worming programmes
Horse worm eggs as they appear under the microscope
Signs of pinworm are usually obvious and they can be hard to eradicate but don’t cause internal damage.
Counting worm eggs under the microscope
tailor made worming programme and thankfully that’s not too difficult. It applies equally well to horses at home and those kept on livery yards, so start with the horse.
Not all horses carry worms in the same way. Some will pick up very few and about 20% will carry larger burdens. It still isn’t clear exactly why this is the case but we do know that those who are younger, older or have poorer immune systems will be some of the likely candidates. It’s also important to remember that low parasite burdens are quite a normal part of being a healthy horse, so we should not be aiming to eradicate all worms.
Which worms are important? Adult horses Redworm and tapeworm are the most important worms of adult horses. Their lifecycles mean that they can cause internal damage if not controlled. But wait a minute? Not all horses will have heavy burdens of these parasites so it is important to test and only treat the animals which need it. Don’t dose if
you don’t need to. There is one important exception to that. Most horses should have a winter dose to target encysted stages of redworm. Encysting is a natural part of the redworm lifecycle and only moxidectin (Equest or Equest Pramox if also targeting tapeworm) or five days of fenbendazole (Panacur) will reach them in that state. Young horses
Threadworm can affect young foals but the most important worm affecting young horses is the roundworm. These huge white worms can cause blockages so every foal should be treated specifically for roundworm in the first year. The best drug for this job is still fenbendazole (Panacur). After that redworm is the next most important worm and later tapeworm.
Other parasites Other common parasites to bear in mind are pinworm and bots but these are of more minor consideration and their control can be fitted into a targeted programme when necessary.
How to tailor make you worm control Start with a worm count for every horse on the programme. Westgate Labs have packs to suit everyone including a very reasonably priced commercial service for yards. Take the test when worming is due or slightly overdue. Make sure you use a quality test as standards can vary widely. A simple floatation test may indicate if worm eggs are present but a proper laboratory prepared test will give much more accurate results and be followed up if required with correct advice from an
experienced SQP. It really is the advice which makes the programme work. For healthy adult horses only worm those with counts of about 200 eggs per gram or above. Take advice for youngsters, poorly or neglected animals. Simply put, you then worm count every three months or so, add in two tapeworm saliva tests six months apart and dose for encysted redworm in winter. That’s it! Only worm the wormy horses and leave the others untreated even when sharing grazing.
A programme of regular worm counts plus the brilliant new saliva test will enable you to tailor make worm control and get it right for your horse.
Roundworm in droppings
www.theequinesite.co.uk
Tapeworms visible in droppings Equine Page 15
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64