Elanco Farm Animal Health UK

Elanco Farm Animal Health UK Elanco Animal Health promotes the importance of proactive, preventative healthcare in livestock.

This content is intended to be viewed by livestock farmers and their advisers’ On this page, we're providing livestock farmers with best practice advice on preventative health to help maximise animal health, welfare and productivity.

Whether cattle are now housed or outwintered, it’s important to review grazing history and treatment timing to make sure...
18/12/2025

Whether cattle are now housed or outwintered, it’s important to review grazing history and treatment timing to make sure the risks from gutworms, lungworm and liver fluke are covered.

The fluke challenge has been low and late on most farms this winter and cattle, whether housed or outwintered, may be at risk from type 2 Ostertagiasis, even if worm egg counts have been low.

I’ve noticed a loss of condition in my ewes, with some showing signs of bottle jaw. How do I know if this is liver fluke...
17/12/2025

I’ve noticed a loss of condition in my ewes, with some showing signs of bottle jaw. How do I know if this is liver fluke or Haemonchus?

A simple worm egg count will show if these signs might be due to Haemonchus, but take advice from your vet on which tests to use to confirm the diagnosis.

Routine postmortem examination of any fallen stock, even if the cause of death is obvious, will help confirm or rule out the presence of liver fluke and Haemonchus.

The dry summer delayed the ‘typical’ fluke timings this year, meaning the risk of infection has come later than usual. T...
08/12/2025

The dry summer delayed the ‘typical’ fluke timings this year, meaning the risk of infection has come later than usual.

The risk from fluke will continue through the winter, three guiding principles can help manage the risk:

1. Avoiding infection as much as possible by not grazing high risk muddy areas, especially those that have been damp all summer, where the mud snail intermediate host will thrive
2. Monitoring and testing throughout the winter months to see when/if different grazing groups become infected and need to be treated
3. Choose the right active for the age of fluke present, and remember that fluke treatments will not prevent re-infection

For more information on liver fluke management, speak to your vet.

02/12/2025

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Are you bringing ewes or lambs back home from grass keep?Without the correct quarantine protocols in place, there’s a ri...
01/12/2025

Are you bringing ewes or lambs back home from grass keep?

Without the correct quarantine protocols in place, there’s a risk of bringing back more than you bargained for – and by that we mean parasites!

Incoming sheep should be:

✅Housed on arrival

✅Treated with a newer group wormer

✅Kept indoors for 24 – 48 hours post-drench

✅Turned out onto 'dirty’ pasture (pasture which has been grazed this season)

For more information on creating a quarantine plan, speak to your vet or flock health advisor.

Haemonchus vs Fluke – same symptoms, different parasite!In the latest episode of The Parasight, Farm Post Mortems Ltd. d...
28/11/2025

Haemonchus vs Fluke – same symptoms, different parasite!

In the latest episode of The Parasight, Farm Post Mortems Ltd. discusses the importance of carrying out postmortem examinations.

A recent postmortem case showed the similarities between the symptoms displayed by fluke and Haemonchus. Both diseases can cause sheep to present the following clinical signs:

- Loss of condition
- Bottle jaw
- Anaemia

By performing a necropsy, in this case, Ben was able to find that what was believed to be a case of Haemonchus was actually liver fluke. This prompted treatment for the remaining flock.

For more information on diagnosing and tackling fluke and Haemonchus, speak to your vet.

In last month’s episode of The Parasight, post-mortem vet, Ben Strugnell (Farm Post Mortems Ltd.) discusses the increasi...
26/11/2025

In last month’s episode of The Parasight, post-mortem vet, Ben Strugnell (Farm Post Mortems Ltd.) discusses the increasing threat of Haemonchus across the UK.

He discusses a case back in September where a lamb showed a Haemonchus count of 15,000 eggs per gram, despite receiving a clear wormer four weeks previously.

Ben stresses the importance of frequent faecal egg count (FEC) testing, especially now as the rain has sparked a growth in grass.

To listen to the episode, follow the link in the comments.

Thinking about bringing lambs in for finishing? Have you given them a break dose yet?Bringing lambs indoors as the grass...
24/11/2025

Thinking about bringing lambs in for finishing?

Have you given them a break dose yet?

Bringing lambs indoors as the grass tails off is a good way to finish lambs, but it’s an investment — don’t let worms take a share of it!

A break dose clears out any worm burdens that have built up over the grazing season, including any worms resistant to the older group wormers, keeping lambs in the green zone and helping them make the most of every mouthful.

🟢 Green zone – some worms present but not enough to
affect growth rates

🟡 Amber zone – moderate worm burden, no signs of ill health, but growth rates have already slowed down

🔴 Red zone – high worm burden, there will now be visible signs which may include scouring and weight loss

For more info on giving a break dose, speak to your vet.

Have you given a mid to late season break dose?Despite seeing a low worm burden for much of the season, worm pressures a...
22/11/2025

Have you given a mid to late season break dose?

Despite seeing a low worm burden for much of the season, worm pressures are now rising across the UK due to the damper conditions.

Performing regular faecal egg count (FEC) tests are a good way to identify a worm challenge before visible signs are present and lamb performance takes a hit.

If worm burdens meet the threshold for treatment at this time of year, best practice is to give lambs a break dose using one of the newer group wormers.

For more information on giving a break dose, speak to your vet or adviser.

What should I be doing to effectively monitor for fluke in my flock?The sheep’s liver is the body’s factory, processing ...
20/11/2025

What should I be doing to effectively monitor for fluke in my flock?

The sheep’s liver is the body’s factory, processing digested food and aiding growth, immunity and fertility.

Even low levels of fluke can impact performance and growth, so it’s worthwhile keeping a close eye on signs and symptoms in your flock.

Regular testing throughout the fluke season is recommended to understand the level of fluke challenge on your farm and there are several different options for diagnostics, including:

✅Antibody test (blood sample)

✅Coproantigen test (dung sample)

✅Fluke egg sample (dung sample)

✅ Abattoir feedback and post-mortems of fallen stock

Different diagnostics will pick up fluke at different stages of the life cycle. Work closely with your vet to choose the right test for your farm set-up.

As we experience wetter conditions, should I be concerned about liver fluke in my sheep?Mud snails are the intermediate ...
18/11/2025

As we experience wetter conditions, should I be concerned about liver fluke in my sheep?

Mud snails are the intermediate hosts of fluke before it reaches your flock.

They are found in damp and wet areas of the field so if you’re grazing these areas, your sheep might be at risk of infection.

The common high-risk areas to look out for are:

- Waterlogged fields
- Watercourses and pond margins
- Wet and bogy gateways
- Worn tracks
- Leaking water troughs

To avoid fluke risk, consider moving your flock onto low-risk pasture where possible or temporarily fence off wet areas.

Keep on top of maintenance and drainage to avoid water troughs causing flooding and tracks becoming waterlogged.

My cattle frequently suffer from fluke, what can I do to avoid this?There is no safe level of fluke - which is why good ...
10/11/2025

My cattle frequently suffer from fluke, what can I do to avoid this?

There is no safe level of fluke - which is why good management is so important.

✅Test, don’t guess – There are several tests to diagnose fluke. We recommend working with your vet as they will be able to suggest the most suitable tests for your set up. However, for any stock sent directly to the abattoir, request feedback where any livers have been condemned and always perform a post-mortem on any fallen stock, even if you know the cause of death.

✅Choose the right active – Different actives will target different stages of the fluke life cycle, from early immature fluke through to adult fluke. Diagnostic testing and working with your vet will help you select the best treatment option.

✅Avoid grazing high-risk areas – Map out high-risk fluke areas and move treated flock to low-risk pastures, or use temporary fencing around wet, boggy areas. If this isn’t possible consider housing cattle.

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