Anthelmintic activities of diatomaceous earth in sheep

Internal parasites are the leading cause of mortality in sheep in resource-constrained countries, highlighting the need for affordable, non-conventional medicines. In the study, diatomaceous earth (DE), a relatively abundant and cheap non-conventional medicine, was assessed for its impact in controlling parasites and its effects on the behavior and growth performance of pasture-raised Wiltshire (WS) × Barbados Black Belly (BB) sheep. A total of 12 female weaner lambs with an average body weight of 21.37±2.28 kg were used in the study. The lambs were fed a basal diet and randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. Sheep in group 1 (n=4) received a basal diet supplemented with 2% DE, while animals in group 2 (n=4) were administered subcutaneous injections of ivermectin (200 µg/kg body weight). Group 3 served as the control (n=4), with no treatment. Data collected over nine weeks included fecal egg counts, fecal consistency scores, time spent on different behavioral activities, and body weights. The results showed that Moniezia expansa egg counts were significantly lower in the ivermectin and DE-treated groups compared to the control group (P<0.05). Haemonchus contortus eggs were more predominant across all treatment groups. Fecal consistency was significantly improved (P<0.05) in the ivermectin group than in other groups. Sheep receiving DE and ivermectin treatment spent less time lying down compared to the control group with no anthelmintic (P<0.05). There were no differences in the average weight gain of sheep across all treatments. In conclusion, DE was more effective in reducing M. expansa than H. contortus, indicating its potential as a viable alternative treatment for internal parasites in sheep.