In the past, I have mentioned the parasite forecast (www.nadis. org.uk) which can indicate likely problems for livestock.
August’s report gave a high risk of fluke damage for this autumn.
The miserable summer has resulted in high moisture levels in the pasture. These conditions are ideal for host snails to breed in and for fluke eggs to hatch and find a snail.
With good hatching conditions and lots of snails, the potential contamination of the pasture with the infective larvae is high.
Animals grazing risky areas will potentially pick up high levels of fluke leading to liver damage. Predicting the exact levels of infection is hard as any test will only show existing disease, by which time it may be too late.
It may be advisable to treat at risk stock now, but this should be discussed with your vet and be based on your own farm’s history of fluke.
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