What is this?

[Double R Ranch]

I butchered a cow yesterday and found this in her liver. There were a lot of them and they were very much alive. They appeared to be in the bile ducts I guess you would call them. The right side of the picture appeared to be it's head of some sort.
We worm brand name injectable and pour on every 6 months min. alternating. I am very concerned that the very expensive wormers aren't working. Can anyone tell me what these are and how they are possibly being missed by the wormers?
Thanks,
Double R

 

[1982vett]

Liver Fluke?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_fluke

 

[farmwriter]

Never seen the liver fluke from a cow, but that would be my first guess, too. If I remember my biology, the flukes I saw there were flat like that. I also understand you have to use a special 'wormer' for the flukes. There are some vets on here that'll probably be able to confirm or correct me.

 

[Double R Ranch]

Never seen the liver fluke from a cow, but that would be my first guess, too. If I remember my biology, the flukes I saw there were flat like that. I also understand you have to use a special 'wormer' for the flukes. There are some vets on here that'll probably be able to confirm or correct me.

Thank you both for the info. I will be in contact with my vet to find out what wormer I should be using. Wonder why and how she got them. If they were there prior to my purchasing her or if my whole herd has it now. How its shed etc.
Thanks for the help,
Double R

 

[dun]

When we flood irrigated around Oakdale we alwasy had liver flukes. Very common problem there

 

[TexasBred]

Curatrem works well too. Ivomec Plus will worm but you'll probably have to administer at a higher dosage than recommeneded which won't hurt anything but your pocket book.

 

[TexasBred]

Curatrem works well too. Ivomec Plus will worm but you'll probably have to administer at a higher dosage than recommeneded which won't hurt anything but your pocket book.

Yeah I was thinking ivomec plus did. However, I have heard it is not as good as valbazen. Also, I have never heard of curatrem Ill have to look that up. Curatrem has corsulon in it. That is what Ivomec plus has. Found one place selling gallons of Curatrem for 599.99


http://www.cattlestore.com/p-1134-meria ... rench.aspx

That will treat a lot of cattle...1/4 oz per 200 lbs. of body weight I think. Does a good job on adults and immature flukes....but then Valbazen probably does as well.

 

[jerry27150]

ivomec plus, noromectin plus (little cheaper) are what i use. flukes can come in on hay from any place that has them or down a stream from anyone else's place. they claim they are spreading to new areas. not sure if i have them as i have never found any in liver of butchered animals, but i notice my calves do better through the winter if i worm for them. cattle will build some immunity to them in time but i'm sure they still bother them

 

[Double R Ranch]

ivomec plus, noromectin plus (little cheaper) are what i use. flukes can come in on hay from any place that has them or down a stream from anyone else's place. they claim they are spreading to new areas. not sure if i have them as i have never found any in liver of butchered animals, but i notice my calves do better through the winter if i worm for them. cattle will build some immunity to them in time but i'm sure they still bother them

Thanks to all who are responding. I have a call into my vet currently now that I know what they are. This cows liver was beyond infested with them. I am concerened because all of her offspring have diahriah several times a year to where there backsides are caked in crap. They also are not where I feel they should be as far a weight. Also the cow we butchered had a time where she had fluid built up in her lower neck that we never could figure out what it was. In reading about the fluke worms it all is fitting in with the symptoms.
I will let you all know what the vet says for us to do but I know that it will be expensive as I will be doing it to the WHOLE herd.
Keep it coming if anyone else has imput.
Thanks again,
Double R

 

[Aaron]

Liver fluke. Metacercariae (capsulated eggs) can survive in dry hay for at least two years. Different drugs mentioned to clean out animal system. However, if you live in an area where the organism is prevalent/and have a large deer population (usually go hand-in-hand), then there is no permanent fix. You just learn to live with it. Usually not a problem in highland areas, unless hay is imported from lowland areas. Commonly found in the liver, but will spread to other internal organs, particularly lungs.

Butchered a two year old heifer this spring who had them not only in the liver, but had lost almost all productivity of one lung.

Proper control measures include:
- Drug treatment in infected animals
- Reduction of the snail population (intermediate host) in pastures and hayland
- Prevention of cattle access to snail-infested pastures

Liver fluke exposure increases the likely hood of clostridial infections as well. :cowboy:

 

[farmwriter]

Good post, Aaron. If you're making it all up, you fooled me! ;-)

 

[milkmaid]

Disgusting and absolutely fascinating. Thanks for posting - I haven't actually seen them before.

Ivomec Plus will kill them.

 

[KNERSIE]

Ivomec Plus is the cheapest treatment when the infection isn't bad. You need more punch in high pressure areas. The follow-up treatment is extremely important to break the life cycle, the timing of the follow up treatments vary per product so make sure you do it right first time. The good news is within a week your whole herd will look different after treatment, the bad news is if you have liverfluke you're likely to also learn about conical fluke in the future and thats a whole 'nuther ballgame.

 

[chippie]

Snails are the intermediate host for liver flukes. Cattle do not get liver flukes from drinking pond water or "contaminated" water.

http://www.moredun.org.uk/feature-article.asp?ref=195

 

[TexasBred]

And where does that type snail reside most often??

 

[Double R Ranch]

Well heres where we are at at this time.
In reading information, most of which from here, and talking the vet we have come to the conclusion that the cattle in ? came with the flukes.
One of the keys factors is that we have seen this "breeder" have cattle die of the symptoms that I read about. Even the vet was a bit surprised but when we went back into the records of this breeder all the symptoms fit perfectly. However the breeder wouldn't allow necropsy's.
Our plan of action is Ivomec Plus, then repeat 40 days later twice. This should kill any stages of the flukes. We have never even seen any snails here on our property so we are convinced that these cattle came in with this. Especially with the age of flukes found in the butchered cow.
The interesting part will be when we see if the cattle we still have from this breeder and have showed symptoms, what the responses are. Will the weight gain come up, and will the sevear diahrea stop (every year during green grass time). Will be to bad if this solves the problems in these cattle as we have culled the rest of the cattle we purchased from this breeder for the reasons above.
If anyone wants to know we can update on the condition of the cattle in ?.
Thanks to all for the help and imput.
Double R

 

[dun]

They all get the squirts at green grass time. Could squirt it through a screendoor and never touch it!

 

[angus9259]

They all get the squirts at green grass time. Could squirt it through a screendoor and never touch it!

Had to do that once to get my wedding ring back.

 

[Double R Ranch]

They all get the squirts at green grass time. Could squirt it through a screendoor and never touch it!

Mine do to. This is extreme. Not "normal" for green season.
Double R

 

[Double R Ranch]

They all get the squirts at green grass time. Could squirt it through a screendoor and never touch it!

Had to do that once to get my wedding ring back.

Dare I even ask? :lol2: