[Blackbird]

I wormed my tiny flock just over 3 weeks ago, kept them on the mucky ground for 3 days and moved them where the ponies have been (no sheep on there for a year or so as far as I know). My Shetland ewe who normally does neat marbles did a very loose poo yesterday and I see it's got white things in that I'm guessing are worms even though they look more like baby slugs rather than long worms.

She was only the second sheep I've ever wormed and I didn't get the whole dose down her for wriggling so I guess I underdosed her.

My question is whether it's OK to worm her again so soon  and if so, do I need to do the other 4 as well even though they aren't squitty? (I used Noromectin last time -  is it OK to use the same wormer again?  I've got enough land to keep rotating them every time I worm them if that makes a difference. Thanks for any thoughts on this.

[Haylo-peapod]

It sounds like tapeworm segments to me. I seem to recall that this isn't meant to be too much of an issue to sheep (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) but obviously if you have dogs you wouldn't want them eating the poo. Yeuch!
 
Did your wormer treat for tapeworm?
 
Regarding reworming, if you feel you need to re-worm them I believe you should be OK doing it again but I would suggest you use a different type (white/yellow/clear) of wormer and as always just ensure you get the right dosage (always best to slightly overdose than underdose to minimise worm resistance).
 

[Foobar]

Yup, tape worm.  Noromectin is a clear wormer as does not do tapeworm.  Buy some Panacur (as it's the cheapest and you can get it in a teeny bottle), its a white wormer and will do tapeworm.   Use the Panacur in a week or so I would - no rush.
I use both these products - but I only use Panacur for tapeworms, I don't rely on it as a general wormer.


If you have dogs on your land, make sure they have a wormer that does tapeworm too, as they will cross contaminate each other.

[Small Farmer]

It sounds like tapeworm segments to me. I seem to recall that this isn't meant to be too much of an issue to sheep (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) but obviously if you have dogs you wouldn't want them eating the poo. Yeuch!

Our vet has run a series of evening lectures on sheep and cows for the farmers in his practice funded by some bit of Defra which provided the script, the slides and rather a good buffet.  The worming session was absolutely clear on tapeworm not being a husbandry or financial issue, although most of the audience were big scale commercial farmers.  The science is bang up to date, however, cos our vet was surprised and followed it up.

[jaykay]

Tapeworms, problem or not

However, if the sheep has loose droppings, it may well need worming again (I'm assuming your grass isn't anything much, at this time of year, so unlikely to be the cause?). So if you're going to do it, you might as well worm them for tapeworm too, in which case I'd do the others as well. Then this time, move them to clean pasture, though normally, with regards to nematodes you wouldn't straightaway.

In future, you only need to worm ones that are loose or scouring. In fact, if you can rotate them between four pastures, moving every week, you will keep down many of your nematode populations.

[smee2012]

Our vet has run a series of evening lectures on sheep and cows for the farmers in his practice funded by some bit of Defra which provided the script, the slides and rather a good buffet.

That sounds good - the lecture, not just the buffet    That would be very useful for a sheep newbie like me!

[mart2671]

This sounds like tape to me, If you have to do ur ewes again i would also do them for fluke as there is alot around this year due to the very very wet summer .

[Blackbird]

Thanks to all for this advice. As she is loose and not normally so, I'll assume a need to worm and therefore do all 5 sheep. Will use a white wormer this time that contains a flukicide, though I understand this may only treat a particular stage - so perhaps a separate flukicide would be more effective?

[Foobar]

The trouble with combined wormers and flukicides is that as you may need to treat for fluke throughout winter you don't necessarily need to worm, and hence you are increasing the likelihood of wormer resistance.  I think current advice is not to use combined products.
And if you use separate products, from what I've read it's best not to use them at the same time.  Leave 2 weeks between them.
Everything is just sooo complicated isn't it .

[Haylo-peapod]

Will use a white wormer this time that contains a flukicide, though I understand this may only treat a particular stage - so perhaps a separate flukicide would be more effective?

The white wormer will only do the adult fluke which 'normally' wouldn't be fully developed yet - this year is proving to be a different kettle of fish though.  If you have wet, muddy land and think fluke might be a problem to your animals and want to ensure you get the immature stages as well as the adult stages, go for a dedicated flukicide such as Fasinex. Best to be safe than sorry. 

[jaykay]

I use a combined product, Combinex, which is levamisole and triclabendazole, at this time of year, a pure flukicide Nov/Dec and a combined product pre-lambing, since I also want to worm them now and just before lambing.

Triclabendazole is the same stuff as in Fascinex so should be just as effective, but yes, you don't want to be using wormer when you don't need it, hence using pure Fascinex mid-winter.

[Small Farmer]

But let's not forget at this point that there is widespread drug resistance to all the classic wormers. 


Enjoy http://www.scops.org.uk/

[SteveHants]

In future, you only need to worm ones that are loose or scouring. In fact, if you can rotate them between four pastures, moving every week, you will keep down many of your nematode populations.

You are also effectiveley 'mob grazing' and will get more out of your grass on quick rotation.