Author: Farm Vets South West

“PGE causes productivity losses long before obvious signs. Planning ahead to prevent production-limiting levels of worm challenge to lambs will give far better results than a reactive approach.”

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FarmVets SouthWest is a farm animal only veterinary practice covering Somerset and East Devon. The practice prides itself on traditional service values, but with a modern approach, to compliment the needs of
today’s farmers. We have an experienced team of farm vets.

FVSW Bridgwater
Unit 8, Sedgemoor Auction Centre, Market Way
North Petherton, Somerset TA6 6DF T: 01278-663399 F: 01278-661135

FVSW Ilminster
5 Larchfield Industrial Estate
Dowlish Ford
Ilminster, Somerset, TA19 0PF T: 01460-55004 F: 01460-55007

Stopgate Cross
Yarcombe, Honiton Devon
EX14 9NB
T: 01404-861214 F: 01404-861363

Information on:

Parasitic
Gastroenteritis

Your local partner in farm animal health

Information leaflet: PGE

Parasitic Gastroenteritis (PGE)
An infection of the 4th stomach and intestine by parasitic roundworms (nematodes). It is the most important production-limiting disease of lambs in the UK and is estimated to cost the UK sheep industry £84 million annually.
Disease Process
The worms irritate the lining of the stomach and intestine reducing the digestion and absorption of food. Appetite is reduced. The damaged gut wall also leaks protein and fluid resulting in diarrhoea.

Reduced growth rates	Weight loss
Reduced appetite	“Open-fleeced” appearance
Diarrhoea (scour)	Poor fleece production

Signs of PGE:
Lambs are infected from worm larvae on the pasture. These worms mature and produce eggs themselves. The levels of larvae on the pasture thus increase as time passes, increasing the challenge to lambs. Over time, the lambs develop immunity and the level of worm eggs shed drops. Some larvae survive on the pasture overwinter to start the cycle over again. Adult ewes are mainly immune and so aren’t susceptible to infection. The exception to this is around lambing time (2 weeks before to 6-8 weeks after lambing) when the ewe’s immunity drops, especially in twin, or triplet, bearing ewes. Rams do not develop such good immunity and so are susceptible to this throughout life.

Control of PGE
Control of PGE involves trying to reduce the level of larvae the lamb is exposed to while still ensuring that it develops some immunity to protect it in the future. Treating the lamb, even treating repeatedly, in the face of large numbers of incoming larvae, will give disappointing results.
Control measures include:
Strategic and targeted use of wormers
Pasture management
Use of “bio-active” forages which reduce worm numbers.
Breeding for resistant or resilient sheep
Please feel free to contact the practice to discuss worm control in your flock.

Information leaflet: PGE