Infections with gastrointestinal and lung nematodes are serious problems in the health of your cattle. To control these parasites, you need to use a dewormer on a regular basis. There are many types of anthelmintics available, including ivermectin, fenbendazole and others. However, not all anthelmintic products are effective in controlling nematode infections.
The drug fenbendazole is an antiparasitic in the benzimidazole class. It works by binding to beta-tubulin in the microtubules of parasitic cells and disrupting their formation. This results in the cell being unable to produce energy and starves the parasite. The drug is effective against a wide variety of parasites and has a long duration of activity.
Fenbendazole is available as oral granules or a liquid suspension and is given by mouth. It is recommended to mix the drug with a small amount of food for ease of administration and to reduce gastrointestinal irritation. The drug must be administered daily for three consecutive days to achieve adequate worm removal.
In a two-year trial, 128 cow-calf pairs were treated with either ivermectin or fenbendazole to treat gastrointestinal nematode infection. The cow-calf pairs were tracked for weaning weight and body condition score, and fecal egg counts were recorded at treatment and 28-day intervals. Treatment with fenbendazole did not improve calf weaning weight compared to the ivermectin group. However, fecal egg counts increased in both the ivermectin and fenbendazole groups over time. This difference in fecal egg counts is likely due to the lower persistence of fenbendazole compared to that of ivermectin. fenben powder