Deworming in ruminants and parasite resistance.

Deworming farm animals is part of preventive protocol to ensure the animals are healthy but years of overuse and abuse of dewormers is a major concern because of the development of resistance by worms, lice and blowflies to many of the chemicals used to control them. Farmers administer dewormers to their livestock to enhance growth and productivity, but with continued use, parasites have grown increasingly resistant to many of these drugs, forcing farmers to seek out alternative drugs or rely on their own concoctions for parasite control. Farmers are seeking out herbal interventions alongside rotating dewormers to beat the resistant parasite. A change in management practices such as prompt clearing of fecal material which is the source of eggs of the parasite as there is a constant infection and reinfection especially when animals are grazing in areas with high fecal material,but if grazing area is rotated allowing time for new grasses to grow it will limit contact with fecal matter and hence parasite eggs. Deworming animals based on the fecal tests carried out to determine the types of parasites present and worm load will prevent blind-deworming using drugs not specific for herd. This fecal analysis will also provide a template for a proper deworming routine. The mixing of young and older animals should be prevented as the younger ones are highly susceptible to infections and are a constant source of infection as in primary infection in young grazing animals during their first exposure. An ideal parasite monitoring schedules and non-chemical strategies such as nutrition, genetics and pasture management will help ensure health and productivity. The environment must be clean with fecal matter away from stalls to prevent flystrike which is caused by blowflies attracted to smelly, warm, moist environments such as feces build ups sweaty, moist skin folds and open wounds.