Anthelmintic efficacy of febantel paste in naturally infected calves

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to verify results of the lowest dose (5 mg kg −1) of febantel evaluated in an earlier trial in which there were no differences in efficacies of three dose rates (5, 7.5 and 10 mg kg −1 body weight) against natural gastrointestinal nematode infections of cattle. Fourteen Angus calves (mean weight and age of 155 kg and 525 days, respectively), from the same farm, with relatively heavy (mean of 448 eggs g −1 feces (epg)) parasite burdens were selected. After an adjustment period of 8 days in drylot, beginning on 25 July, seven calves were treated with a 45.5% paste formulation of febantel. On Day 7 post-treatment, calves were necropsied for determination of residual worms. Rectal fecal samples were obtained prior to adjustment, at treatment, 5 days post-treatment and at necropsy. On both Day 5 post-treatment and at necropsy a mean of less than 1 epg was recovered from treated calves compared with 765 and 1566 epg, respectively, in control calves. Worms counts at necropsy revealed an efficacy of 98.5% against all adult abomasal worms ( Haemonchus placei, 100%, P < 0.02; Trichostrongylus axei, 99.4%, P < 0.0001; Ostertagia ostertagi, 90.5%, P < 0.0002). Treatment was 100% efficacious against adult small and large intestinal worms. However, numbers of Bunostomum phlebotomum, O. radiatum and Trichuris spp. recovered in the control calves were too low to enable a reliable test of drug efficacy. Treatment was not effective against either mucosal or luminal fourth stage larvae of abomasal O. ostertagi. Efficacy against adult abomasal and intestinal worms was 98.6% in the present study compared with 98.8% in the previous study. Thus, there was no change in the efficacy of febantel against adult worms in calves grown on the same farm after a 5-year period has passed, indicating that no resistance against anthelmintics had developed during that time.