Control of dog tapeworm larvae in sheep

Descriptions

The larvae of two particular dog tapeworms (Cysticercus tenuicollis and Cysticercus ovis) cause significant loss in carcase value due to damage to lamb meat and offal. Improved control of both parasites in dogs and sheep would reduce price deductions to farmers, potentially improve lamb performance, reduce waste in the supply chain, increase the amount of saleable offal and meat, reduce disposal costs and reduce waste in the lamb supply chain.In the order of 9% of lamb livers are downgraded to pet food from C. tenuicollis infection each year and meat and offal rejections from C.ovis cysts have been calculated to cost the industry £7 million. Anecdotally we understand that at certain times of year so many lamb livers are rejected that there is not enough liver to satisfy demand.Objective:To identify the barriers on farm that influences the control of dog tapeworm and to highlight key areas for change to reduce wastage of lamb meat and offal.The work should include:•Carry out a literature review to better understand transmission of the parasites from dogs and other canids/wildlife to sheep.•Design a questionnaire on dog and sheep management. Up to 1000 questionnaires to be distributed to Welsh sheep farmers.•Carry out in depth interviews with a number of producers to understand the interactions between control measures, farming systems and other non-agricultural sources of infection.•Visit 15 TAG (Dunbia suppliers) selected farms to discuss sheep and dog management, collect dog faecal samples from all dogs on the farm on three occasions to be sent for relevant testing.•Consideration of how these parasites might be affecting lamb performance by examining abattoir feedback and lamb growth rates.•Review the effects of dog tapeworms in the sheep supply chain and produce a fact sheet on best management practices on farm that can be adopted to reduce infection.•Produce an interim report on specific case study farms•Produce timely activity reports and project finding reports as required by the project team