No effect of Red Cell®
Anecdotal evidence has suggested that short-term treatment of heavily parasitized animals with Red Cell®, a vitamin and mineral supplement (for horses), in combination with dewormers may reduce morbidity and mortality of sheep and goats.
Four experiments were conducted at Fort Valley State University, each consisting of a two-week trial using naturally infected female or castrated male (wethers) Katahdin/Dorper crossbred lambs or intact male Spanish goat kids. The treatments consisted of 30 mL Red Cell® with or without albendazole (Exp. 1, lambs), levamisole (Exp. 2, lambs and Exp. 3, goats), or moxidectin (Exp. 4, goats), the anthelmintic alone, or water only (control).
Fecal and blood samples were collected from individual animals . Fecal egg counts (FEC) and blood packed cell volume (PCV) analyses were conducted on Day 0, 7, and 14. While most of the anthelmintic treatments used in this study were effective, combining these drugs with Red Cell® did not increase their effectiveness or animal recovery. Results indicate that one-time supplementation with Red Cell® does not impact indicators of gastro-intestinal parasitism in goats and sheep (with a moderate infection level). Perhaps a higher dose, more than one dose, or use of an injectable product may have resulted in different responses in this study.