Liver fluke

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Ceriann

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Our little flock of sheep have had liver fluke. Treated twice and two were symptomatic - we lost one. We tend to keep sheep and horses separate for grazing though they will share the yard in winter (all hay fed on the yard). Sheep tend to graze following horses.

Area has been hit by fluke this winter with a few losing sheep, calves and cows (though low numbers). I’ve spoken with vet about risk to horses and they say very low, with test unpredictable and treatment (unlicensed for horses) complex due to toxicity issues. Recommendation was not to treat.

Has anyone tested or treated or considered this please?
 
A few years ago we had a variety of troubles in a group of horses, including two dying. The vet did not believe liver fluke had anything to do with it but did agree that we could try drenching them. The problems disappeared. Coincidence? We fluked twice a year while the horses were at that property.

A new property and different horses now which have not had any fluke treatment. However my sheep have suffered with fluke two years ago and the local rabbit population have got liver fluke, found when dressing them for the table. The vet reckons the horses are not at risk but if any show any of the symptoms the other horses had then I will drench without hesitation.
 
There's a lady who joined the Facebook PSSM UK forum some time ago thinking her horse had a myopathy and it turned out to be liver fluke. Currently being treated I believe.
 
rabatsa said:
A few years ago we had a variety of troubles in a group of horses, including two dying. The vet did not believe liver fluke had anything to do with it but did agree that we could try drenching them. The problems disappeared. Coincidence? We fluked twice a year while the horses were at that property.

A new property and different horses now which have not had any fluke treatment. However my sheep have suffered with fluke two years ago and the local rabbit population have got liver fluke, found when dressing them for the table. The vet reckons the horses are not at risk but if any show any of the symptoms the other horses had then I will drench without hesitation.
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So you would treat if symptomatic not as a precaution? When you drenched did you do this with vet? Vet flagged toxicity of meds which concerned me. We’ve been at this house for 3 years and have always kept horses off wet land as far as possible.
 
SEL said:
There's a lady who joined the Facebook PSSM UK forum some time ago thinking her horse had a myopathy and it turned out to be liver fluke. Currently being treated I believe.
Click to expand...

Thank you - will look that up. My worry is that once a horse is symptomatic it’s alreafy sufferedsome damage.
 
Advice I was given from equine vets (after farm vets had failed to agree), when I moved to an area with lots of fluke in sheep population, was that although no licensed drugs for horses it was better to treat and they were happy to supply meds. If you google fluke/equine/vet you should come up with advice and recommendations.
 
Ceriann said:
So you would treat if symptomatic not as a precaution? When you drenched did you do this with vet? Vet flagged toxicity of meds which concerned me. We’ve been at this house for 3 years and have always kept horses off wet land as far as possible.
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The vet supplied the drench and got his doses completely wrong as he supplied enough to do 12 horses for several years. Toxicity was never mentioned.
 
Liverpool uni were doing a study on liver fluke, with a free blood test for it. (You had to get the bloods to them). I applied for a 5 yr old of mine who had been turned out on marshland all last summer with a river running through. Ideal LF conditions. I dosed her for fluke before the test was done, as she had lost a lot of condition and muscle tone. The blood test came back as unlikely to have it, yet she has thrived since dosing. I contacted liverpool, who said that the blood test wasn't foolproof.
 
rabatsa said:
The vet supplied the drench and got his doses completely wrong as he supplied enough to do 12 horses for several years. Toxicity was never mentioned.
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Thank you - sounds like my vet is being more than a little cautious, especially given the fluke issues locally in sheep and cows. Did you drench with tricabendazole (this is what we've given our sheep)?
 
cundlegreen said:
Liverpool uni were doing a study on liver fluke, with a free blood test for it. (You had to get the bloods to them). I applied for a 5 yr old of mine who had been turned out on marshland all last summer with a river running through. Ideal LF conditions. I dosed her for fluke before the test was done, as she had lost a lot of condition and muscle tone. The blood test came back as unlikely to have it, yet she has thrived since dosing. I contacted liverpool, who said that the blood test wasn't foolproof.
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What did you dose her with and how did you decide dose? I'm more and more tempted to just dose to be safe.
 
A long time ago I had a young horse that was off-colour that had been out with sheep all winter. The vet decided to drench, despite not being approved for horses, and the horse recovered and was removed from the sheep field. So there wasn't a blood test as in the days well before there were blood tests for everything.
 
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