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  • Research Article   
  • J Vet Med Health 2022, Vol 6(4): 151
  • DOI: 10.4172/jvmh.1000151

Assessment of an Herbal Feed Additive on Reducing Gastrointestinal Nematodes in an Alpaca Operation

Erin Masur1*, Alexia Tsakiris2, Kelsey Bruno3, Miles Theurer4 and Samantha Gerb5
1Tri-State Veterinary Services, 499 Bantam Road, Litchfield, CT 06750, United States of America
2Naturopawthic Veterinary Wellness Center, 22 Hudson Ave, Red Bank, NJ 07701, United States of America
3Northwest Missouri State University, School of Agricultural Sciences, 800 University Drive, Maryville, MO 64468, United States of America
4Veterinary Research and Consulting Services, LLC, Hays, KS 67601;, United States of America
5University of Missouri, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, 201 Connaway Hall, Columbia, MO 65211, United States of America
*Corresponding Author : Erin Masur, Tri-State Veterinary Services, 499 Bantam Road, Litchfield, CT 06750, United States of America, Email: hoofhoundnj@gmail.com

Received Date: Jun 13, 2022 / Accepted Date: Jul 10, 2022 / Published Date: Jul 11, 2022

Abstract

With ever-growing drug resistance and significant global prevalence, gastrointestinal nematodes are an increasingly common cause of death on small ruminant and camelid operations, threatening the productivity and economic health of those industries. An alternative to traditional anthelmintics is an herbal feed additive called Early Bird. The formula includes constituents shown to be effective as nematicides, and addresses the comorbidities associated with acute and chronic parasitism. Thirty-six Huacaya alpacas of mixed genders and reproductive statuses were evaluated on the bases of reproductive demands, body condition score, FAMACHA score, and naturally occurring eggs per gram of multiple species on fecal testing, without any intervention. Daily feed delivery was dressed with the supplement in the form of a coarse powder rendered from twenty whole herbs, for a total dose of 500-2000mg/day over a 14 day period. This treatment was repeated a total of three times, with 14 days off between each treatment period. Alpacas were continuously evaluated for body condition score, FAMACHA score, quantitative fecal testing, and reproductive status. The population experienced an overall decrease in FAMACHA score, an overall increase in body condition score, and overall decrease in fecal egg counts of strongyle-type species. The percent of alpacas with a positive fecal egg count for strongyle-type eggs decreased from 33.02% to 2.44% during three treatment periods. Early Bird reduced strongyle eggs per gram and improved body condition score throughout the population during a time period of significant reproductive demands, eliminating the need for traditional anthelmintics.

Citation: Masur E, Tsakiris A, Bruno K, Theurer M, Gerb S (2022) Assessment of an Herbal Feed Additive on Reducing Gastrointestinal Nematodes in an Alpaca Operation. J Vet Med Health 6: 151. Doi: 10.4172/jvmh.1000151

Copyright: © 2022 Masur E, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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