Field evaluation of the oxfendazole pulse release bolus for the chemoprophylaxis of bovine parasitic gastroenteritis: a comparison with three other control strategies.

Three trials were conducted in southern England involving 120 autumn-born calves to evaluate the ability of an oxfendazole pulse-release intraruminal device (OPRB) to control parasitic gastroenteritis (PGE). Matched groups were set-stocked on adjacent paddocks. One group received an OPRB at turn-out; one was treated with an alternative chemoprophylactic programme; while the third acted as an untreated control. In each trial clinical PGE occurred in the latter group but not in OPRB or alternative strategy groups. The OPRB, the morantel sustained release bolus (MSRB) and fenbendazole administered at 3 and 6 weeks after turn-out gave similar weight-gain benefits when compared with untreated controls (P less than 0.01), but the growth rate of animals given regular levamisole treatments from July to housing was significantly poorer than the matching OPRB group (P less than 0.05) although better than controls. Faecal egg-output of OPRB calves was reduced by 97.0-99.9% compared with 95.5 and 58.9% for MSRB and fenbendazole treatments. Consequently, the late summer/autumn peaks in pasture larval counts were considerably reduced in all treatment groups other than the late-season levamisole strategy which reduced overall egg-output by only 37.6%. Serum pepsinogen and gastrin values confirmed a greater degree of abomasal disturbance in calves grazing on the more highly contaminated pastures. Incidental lungworm infections became clinically apparent in the control groups of two trials but not in any OPRB or alternative treatment group.