Effect of Copper Oxide Wire Particles with and Without Anthelmintic Treatment or Anthelmintic Treatment Alone on Gastrointestinal Nematode (GIN) Fecal Egg Counts in Goats

Abstract

Abstract In two experiments (Exp), naturally parasite-infected 5–8 mo-old intact male Spanish goats were used to determine fecal egg count (FEC) reduction effects of copper oxide wire particles (COWP; 1 g bolus Copasure®) and levamisole (12 mg/kg; LEV; Prohibit®) alone or in combination with COWP; for Exp 2, albendazole (20 mg/kg; ALB, Valbazen ®, Exp 2 only) alone or in combination with COWP and an untreated control group (CON; n = 11) was also included. Animals were individually housed in 1.5 x 1.5-m pens (Exp. 1) or as a group on pasture (Exp. 2). For the studies, goats were selectively dewormed based on a FAMACHA© eyelid color score of 3, 4 or 5, with n = 12 and 13 for COWP in Exp 1 and 2, respectively, n = 14/Exp for LEV, n = 12/Exp for COWP and levamisole (LC), and (Exp, 2), n = 10 for COWP and albendazole (AC) and n = 12 for ALB. Fecal samples were collected using a gloved finger technique on D 0 and 14 in Exp 1 and Day 0 and 10 for Exp 2 for determination of FEC using a modified McMaster’s technique with a 50 egg per gram sensitivity and calculation of FEC reduction (RED; ((Day 0 FEC-Day 14 FEC)/Day 0 FEC)*100). Data were analyzed with a general liner model procedure using SAS. Larval culture (Exp 1) indicated 99.8% Haemonchus contortus on Day 0. Mean RED was greater for LC than LEV and COWP (P < 0.04) for Exp 1 (Day 14). For Exp 2, mean RED was greater (P < 0.04) for AC than ALB and CON, but not COWP, and was greater (P < 0.03) for LC compared CON and COWP, but not LEV. In these two studies, COWP resulted in > 93% reduction in FEC and the addition of a deworming drug did not improve effectiveness consistently (only in Exp. 1).