ABSTRACT:
The main importance of eimeriosis in cattle is due to lower performance shown with the disease in its sub-clinical form. This study evaluated the efficacy of lasalocid used against Eimeria spp. parasitizing calves. We also evaluated the weight gain of calves submitted to different treatments and analyzed some epidemiological factors that might interfere with Eimeria infection; 288 calves were used in the study. The calves of treatment 1 received protein mineral salt in low consumption without lasalocid, while the calves of treatment 2 received protein mineral salt on low consumption with lasalocid, administered orally to 4 to 10-month-old calves. Harvest of feces and weight control was made on days 0 (before the start of the experiment), at weaning, and 30 and 60 days after weaning (DAW). Evaluation of some epidemiological factors which could be related to infection by Eimeria spp. of the calves, such as weaning, sex and time of year, were analyzed, taking into account the results regarding the 144 calves of the control group. Nine species of Eimeria were identified in descending order: E. brasiliensis, E. wyomingensis, E. bovis, E. canadian, E. zuernii, E. auburnensis, E. ellipsoidalis, E. pellita and E. cylindrica. Unexpectedly, decrease in parasite load could be observed after weaning. Even the farm did not adopt management measures aimed for greater productivity, as Artificial Insemination in Fixed Time, which in turn ends up with increase of the number of births and animal unit per hectare at a certain period of year, high parasitism of coccidia was diagnosed in calves of the control group. Oocyst counts per gram (OPG) of calves treated with lasalocid were significantly lower (P≤ 0.05) in the control group. The compound achieved ≥ 95% efficacy against the parasite in question. At the end of the study, calves fed lasalocid gained on average 7.2kg (p≤ 0.05) more than calves in the control group. For a farm that aims to sell calves soon after weaning, is recommended to start treatment with lasalocid, with the creep-feeding, from an age of three months on, since the weight gain calves treated with lasalocid was significantly (p=0.05) higher compared with the weight gain of the control group after five months of treatment. The difference in weight gain of calves treated with lasalocid compared with caves in the control group may also be partially related to the infection by Eimeria spp., as discussed in this paper.
INDEX TERMS:
Lasalocid; epidemiology; Eimeria spp.; calves; weaning; eimeriosis; effectiveness.
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