Man's best friend or enemy in the field?

摘要

Many visitors to NSA Sheep 2014 will make a purchase at the sheepdog sale, but dogs of all shapes and sizes are contributing to losses put at E5m a year by industry analysts.The spread of tapeworms excreted in dog faeces onto grazing can lead to infected sheep carcases being rejected by meat hygiene inspectors in abattoirs -and while farm dogs are not the sole perpetrators, they are a potential reservoir of infection that can at least be controlled at farm level with three simple steps, suggests Fiona Lovatt, independent sheep consultant and president of the Sheep Veterinary Society.