SG October 2023

PRODUCTION TIPS & TOOLS • Randy L. Stanko, Ph.D. • Texas A&M University-Kingsville

New De-Wormer Enters Market

Z oetis released a novel combi nation anthelmintic this past summer called Valcor. This new product requires a veterinary prescription and offers broad-spec trum control of both internal and ex ternal parasites (grubs, lice and mites). In a study conducted by Zoetis involv ing more than 1,500 five-weight heif ers, Valcor reduced fecal egg count by 99.9 percent within two weeks post treatment vs. an 85 percent reduction by a very common anthelmintic avail

for a 1,200-pound cow or $4.10 for a 550-pound calf. Please remember that Valcor is to be given subcutane ously in the neck area. This product does have a 15-day slaughter with draw and could cause injection-site swelling. This possible swelling makes the neck area of cattle the most ap propriate site for injection. Valcor comes with a 45-day expira tion after initially puncturing the vial. Zoetis recommends using a luer-lock syringe and an 18-gauge needle for in jecting this product. In addition, Zoe tis recommends puncturing the stop per top only six times and a maximum of 28 times in the 100-mL and 250 mL or 500-mL bottles of Valcor, re spectively. If producers choose to use a multi-draw apparatus with a spike or needle larger than an 18-gauge bore diameter, then any remaining product should be discarded after ini tial use. Keep in mind that, because of this recommendation, treating larger herds could get expensive. New and improved beef cattle phar maceutical products do not come to market that often. Give Valcor a try while it is available and in stock, es pecially if you believe that your cur rent de-worming protocol may have a weakened efficacy over time. This new combination product should have cattle internal parasites running for cover.

So why must we obtain a prescrip tion for Valcor? One could assume it is because we all need to work together on reducing the chance for para site resistance to this new product. Drug resistance of internal parasites is caused by treating cattle too often, treating the whole herd (vs. those cattle that need it) and under-dosing. Moreover, this new product is ap proved only for use in beef and dairy cattle and not small ruminant live stock . Beef cattle of at least 2 months of age or older and dairy replacement heifers younger than 20 months of age can be treated with Valcor. However, the safety of Valcor for use in breeding bulls has not been evaluated. So for now, use it on beef steers, beef heifers and beef cows only. My gut feeling is that most new livestock pharmaceu tical products in the future will re quire a veterinary prescription. The Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture are encouraging all livestock producers to establish a veterinarian-client patient relationship with a local vet erinarian. This model has been estab lished with the purchase and use of livestock antibiotics. Valcor is available in 100-mL, 250 mL and 500-mL bottles and should be comparably priced to other anthel mintics. I priced it at $0.41 to $0.49 per mL; it is cheaper to purchase the larger bottles. That equals about $9

able from multiple livestock pharmaceutical companies. Valcor is a single, subcu taneous injection product that contains doramectin and levamisole. The dos age of Valcor is 1 milliliter (mL) per 55 pounds of body weight. Each mL of Valcor contains 5 milli grams (mg) doramectin

and 150 mg of levamisole. These in gredients cause paralysis (levamisole paralyzes worms) and death (dora mectin kills nerve cells) of 35 differ ent parasites. Interestingly, levami sole mimics a natural molecule and over-stimulates muscle cell receptors for that molecule. The overstimula tion of parasite muscle cells causes paralysis. Doramectin modulates the chloride (the same chloride in table salt, NaCl) ion channels of neurons so they cannot function normally.

George West, Texas (361) 566-2244 lacampanaranch.com campana@granderiver.net

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OCTOBER 2023