Gastrointestinal strongyles burden monitoring in a flock of Zerasca sheep treated with homeopathy

The widespread use of conventional drugs in farm animals has resulted in anthelmintic resistance as well as the contamination of deleterious molecules in animal products and in the environment. Researchers are thus focusing on production systems that rely less on chemicals. The aim of this study was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of integrative medicine 2016-06, Vol.8 (3), p.235-238
Main Authors: Giuliotti, L., Pisseri, F., di Sarsina, P. Roberti, Azzarello, B.M., Terracciano, G., Benvenuti, M.N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
BCS
Blood count
FAMACHA
Gastrointestinal strongyles
Homeopathy
Monitoring
Sheep
Zerasca breed
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Summary:The widespread use of conventional drugs in farm animals has resulted in anthelmintic resistance as well as the contamination of deleterious molecules in animal products and in the environment. Researchers are thus focusing on production systems that rely less on chemicals. The aim of this study was to monitor the gastrointestinal strongyle burden, blood count, body condition scores (BCS), and FAffa MAlan CHArt (FAMACHA) in a local Italian breed of sheep reared in natural conditions. The study was carried out in a farm where homeopathy was utilised. Over a one-year period, faeces were sampled six times from ten Zerasca ewes to evaluate the fecal eggs count using a modified McMaster technique. At the same time, blood samples were collected to evaluate white blood cells, red blood cells, hemoglobin, packed cell volume, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and red cell distribution width. BCS and FAMACHA were also recorded. Results showed low parasite levels in most of the samples with the highest value in the spring. Blood parameters were within the normal range, with significant fluctuations during the sampling period. BCS values corresponded to an adequate nutritional condition of the animals and FAMACHA scores did not suggest a worrying state of anemia. In this farm, a thorough monitoring of the gastrointestinal parasite burden together with a BCS and FAMACHA evaluation allowed the amount of chemical treatments to be limited, normally administered twice a year without laboratory tests.
ISSN:1876-3820
1876-3839
DOI:10.1016/j.eujim.2015.09.133