In part five of our focus on the work of COWS, RUMA hears from Rob Howe who is the current vet member on the COWS group.
COWS is a key resource for practising farm vets to go for the most up to date advice on parasitic disease in cattle. Rob has collaborated with RUMA to help raise the profile of the work of COWS; he shares below how he became involved in the group and why the work of the group should matter to every practising farm vet.
Rob says: “I was asked to join the COWS group in 2020 because of my interest in regenerating farmed landscapes, which had led to work I was doing in practice to deliver a different approach to the control of parasitic diseases in cattle. If a blanket approach to using wormers is taken this could render them useless while damaging the fragile ecosystem that makes livestock farming viable. This common approach to wormer use not only costs more but potentially reduces animal resilience, as cattle are less able to build natural immunity. It also increases the likelihood of wormer resistance, particularly to Group 3 Ivermectin anthelmintics.
“I believed there was an alternate way to the common practice of routine continuous prophylactic use, which I found to be the norm on farm. As a vet, we have over my career span at least, not commonly been involved in the sale of anthelmintics, so this has been a considerable challenge.”
Rob credits the COWS group with helping to bring the latest research and key opinions together to form ‘Integrated Parasite Management’ which in essence is a shift towards diagnostic led treatments and prevention, as opposed to automatic treatment. He continues: “I hope I have shone a light on some of the enormous research gaps that exist, and questionable dogma that was part of common practice over the years.
“By adopting the integrated parasite management approach, the aim is to improve animal health, minimise resistance to multiple pour-on treatments and boost soil and ecosystem health, leading to further productivity improvements, while saving farmers time and money.
“A starting point when trying an integrated approach to parasite management is to reduce or remove unnecessary treatments; dung testing and only treating when needed can have a real impact on preventing parasites becoming resistant to the treatments used to control them.
“COWS has steadily updated its best practice advice to incorporate important consideration of the environmental impacts our parasite treatments have, and this will also help protect these products to last a lot longer, by slowing resistance formation.
“I would advocate all farm vets take up the challenge of being able to offer this new approach to parasite control to all our farming clients, because it holds big benefits to the animals in our care, our clients, as well as the environment and industry as a whole.
Rob adds: “The whole story of healthy ruminant dung on soil, helps everyone understand the great capacity of cows to boost biodiversity if we farm them in a nature compatible and friendly way. COWS resources offer a great help to vets and SQPs alike, wishing to do this.”
For more information about COWS visit: Promoting Sustainable Control of Cattle Parasites – COWS – Promoting Sustainable Control of Cattle Parasites