place, especially regarding access to feed stores.
Hygiene of buildings between batches of animals is also critical.
Watch: See the videos highlighting some pre-weaning tips, suitable vaccination protocols and an overview on the BEEP-S scheme.
The objective of the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme for Sucklers (BEEP-S)is to further increase economic and environmental efficiency in the suckler herd though improvement in the quantity and quality of performance data that is collected.
One of the voluntary measures under Action 2 of the BEEP-S is vaccination. The objective of this action is for farmers to implement a vaccination programme to reduce the incidence of bovine respiratory disease caused by certain viruses and bacteria otherwise known as pathogens. Bovine Respiratory Disease or BRD as it is also known, refers to diseases that affect the respiratory system of cattle. The best-known example of BRD in cattle is pneumonia.
It is advised that all applicants should consult with their attending veterinary practitioner for the most suitable vaccination programme for their farm. To qualify for payment, date of vaccine administration and purchase receipts must be kept on file and made available to Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) upon inspection.
Why is vaccination part of this programme?
A correctly timed vaccination programme in conjunction with correct animal management can have both an economic and labour-saving result for the farmer.
Vaccination programmes can:
Improve the welfare of the animals. Vaccines can reduce the risk of an animal becoming infected by certain disease pathogens
Reduce the risk of animals becoming ill which reduces the need for antibiotic treatment
Protect animals during risk periods. Examples are weaning, housing, mixing of groups, transport, mart trade etc.
Reduce sick days for animals while also maintaining thrive, allowing animals to reach key target weights
Studies show beef cattle with obvious signs of pneumonia can take over 59 days longer to finish than healthy animals. Even animals showing little or no sickness can be suffering from subclinical respiratory disease which will increase finishing times to slaughter. See figure 1 below:
Figure 1. Negative effects of BRD on finishing times1
Purpose of Action 2 – vaccination
If you selected vaccination as part of Action 2 of the programme you will need to familiarise yourself with the disease pathogens you are trying to protect your cattle against, the vaccines suitable for the programme and their protocols. Let’s start with the disease pathogens. The vaccination pillar of the programme aims at reducing the disease incidence caused by BRD which is illustrated in figure 2:
Pathogen name
Pathogen type
Known as
Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Virus
RSV
Parainfluenza-3
Virus
PI3
Bovine herpes virus type 1 (BoHV-1), (Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis)
Virus
IBR
Mannhaemia haemolytica
Bacteria
Mannhaemia (Pasteurella) haemolytica
Figure 2. List of disease pathogens the programme aims to protect calves against through vaccination
For the purpose of this programme, Teagasc are advocating the importance of vaccinating calves against all four pathogens listed in figure 2 where possible. If inspected, you must provide receipts to show proof of purchase and a record of vaccine administration dates in order to satisfy Action 2 of the programme.
Applicants must choose one of the following vaccination protocols to qualify for payment:
Option 1. (if there is adequate time before risk period or a broader coverage including bacteria is required)
First subcutaneous injection of RSV, PI3 and Mannhaemia haemolytica dead vaccine, six to eight weeks before weaning/housing/sale
Second subcutaneous injection of RSV, PI3 and Mannhaemia haemolytica dead vaccine, two to four weeks before weaning/housing/sale
At the same time as the second injection, a single IBR live intra-muscular, two to four weeks before weaning/housing/sale
Option 2. (if there is a short time before risk period or if cattle can only be handled once)
Single RSV and Pi3 Intranasal two to four weeks before weaning/housing/sale
At the same time, a single (or two dose programme) IBR live intra-muscular injection (two to four weeks before weaning/housing/sale)
MSD Animal Health has the full portfolio of BRD vaccines to provide protection against the four pathogens listed in figure 2. Figure 3 below displays the disease pathogen each product provides protection against and the specific vaccination protocol.
Figure 3. MSD Animal Health BRD vaccine portfolio suitable for the BEEP-S scheme
MSD Animal Health are advising all farmers to implement a vaccination protocol using Bovipast RSP and Bovilis IBR Marker Live. Benefits of this programme:
Combination of these vaccines will provide protection against all four pathogens
The two vaccines are licenced to be administered on the same day
Bovipast RSP provides the BROADEST cover against Mannhaemia haemolytica that’s available on the market
Bovilis IBR Marker Live provides the FASTEST onset of immunity compared to competitor product
Bovipast RSP
Bovilis Bovipast RSP
Provides protection against RSV, PI3 and the BROADEST protection against Mannhaemia ((Pasteurella) haemolytica
Inactivated or dead vaccine
Two shot primary course given four weeks apart. One shot is 5ml
The second shot must be given no later that two weeks prior to weaning, sale or housing
1st shot six weeks prior to risk
2nd shot two weeks prior to risk
Subcutaneous injection (under the skin)
Bovilis IBR Marker Live
Bovilis IBR Marker Live
Provides the FASTEST onset of immunity against IBR
Live vaccine
Single 2ml shot given at least two weeks prior to weaning, sale or housing
Intranasal (up the nose) or intramuscular (into the muscle) injection
Both intranasal and intramuscular administration will give 6 months protection when given to stock over 3 months old.
Bovilis INtranasal RSP Live
Bovilis INtranasal RSP Live
Provides the FASTEST onset of immunity against RSV and Pi3
Live vaccine
Single 2ml shot given at least one week prior to weaning, sale or housing
Intranasal administration
Provides 12 weeks protection against RSV & PI3
MSD Animal Health are advising all farmers to consult with their attending veterinary practitioner prior to implementing a vaccination protocol.
If inspected, you must provide receipts to show proof of purchase and a record of vaccine administration dates in order to satisfy Action 2 of the programme.
References Bareille et al. 2008. Impact technique et économique des troubles respiratoires des jeunes bovins lors de l’engraissement. Rencontres autour des recherches sur les ruminants: 77-80.
Kieran Flatley of Harrington Farms in Kilkelly, County Mayo talks about the improvement in their weanling calves over the last few years as a result of implementing a vaccination programme to protect them against pneumonia.
Earlier this year, Kieran applied for the BEEP-S programme. As part of the programme, farmers had to apply before 25th April 2022. When applying, they had to indicate what actions they would undertake. See figure 1 below which outlines the actions points of the programme.
Figure 1: The Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme – Sucklers for 2020. The scheme is the same for 2021.
Revolutionary processes and a tried and tested animal health programme at Moss Hill Farm in Co. Antrim is paving the way to bring some of the world’s most coveted Wagyu beef to market.
Gary Fitzpatrick has been utilising the Bovilis vaccines along with Consultant and Supply Chain Specialist Dr Ryan Law to roll out a tailor-made vaccination and nutrition regime, which is not only producing the finest quality Wagyu beef, but in half the time.
Wagyu beef is one of the most prized meats in the world and that’s down to the marbling. It’s unparalleled in flavour but also boasts a range of health benefits for the consumer due to its high levels of Omega 3 and 6.
It usually takes up to 36 months to rear and finish Wagyu cattle, but Moss Hill is doing it in 15 months, not only improving economic efficiency but making a positive impact on the carbon footprint of this beef production system.
Gary Fitzpatrick says with 450 animals now in the supply chain, animal health is a centre focus for the WagyuGold enterprise: “We believe prevention is better than cure and that is clearly delivering results. Our robust vaccination programme starts for the calves entering the rearing unit at 3 weeks old.
“Here they are protected from a range of respiratory diseases using Bovilis® IBR Marker Live and Bovilis® Bovipast® RSP. We’ve used these products to protect our cattle here on the farm for many years, so we know the animals perform well using this programme. The calves get a shot of Bovilis® IBR Marker Live and Bovipast® RSPon the same day and a booster shot of Bovipast® RSP 4 weeks later.” This combination offers a very broad range of protection against some of the most common pneumonia causing agents.
“With Wagyu beef, the key to quality meat is a lack of stress in the animal, so maintaining good health is paramount. Vaccination reduces the risk of sickness which, in turn, improves our productivity.
“We’ve created a comfortable, pathogen-controlled environment using pressure ventilated housing. This combined with the tailored nutrition programme has resulted in calm and content cattle with no pressure at the feed trough, which is what I like to see.”
Elite Pedigree Genetics sourced semen from the top herds globally, focusing on marbling score and fineness. The first calves arrived at the farm, based near Craigavon, in March 2021 at an average weight of 40kgs.
Calves were immediately placed on Anupro’s nutritional regime which optimises performance on a low milk, early weaning system and were weaned after 30 days on farm, with minimal health issues.
Growth rates were exceptional considering calves were from of cross-bred cows, reaching target weights ahead of expectation. The rearing programme enhances immune function and creates a positive energy balance where metabolic programming starts from a very early age.
Gary Fitzpatrick added: “In the current climate, this feeding programme is low cost and suitable for all calf rearing systems, resulting in high performance and low antibiotic usage.”
The calves also get a two-shot primary course given 4 weeks apart of Bravoxin-10 which provide protection against clostridial disease. During the finishing period cattle have access to grass and specialised feed which is continuously monitored to ensure the animals are receiving the correct nutritional requirements.
A growing consumer appetite for traceable, locally bred produce gave Gary and Ryan an opportunity to explore creating an independent supply chain. Now they’ve not only created a high-end beef product but can ensure consistency, ultimately delivering the best consumer experience possible.
Even though the business is relatively new, Dr Ryan Law says they’re keen to grow: “We are currently collecting calves from around 30 dairy farms across Ireland. Wagyu’s have a short gestation period and are very easy calved which is an ideal combination for a dairy farmer. We would support any participating farmer with the blueprint we’ve put in place here at Moss Hill which will help ultimately deliver a luxury eating experience for the consumer.”
This robust animal healthcare programme offering an efficient and economically beneficial prospect to farmers across Ireland. The business is hoping to start selling the product within a few months and is in conversation with both independent meat sellers and a large luxury national retailer.
For more information on any of the vaccines or diseases mention in the above, talk to your vet.
Vecoxan® is used for the prevention of coccidiosis in calves and lambs. For more information on Vecoxan, including how and why to use it, watch the video below.
To prevent disease and reduce the impact of sub-clinical disease, treatment using Vecoxan® should be administered close to the time when exposure to coccidiosis is known to occur.
Exposure is required for protective immunity to develop. Therefore, treatments should be administered 8-15 days after moving to a high-risk environment or if historical data is available, approximately one week before the expected outbreak.
How to use Vecoxan – ‘No one size fits all’
There is ‘no one size fits’ all for treating coccidiosis on farms. It is important to speak to your vet about the best approach for your farm.
Historical treatment
Treat whole group 1 week before expected clinical signs: Requires excellent records, knowledge of previous coccidiosis outbreaks & management history in herd/flock.
Unknown
Treat 2 weeks after exposure or treat at time of stressfactor (e.g. dehorning, castration, transport, weaning, regrouping etc.)
Clinical Outbreak
Reactive treatment: Treat allcalves in a group when diarrhoea is first seen in 1 or 2 calves/lambs
It is important to always treat all the calves in the group, as coccidiosis is a group problem, not an individual problem.
A single administration to susceptible animals during risk periods is appropriate although a re-treatment may be necessary if the period of risk is prolonged.
Why use Vecoxan?
Flexible product
Licensed to prevent coccidiosis in both lambs and calves
Allows natural immunity to develop (1)
Higher daily live weight gain following use of diclazuril (2)
Environmentally friendly (3)
Check our new Vecoxan brochure
References
Philippe, P., Alzieu, J.P., Taylor, M.A. and Dorchies, P., 2014. Comparative efficacy of diclazuril (Vecoxan®) and toltrazuril (Baycox bovis®) against natural infections of Eimeria bovis and Eimeria zuernii in French calves. Veterinary parasitology, 206(3-4), pp.129-137.
Agneessens J, Goossens L, Louineau J, Daugschies A and Veys P (2006). Build up of immunity after a diclazuril (Vecoxan) treatment in calves, Poster at World Buiatrics Congress, Nice.
Van Leemput L. & Louineau., (2007). Diclazuril for coccidiosis in ruminants: safe for the environment? Janseen Animal Health, Beerese, Belgium.
As the Summer months approach, its time to consider protecting your cattle ahead of the grazing period. With that, we have administration videos for some of our products typically used while cattle are at grass. For more information on any of these products, talk to your vet.
Repidose Bolus
The ideal approach to controlling lungworms, gut worms and stomach worms is to use a wormer that allows some exposure to the worm larvae but kills adult worms before they cause clinical signs of disease.
Repidose bolus provides season long protection. The product’s pulse release mechanism strategically releases a dose of oxfendazole into the animal’s system every 21 days. The pulse release system prevents clinical signs of disease by killing worms every 21 days while at the same time enabling the animal to generate immunity to gut worms and lungworm. With 21 weeks cover the bolus is ideally suited to grass-based systems especially replacement heifers.
Repidose is the only bolus on the market for the prevention and treatment of lungworm, stomach worms and gut worms. The bolus is divided into seven individual compartments or chambers. Every three weeks, a therapeutic dose of the anthelmintic oxfendazole is released into the animal’s gut. This kills worms at all stages of development.
How to use Repidose Bolus
Target weight at time of administration: 100kg – 400 kg
Active ingredient: Oxfendazole
1 bolus per animal
Withdrawal periods: Meat & Milk – 7 months. Do not administer to cattle producing milk for human consumption
Full video on the use of Repidose pulse release bolus
Butox Pour On
Mild weather combined with rainfall provides the perfect environment for nuisance flies to multiply. Flies can cause a state of unease in the parlour leading to occasions of flying clusters. Flies can interfere with the grazing routine of cattle and this may cause a reduction in milk and butterfat production. Their impact does not end there, they are all capable of transmitting viruses, bacteria and certain parasites.
Butox PO administration video
How to use Butox Pour-On
Indicated for the control of flies and lice in cattle.
Active ingredient: Deltramethrin
Withdrawal periods: Meat – 18 days. Milk – 12 hours. In dairy herds, we advise to administer after evening milking.
Pour the dose along the animal’s spine from the base of the head to the tail.
The person applying should wear gloves.
For fly control, a single application provides protection for 6 to 10 weeks (depending on the infestation, fly species and weather). If flies remain an issue thereafter, it is advised to repeat the application.
Butox PO dose rates for cattle
For more information on any of the above products, contact your vet
