Elanco Farm Animal Health UK

Elanco Farm Animal Health UK Elanco Animal Health promotes the importance of proactive, preventative healthcare in livestock.

This content is intended to be viewed by livestock farmers and their advisers’ On this page, we're providing livestock farmers with best practice advice on preventative health to help maximise animal health, welfare and productivity.

My cattle frequently suffer from fluke, what can I do to avoid this?There is no safe level of fluke - which is why good ...
10/11/2025

My cattle frequently suffer from fluke, what can I do to avoid this?

There is no safe level of fluke - which is why good management is so important.

✅Test, don’t guess – There are several tests to diagnose fluke. We recommend working with your vet as they will be able to suggest the most suitable tests for your set up. However, for any stock sent directly to the abattoir, request feedback where any livers have been condemned and always perform a post-mortem on any fallen stock, even if you know the cause of death.

✅Choose the right active – Different actives will target different stages of the fluke life cycle, from early immature fluke through to adult fluke. Diagnostic testing and working with your vet will help you select the best treatment option.

✅Avoid grazing high-risk areas – Map out high-risk fluke areas and move treated flock to low-risk pastures, or use temporary fencing around wet, boggy areas. If this isn’t possible consider housing cattle.

While autumn fluke risk has been delayed for some following a dry summer, the wetter autumn conditions mean cases of flu...
05/11/2025

While autumn fluke risk has been delayed for some following a dry summer, the wetter autumn conditions mean cases of fluke are now being seen in some areas of the country. However, the signs are not always obvious, and often by the time the symptoms are visible, fluke is already having a significant impact on the animal.

So, when does fluke become a problem?

🟢Green zone – The only way to stay in the Green Zone is to avoid the fluke by keeping animals away from snail habitats once the snails are producing the fluke cysts on pasture. Monitoring lambs for fluke antibodies will let you know when this starts.

🟡Amber zone – Sheep may not display symptoms at this point but disease may impact weight gains, milk yield, fertility and feed conversion rates.

🔴Red zone – Sheep suffering from acute disease could be at risk of severe liver damage and death, while those with chronic disease may experience loss of condition, bottle jaw and anaemia. Chronic disease symptoms mirror those caused by Haemonchus, so diagnosis is always recommended before treatment is given.

A recent release of The Parasight provides useful guidance around fluke management and the similarities between fluke and Haemonchus. You can listen via the link in the comments.

03/11/2025

Have you given your lambs a break dose yet?

While worm pressure has increased later than in other years for many farms, it doesn’t mean a break dose isn’t going to be needed, it might just be later than normal!

Continuing to monitor feacal egg counts can avoid the risk of being caught out by a late worm challenge.

Speak to your local animal health adviser for more information on when to give a break dose.

I have not yet given my lambs a break dose, is it too late?Despite worm pressures rising later this year, it is still ad...
31/10/2025

I have not yet given my lambs a break dose, is it too late?

Despite worm pressures rising later this year, it is still advised to consider administering a break dose for your lambs.

By now, most lambs will have received at least one dose of a group 1-3 wormer, but resistant worms could still be present.

Giving a late season break dose of a newer group wormer will get lambs back in the green zone, enabling lambs to reach their growth potential.

As tupping season gets underway, assessing ewe body condition is as important as routine teeth and udder checks.Next yea...
31/10/2025

As tupping season gets underway, assessing ewe body condition is as important as routine teeth and udder checks.

Next year’s lamb crop starts now and so tupping ewes in optimal body condition will help to optimise lamb numbers, lamb growth and milk production.

With grass having been in short supply for many throughout the summer, it could be that ewes need additional feed supplementation to get them in the right condition pre-tupping and throughout pregnancy.

Speak to your vet or nutritionist for further advice on ewe nutrition over this winter.

30/10/2025

The complex life cycle of liver fluke means it’s important to use the right product at the right time.

Different products contain different actives which target different stages of fluke, from early immature fluke to adult.

Working with your vet to perform diagnostics can help identify which stage of fluke is present within the animal, and therefore which product offers the most effective treatment.

Elanco Farm Animal Health UK

I have limited grass right now, should I prioritise grazing my ewes or lambs?Efficient use of grass is even more importa...
29/10/2025

I have limited grass right now, should I prioritise grazing my ewes or lambs?

Efficient use of grass is even more important this year, as we head into autumn with a predicted forage shortage in parts of the country.

If you have to decide between ewes and lambs, consider giving ewes the grass to give them the best chance of maintaining a good body condition and give next year’s lamb crop the best chance.

Alternatives worth considering for lambs this autumn include:
- Graze lambs on winter root crops if available
- Finish lambs indoors, but it is important lambs are in the ‘green zone’ before they are housed
- Sell them in the stores, if feed is options are really short

When do worms become a problem? 🟢 Green zone – some worms present but not enough toaffect growth rates🟡 Amber zone – mod...
28/10/2025

When do worms become a problem?

🟢 Green zone – some worms present but not enough to
affect growth rates
🟡 Amber zone – moderate worm burden, no signs of ill health, but growth rates have already slowed down
🔴 Red zone – high worm burden, there will now be visible signs which may include scouring and weight loss

Ideally, we want lambs to be in the green zone – they may have worms, but they are at a low level and doesn’t adversely affect their growth.

When worm burdens get a bit higher the lambs move into the amber zone. This is when the worms are starting to damage the gut and the lambs can’t use the food they eat as well, meaning growth suffers.

Once lambs get into the red zone, this is when we can see some visible signs of the worms. At this stage food absorption is being affected, so little or no energy is used for growth to such an extent that lambs may actually lose weight.

While the dry summer may well delay liver fluke infections, it’s best to keep a close look out for signs from now onward...
24/10/2025

While the dry summer may well delay liver fluke infections, it’s best to keep a close look out for signs from now onwards and test for antibodies to identify fluke as early as possible.

When it comes to liver fluke, there is no safe level of infection and even small numbers can impact animal health, but there are some practical ways to manage the risk.

Fluke only occurs where the mud snails live, so if you are able to fence off boggy areas of fields with temporary fencing, you can really help alleviate the risk while retaining use of most of the pasture.

SCOPS is an excellent resource for more information.

The variation of fluke risk across the UK is significant, with first infections ranging from early autumn to mid-winter....
23/10/2025

The variation of fluke risk across the UK is significant, with first infections ranging from early autumn to mid-winter.

This means the best approach is to test and not guess to determine if and when animals need treatment.

A serum antibody ELISA test (via blood) is recommended to help with early detection of liver fluke – antibodies can be detected from as early as two weeks post infection which is much quicker than other testing methods.

Your animal health advisor is your best port of call for advice on liver fluke testing and control, but The Parasight also offers some helpful guidance.

Liver fluke can be tricky to spot before the damage is already done, here are the main signs to look out for:• Reduced a...
21/10/2025

Liver fluke can be tricky to spot before the damage is already done, here are the main signs to look out for:

• Reduced activity - sheep may appear weak and lethargic with reduced grazing activity
• Loss of condition despite adequate nutrition - fluke can cause a rapid loss of condition and poor fleece quality
• Bottle-jaw - most fluke cases cause a build-up of fluid under the animal’s jaw caused by anaemia due to the parasitic infection
• Death - in serious cases, fluke may cause sudden death of sheep

Fluke risk varies considerably year-to year so it’s best to reach out to your animal health advisor for guidance.

20/10/2025

🚨 Liver fluke season is here but after a hot and dry summer, what’s the risk?

In areas where rainfall has been low, it’s likely that grazing animals will pick liver fluke up off pasture later than normal. But, the risk is going to be very variable across the UK so don’t assume fluke is not a concern yet.

The Parasight also offers timely updates, you can sign up via the link in the comments.

Address

Form 2, Bartley Way, Bartley Wood Business Park
Hook
RG279XA

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Elanco Farm Animal Health UK posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Elanco Farm Animal Health UK:

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category