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Managing External Parasites on your Livestock
External parasites - also known as ectoparasites - live on the skin of livestock or visit them to feed invasively. Living and feeding off of their host animal can cause an animal stress, production losses, irritation, and injury as well as spread diseases/pathogens . Common external parasites that affect livestock like cattle, chickens and horses include lice, ticks, and flies. Different species of parasites can cause livestock problems during different seasons.
Why Should External Parasites be Managed?
- They can cause skin and eye irritation and damage, which can lead to bacterial infection and fly maggot attack
- They can possibly create large wounds
- Some suck blood, causing the animals to become weak
- They can spread diseases between animals
- They result in decreased production
Integrated pest management, also referred to as IPM, combines preventative measures to keep pest populations low. Multiple different control measures, including the three main types of control options: biological, cultural and chemical may be used in order to reduce pests to a point that is below a threshold where producers would start to experience economic losses.
Biological controls include any living organisms that kill the pests, such as other insects, animals, or fungi. Chemical control is a common method of controlling pests however it is critical to understand the timing, mode of action, and class of insecticide used. Cultural controls include practices such as sanitation, water and manure management, and eliminating spoiled feed and silage, are common cultural controls used to help reduce pest development sites.
Effective Treatment Practices
- Clip and clean coat around affected areas, remove maggots and treat with insecticidal cream, powder or spray
- Practice good stable hygiene
- Remove manure to large bins to restrict fly breeding and to make compost
- Drain damp areas to stop breeding of mosquitoes and biting midges
- Use dips, sprays and treat wounds to prevent fly and strike problems
A natural and effective treatment for external parasites is Hypochlorous Acid. Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl), the active component in all of SANOT500 (A next-generation Hypochlorous Acid solution) products is a powerful Oxychloro compound that exists in electrolysed water with a pH range between 5-7. This compound is recognized as “Natures Disinfectant” since it is naturally produced in all mammalian neutrophils (White blood cells within your innate immune system).
Hypochlorous Acid has 3 Main Properties
Anti-pathogenic Effects
HOCl not only directly attacks cell membrane proteins to deactivate and disrupt a microbial cell’s functionality, but it also increases the osmolarity potential across the cell membrane. The result of disrupted membrane proteins and increased osmolarity potential across the microbial cells causes them to rapidly absorb excessive amounts of acidic water and lyse from bursting. It is a strongly oxidizing and deproteinizing compound that reacts with thiols, proteins, amino acids, DNA, RNA and carbohydrates. Therefore, if a cell is not instantly lysed from contact with HOCl, it becomes non-functional and unable to perform basic cell processes, such as glucose oxidation, DNA replication, RNA synthesis and protein production, eventually causing cell death.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Inflammation is caused by the activation of pro-inflammatory factors as a response to mechanical damage or infections. The presence of HOCl has various means and processes of anti-inflammatory actions, to neutralise and reduce inflammation. HOCl can neutralise harmful microbial toxins before they can trigger inflammatory responses in infected cells. HOCl also neutralises and inhibits the messenger proteins (such as NF-κB kinase) that are responsible for recruiting pro-inflammatory factors.
Stimulates Cellular Repair
Whenever an injury occurs, a cascade of complex responses occur to prevent infection, control bleeding and stimulate cellular repair. There are multiple ways in which damaged, dehydrated or non-functional cells are repaired, many of which are initiated or enhanced by the presence of HOCl. One of the first types of cells recruited to a wound site are white blood cells, which secretes HOCl. As a result of the release of HOCl, an increase in the production of cytokines (healing messenger proteins) and growth factors (stimulate cellular division) occurs. Taurine, an amino acid, is also chemically transformed to Taurine Chloramine which is a powerful wound healing factor. Hypochlorous Acid is also a powerful broad-spectrum biocide (80-100 times more effective at killing microbes than bleach) which also has a number of other incredible benefits/qualities:
- 100% natural, biodegradable and eco-friendly
- Halal and safe to use in organic settings
- Safe for humans, animals and plant
- Completely non-toxic and leaves no harmful residuals
- Hypoallergenic and non-irritant
- Non-dehydrating and non-flammable
- Food Grade (FDA classified it as Generally Recognized As Safe) and doesn’t require rinsing after use
- Medical Grade (Kills 99.999% of bacteria, spores and germs)
- Free from dangerous chemicals such as alcohol, ammonia, bleach, sulphates, fragrances and pesticides
Hypochlorous Acid Livestock & Animal Husbandry Applications for External Parasite Management
San-O-Pet is a scientifically formulated electrolyzed Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl) specifially for use on animals. HOCl is a potent disinfectant and antimicrobial agent and also has cell-repairing properties; induces an anti-inflammatory responses in your body. Since it is also 100% biodegradable, it is not necessary to wipe or rinse the area of application after spraying, dipping, wiping or submerging it in San-O-Pet.
FLEA & TICK MANAGEMENT
HOCl can help reduce the spread ticks/fleas stop the infestation from spreading. HOCl can be used to soothe the irritation from fleas and ticks while preventing any further pathogenic infections of the site.
ODOUR CONTROL
Most odour problems are directly related to the presence of microbes living in the area of concern. It is recommended to use fine-micron misters to disperse San-O-Pet around the room, stable, pen, coup, etc. It can also be sprayed directly over the animal without having to rinse it off them.
FUR/COAT
Spray San-O-Pet over your animals entire body to clean their coat and neutralize any pathogens as well as reduce/eliminate any bodily odors. For animals with thick coats or long hair, it is advised to brush them while spraying their coat to ensure San-O-Pet can cover as much surface area of the skin.
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