Sheep jabs now licenced for one shot control…
Sheep jabs now licenced for one shot control…
By Sue Rider
ONE-SHOT scab control is now available with the licensing of Pfizers Dectomax Injectable for sheep.
The single injection of this endectocide, which is already available for cattle, is said to be 100% effective at killing all live sheep scab mites and is an alternative to either dipping or the only other licensed injectable against scab, which needs two doses, each seven days apart.
Unlike dips, the product also offers anthelmintic control, says Roger Purnell of Pfizer livestock technical services. He is not prepared to comment on whether Dectomax protects against reinfestation when treated sheep are exposed to the scab mite.
But he advises that it is always good practice to put treated sheep back on to clean pasture and quarantine them for 14 days. Likewise, any bought-in sheep should be treated and kept apart from the rest of the flock for 14 days.
Dr Purnell says that because the product is oil-based and, therefore, does not cause pain, it can be injected into muscle, ideally into the neck in front of the shoulder.
"This should cause far less stress than other treatments," he says, emphasising the need for accurate dosing to ensure effective control. Recommended dose for the average 50kg ewe is 1.5ml at a cost of 60p. The meat withdrawal period is 70 days.
The product has a licence in South Africa against blowfly, but it is a different species there, and the company will evaluate the product as soon as possible against blowfly in Europe.
• Head of entomology at the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Peter Bates, says the single injection against scab should, compared with dipping, be less labour intensive, less stressful to the sheep, and less hazardous to the operator and environment. "It is a valuable addition in the arsenal against scab control."
he says.
ONE-SHOT SCAB CONTROL
• Treat every sheep in flock.
• Intra-muscular injection.
• Move to fresh pasture.
ONE-SHOT CONTROL
• Treat every sheep in flock.
• Intra-muscular injection.
• Move to fresh pasture.