Treatment of the Disease

• Therapeutic treatment:
  • Sulphonamide
  • Potential sulphonamide injections
    • Causes long withdrawal period
    • Drug stays persistent in system
• Monensin
  • Used to treat coccidian
  • A polyether ionophore antibiotic
  • Is active against certain gram-positive mircroorganisms, including coccidian
  • Prevents sodium and potassium passage through the cell membrane of the parasite
  • Prevents sodium transport into the cell
  • Potassium accumulates in cell
    • Inhibits mitochondrial function
    • Inhibits oxidation and hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate
  • Fifteen g/ton can be fed to ewes from 4 weeks before lambing until weaning and can be fed to lambs from 4-20 weeks of age
    • It can be toxic to lambs at levels of 4 mg/kg
• Lassalocid can be effective if given 15-70 mg/head/day
• Monensin at 22 mg/kg and lasalocid at 100mg/kg is an effective prophylactic against coccidiosis in early weaned lambs in a feedlot condition.
• Pasture rotation can greatly reduce parasites and help in control.
• Early exposure can result in solid immunity development.
• Treatment of affected sheep is ineffective but can reduce severity if begun early.
• A table of products used to treat and/or prevent coccidiosis in livestock can be found from this website:
  http://www.sheepandgoat.com/articles/Coccidiosis%20Table.pdf

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