Conditions in Western Victoria are often conducive to the survival of round worm (ostertagia) eggs on pasture through most of the year. The vast majority of any property’s worm burden resides on the pasture with the sheep being simply the intermediary by which the worms go from one generation to the next.

Monitoring sheep worm egg burdens through faecal egg counts is the standard way of assessing overall worm impact on animal health and the continued efficacy of worming treatments. It is especially important in young sheep due to their lack of immune system protection from the effects of round worms.

In June 2022, Camperdown Veterinary Centre invested in new technology to provide faster and more accurate Faecal Egg Count results for our clients undertaking parasite monitoring in their livestock and horses.   The FECPAK G2 System is an automated system which photographs images of faecal samples and uploads them to a New Zealand based laboratory database where a trained technician calibrates the image, counts the parasite eggs and returns an egg count within a 2 hour time frame. Our veterinarians can then interpret the result, along with the animal history provided to recommend the best treatment and individual management program for your animals tested.  We can also organise a Drench Resistance Test to assess the viability of your current drenching program off the back of FEC results.

Follow this link for information on how to collect samples on farm