FAQ

REHYDION ^® GEL:

Q :   Can I use Rehydion^® gel on lambs/piglets and what is the dose?

A:  Rehydion ^® Gel is not registered for use in these species but some people have used it successfully. Speak to your Veterinarian for details.

DEWORMING:

Q:   At what age should I deworm my calves/lambs for the first time?

A:  This depends entirely on the circumstances of the farm and farming system. Lambs and calves can start nibbling at grass very early, in the first few days after birth and start ingesting worms. Many animals are dosed from 6 weeks of age onwards but often this is not necessary if no challenge exists. In cases of high challenge, particularly from wireworm it may be necessary to dose earlier than 6 weeks of age.

COGLAVAX ^® :

Q:   Is Coglavax^® safe to use on animals younger than 2 weeks?

A:  It is of no value to inject animals before 2 weeks of age but Coglavax ^® is quite safe to use in 2 week old animals if the circumstances require such an early vaccination. It is usually sufficient to give the first Coglavax ^® vaccination at about 6 to 12 weeks of age (or at weaning if no problems occur in young animals) and then a booster 4 weeks later.

Q:   When using Coglavax^® , why don’t I see any swelling on the animals? Does it mean the vaccine is not working?

A:  The swelling at the injection site of vaccines is dependent on the adjuvant used and also the other ingredients of the vaccine eg. oil vaccines give a large swelling and alum vaccines no or very small swellings. Coglavax ^® contains an adjuvant that is used in childrens’ vaccines and so normally gives no swelling at the injection sites. Swellings that do occur are usually due to dirty needles used during the vaccination process.

Q:   Can I use Coglavax^® and Cevac^® Chlamydia at the same time?

A:  Yes this can be done because one is a dead vaccine and the other a live vaccine. Two live vaccines should not be used at the same time (unless it is stated on both their labels that it is safe to do so). Make sure that pregnant animals are not injected with the Cevac ^® Chlamydia as it is a live vaccine and could cause abortions.

CYPERTRAZ ^® :

Q:     How long will Cypertraz^® keep my cattle free of ticks?

A:  This depends entirely on the tick challenge and which ticks are present. When used for the first time in a season we have seen a 3 to 4 week period of tick control but as the product is used again in the summer this time period of activity could be longer. Under very severe tick challenge 3 weeks is probably the length of activity.

CEVA ^® IVER 1% INJECTABLE:

Q:   Can I use Iver 1% on my goats?

A:  No it is not registered for use in goats and they may react with large swellings at the injection site. Many goats have been injected with Iver 1% injectable in the field with no problems but it is not recommended for use in goats.

VERIBEN ^® :

Q:   Can Veriben be used on dogs?

A:  Yes the product is registered for use in dogs and can be used for the treatment of Biliary Fever in dogs.

CEVAC ^® CHLAMYDIA:

Q:     Can I store Cevac^® Chlamydia in a fridge for later use?

A:  Live vaccines must be stored at 5 to 8 degrees Celsius at all times and once they are opened and reconstituted they must NOT be kept for later use. The live organism dies within hours of reconstituting and so must be used immediately.

Q:     Should I also vaccinate my rams against EA?

A:  It is not necessary to vaccinate the rams.

TENALINE ^® LA:

Q:   Can I inject Tenaline LA intravenously?

A:  No. The product is only suitable for intramuscular use.

ABAMEC:

Q:     Why can Abamec or Clomectin not be used in smaller sheep?

A:  Any product which contains the Macrocyclic Lactone called Abamectin may cross the blood-brain barrier of young animals and cause losses.  This does not occur in older animals and there the product is quite safe. Follow the label instructions to see at what age the product is safe to use.

CEVA ^® IVER POUR-ON:

Q:    Why does Iver Pour-on not have registration against all the tick species?

A:  The ivermectin containing products rely on parasites to suck blood in order to be killed. The 2 and 3 host ticks do not remain on the cattle long enough to have a major effect on them while the blue ticks remain on the animal for 21 days and so they ingest enough ivermectin via the blood to be killed. Control of multihost ticks with ivermectins is not successful.

DOSING:

Q:   What are the latest trends concerning dosing of sheep?

A:  The latest trend in dosing sheep is to only dose the low percentage of animals which are showing symptoms of worm infestation such as pale mucus membranes of the eyes and mouth, bottle jaw, nasal discharge, poor condition and /or diarrhoea  (The 5 point plan). In this way only the animals carrying most of the parasites are dosed while those which are showing no signs of worm burdens are not dosed. This also allows for the eggs of the resistant worms which survive the dosing to be diluted on the pasture with eggs from parasites of non-dosed animals and so helps to slow down the development of resistance.

MULTIVIT:

Q:   When using Multivit, is it still necessary to inject animals with Vitamin A?

A:  When very severe shortages of Vitamin A are present there is no reason not to inject Vitamin A as well although it is probably not needed if Multivit is used regularly.