545 - Effect of Copper Oxide Wire Particles with and Without Anthelmintic Treatment or Anthelmintic Treatment Alone on Gastrointestinal Nematode (GIN) Fecal Egg Counts in Goats

In two experiments (Exp), naturally parasite-infected 5–8 month-old intact male Spanish goats were used to determine fecal egg count (FEC) reduction effects of copper oxide wire particles (COWP; 1 g bolus Copasure®) and levamisole (12 mg/kg; LEV; Prohibit®) alone or in combination with COWP; for Exp 2, albendazole (20 mg/kg; ALB, Valbazen ®, Exp 2 only) alone or in combination with COWP and an untreated control group (CON; n = 11) was also included. Animals were individually housed in 1.5 x 1.5m pens (Exp. 1) or as a group on pasture (Exp. 2). For the studies, goats were selectively dewormed based on a FAMACHA© eyelid color score of 3, 4 or 5, with n = 12 and 13 for COWP in Exp 1 and 2, respectively, n = 14/Exp for LEV, n = 12/Exp for COWP and levamisole (LC), and (Exp, 2), n = 10 for COWP and albendazole (AC) and n = 12 for ALB. Fecal samples were collected using a gloved finger technique on Day 0 and 14 in Exp 1 and Day 0 and 10 for Exp 2 for determination of FEC using a modified McMaster’s technique with a 50 egg per gram sensitivity and calculation of FEC reduction (RED; ((Day 0 FEC-Day 14 FEC)/Day 0 FEC)*100). Data were analyzed with a general liner model procedure using SAS. Larval culture (Exp 1) indicated 99.8% Haemonchus contortus on Day 0. Mean RED was greater for LC than LEV and COWP (P < 0.04) for Exp 1 (Day 14). For Exp 2, mean RED was greater (P < 0.04) for AC than ALB and CON, but not COWP, and was greater (P < 0.03) for LC compared CON and COWP, but not LEV. In these two studies, COWP resulted in > 93% reduction in FEC and the addition of a deworming drug did not improve effectiveness consistently (only in Exp. 1).