Volume 58 (2008) Issue: 2008 No#4

Evaluation of control schemes using protein supplementation and antihelmintics against gastrointestinal nematodes of dairy ewes

Author(s): Papachristou FA, Papadopoulos E, Panousis N, Roubies N, Karatzias H, Kyriakis SC, Bojkovski J, Theodoridis Y

Keywords:albendazole, dietary protein, ewes, nematodes

The purpose of the study was to investigate the possible influence of dietary protein supplementation and anthelmintic administration, in different schemes, for the control of gastrointestinal (GI) nematodes of dairy ewes under field conditions. Towards this end, 40 clinically healthy ewes of a local Greek dairy breed, grazing on infected irrigated pasture, were divided into 5 groups and treated as follows: Group (1S) supplemented with 300 g soybean meal 48%, twice per year (July and periparturiently), Group (2Alb) received albendazole twice as (Group 1S), Group (3S-Alb) supplemented with soybean as in (Group 1S) combined with the use of albendazole (as in Group 2Alb), Group (4Alb3) received albendazole three times (September, periparturiently and April) and Group (5C) (control group). Faecal samples were taken from each animal monthly for nematode egg count (FEC) and blood samples every two months for haematological and biochemical analysis. The results showed that the administration of albendazole twice reduced effectively the nematode FEC, whereas the extra protein supplementation did not significantly influence it. Haematocrit and total proteins were unaffected although they tended to be lower in the control Group (5C). Pepsinogen, calcium, inorganic phosphorus and magnesium were not influenced by the treatments.