Other treatment methods such as and the addition of zinc oxide to the drench, or feed and pasture spraying need to be considered to prevent facial eczema occurring when spore counts increase.
Pasture spore counting is useful to monitor spore count trends.
Recent trial work showed the high variability in spore counts from farm to farm.
We have also seen huge variation in the pasture spore counts between paddocks on the same farm.
Faecal spore counting is another method and gives a good indication on how many facial eczema spores the animals are actually eating.
In addition to pasture spore counting it is also advisable to monitor blood zinc levels in your stock to measure the effectiveness of your facial eczema prevention programme.
At the same time It is also possible to check blood samples for sub clinical liver damage Significantly, the local 2014 facial eczema study in dairy herds found that only 29 per cent of cows receiving zinc supplementation achieved zinc levels in the recommended protective range for facial eczema.
Occasionally too much zinc can be administered and affected animals may show signs of anaemia, scouring, hypocalcaemia and recumbency.
Monitoring serum zinc levels will pick this up promptly allowing corrective action to be taken early.
It's important to consult your veterinarian to discuss the best prevention and monitoring options for your farm.
