The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: crobertson on February 18, 2020, 08:14:36 pm
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Hi all,
Just a quick question as I'm not too sure on multiple treatments at the same time.
Our ewes were due a fluke dose a couple of weeks ago but every day we have left free to attempt it the weather has been awful.
We have to get the in this weekend for their heptavac vaccination, as it'll be 4 weeks pre-lambing it has to get done. I wondered about fluking at the same time but I thought it might be better not too inc ase it was too much in one go as the twins and triplets are getting quite heavy in lamb but I have nothing to base that on.
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No problem doing together , maybe more problems not doing them if you have fluke on the farm
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Crikey, twice in a week I've wanted to answer differently to shep53... :o
If it's routine fluke prevention, probably ok (though not ideal). If you are treating fluke, then it's pretty suboptimal, I would say.
Treating fluke is quite a hit to their systems, and Heptavac is quite a hit to their systems. So both together is suboptimal, yes. But it's a trade off. If doing only one now means the other doesn't get done for a couple of weeks, probably the least worst option is to do both now.
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If it's routine fluke prevention, probably ok (though not ideal). If you are treating fluke, then it's pretty suboptimal, I would say.
Interesting! I get that if they already have fluke, that's a strain on their systems. However, as far as the side effects of the medicine go, what's the difference between taking it when you need it, and taking it when you don't? ???
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At a lambing course our vets ran a couple of years ago the advice was not to treat with anything else when you vaccinatated.
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But again Sally you only expanded on my post not disagreed :innocent: in a perfect world both would not be done together ,but you have to assume that the farm has fluke ( or why dose ?? ) and treating late could have VERY VERY serious consequences , plus it is the right time to give the hep or else the sheep are going to be treated and handled twice in a short period . Harmony are you sure your vet didn't mean other injections eg for worms / fluke / footrot ,dosing for worms when pre lambing injection has been standard advice for as long as the clostridial vaccines have been around ( since the 1950's ) . And just to expand the advice to either worm after lambing or not worm at all is a recent thing .
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[member=9755]shep53[/member] no, it was a specific piece about vaccination and someone asked about multiple treatments and the advice was to get the best from your vaccinations don't combine with other treatments.
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In the 1980's 90's they did work that said that dosing for worms at the same time as injecting made the wormer work more efficiently , advice keeps evolving :thumbsup:
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My vets are happy for me to fluke and vaccinate with Heptavac P at the same time but to allow at least 2 weeks between vaccinating with Heptavac P and Footvax.
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Having given this more thought it was not the vet who advised not treating at the same time as vaccinating but the rep from vaccination company.
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They would because they trial their product in isolation and cannot comment
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If they are definitely flukey I would treat with flukicide now and vaccinate in a weeks' time - I often do my ewes only 2 to 3 weeks before the first one is due - unless you sponged you will have about three weeks lambing season anyway.
If routine, I would wait with the fluke treatment until they lambed and then do them before turnout.
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Thanks all!
And yes the fluke treatment is preventative - we've never had a case of fluke but I'd rather not risk it especially will all the wet weather and there is a big pond the other side of the electric fencing.
I do feel it may be too much in one go so we will vaccinate this weekend, they were sponged so know they will all be 4 weeks off lambing this weekend.
Fluke treatment can wait for a couple of weekends if not once they have lambed.
Interesting to read the comments !
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Couple of points _ if you took FEC samples and asked for fluke eggs or blood tests you may save money by not treating for fluke at all . Fluke at this time of the year are mostly adults so you can use a white wormer at fluke rate either before or after lambing , so only dosing once at less cost