• Worms are parasites that usually live inside the digestive tract of the host, feeding on tissue fluids or blood of the animal. Worms may also be found in lungs, nasal passage, eye etc.
• Eggs are passed through the faeces which contaminate pasture, feed or water sources. Some cause disease in humans also.
• There are basically four types of worms : (i) Round worms and (ii) Tapeworms-found in the digestive tract; (iii) Flukes-found in the rumen and liver and (iv) Schistosomes _ found inside blood vessels.
• Different treatment regimens are required based on the type of the worm.

SYMPTOMS OF WORM INFESTATION

• Diarrheoa, delayed age at maturity, reduction in growth rate and milk production, lower reproductive, draft and feed conversion efficiencies, lower disease resistance, anaemia etc.
• In amphistome (rumen and liver fluke) infestation, severe foetid diarrhoea and sub-mandibular oedema (bottle-jaw) may be seen .
• Jaundice may be seen in liver fluke infestation.
• In tapeworm infestation, pot-belly and moving small white segments in faeces may­be seen. It may also cause intestinal obstruction due to its length.
• Hookworm (type of round worm that sucks blood) and schistosome infestation may cause severe anaemia and bloody diarrhea.
• Thick nasal discharge, snoring and shortness of breath may be seen in nasal schis­to some infestation. Cough is seen in lungworm (type of round worm seen in lung)

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

• First dewormer dose to calves to be given between 10-14 days of age and repeated monthly till 6 months of age.
• Administer dewormer to all animals above 6 months of age twice a year, once at the beginning and another at the end of the rainy season. Ensure administration in the back of the tongue rather than into the mouth to avoid rumen bypass.
• Adopt deworming on a mass scale to reduce the egg load of worms in the soil.
• Pregnant animals should also be dewormed twice, 1st dose near its calving time and the 2nd dose around 6-7 weeks after calving. 
• If the animal is not responding to treatment, get the dung of the animal examined by a veterinarian to determine the type of worm and provide appropriate drug as advised.
• In areas with snail population (water-logged etc), flukes and schistosomes may be suspected, since snails are involved in completion of its lifecycle.
• To avoid drug resistance, do not administer the same drug repeatedly .
• For any worm treatment to be effective, the drug must be provided in adequate dosage, consult a qualified person for proper advise.

                                    Deworm your animals regularly  - Increase the productivity