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Questions and Answers QUESTIONS & ANSWERS | SEND IN YOUR QUESTION! | |
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Questions & Answers ANSWER: Yes it is possible to test for resistant worms. The test is known as an egg count reduction test. Just before horses are due to be wormed send a samples for faecal egg counts. If any results show evidence of significant worm burden ( >200epg ),treat and re-submit samples for further FEC 10-14 days later. The egg count reduction should be at least 85%. If this is not the case it is likely that you are dealing with resistant worms. QUESTION: My ponies ages range from 5 - 37. They all get Panacur Guard in January and double dose Strongid P in April and October. The older ones are wormed with Furexell even 8 weeks and the younger ones with Equest every 13 weeks. Droppings are picked up daily. What should my worming programme be? I am worried I am pumping chemicals in unnecessarily - please advise.? ANSWER: You are clearly dedicated to minimising the risk of worm infection in your ponies. I share your concern at the amount of drugs you are using to achieve this aim. Intensive use of worming drugs is likely to hasten the onset of drug resistance in the worms. Have you considered doing some diagnostic testing? When your horses are next due for a dose of wormer take some droppings samples and ask your vet to get them tested for worm eggs. When it is time for the double dose of Strongid P, get a blood sample taken for tapeworm testing. Horse owners who try this approach seem to like it. They feel reassured by the results of tests and they usually save money compared to their previous worming schedule. Have a look at the Diagnostic tests Masterclass on this web-site and also the Case Studies.. QUESTION: My horse is kept at a livery yard where there are many owners. Is targeted strategic worming a viable option for me? ANSWER: If all horse owners participate in the same worm control programme, targeted strategic worming can work very well on a livery yard. Faecal egg counts are performed on all horses 2 - 4 times per year, and tapeworm tests are performed annually. Only horses with high burdens receive anthelmintic treatment. There are many benefits to be gained from this type of worming programme such as, less expense to the owners in terms of expensive worming drugs, and reduced worm burdens for the horses. Such a regime will also slow down the development of resistance to worming drugs. A targeted strategic approach relies on the co-operation of all horse owners. If such participation is not feasible then interval dosing is recommended. QUESTION: My mare has recently had a few bouts of colic although normally healthy, wormed regularly and droppings removed daily from pasture. My vet did many tests, one of which was a biopsy of the rectal wall, which indicated parasite damage. What parasite is causing the problem? ANSWER: Your vet is quite properly investigating the reason for your horse suffering from colic. Because of the proven link between parasites and colic, it is always worth doing a worm egg count (for strongyle eggs) and a tapeworm ELISA; even if you are giving worming drugs regularly. A rectal wall biopsy allows evaluation of part of the horse's intestine for parasites or cells associated with parasite infection. Occasionally heavy cyathostomin infection can be detected in this way. However, the horses intestine is extremely large and changes in the rectal wall don't necessarily reflect what is going on in the caecum and colon. QUESTION: I have read an article on the internet that says that Equest is the least safe of all wormers with a higher chance of damage to a horse on a much lower "overdose". It recommends that it not be used. ANSWER: We have also read these reports on the internet. Remember, anyone can publish anything on the internet. Statements about a product and anecdotal reports of problems do not have to be justified in any way. We asked one of the vets at Fort Dodge to comment. He wrote: ".…toxicity studies in stallions and pregnant mares have shown no ill effects in adults with 9x overdose given over a period of 14 days. Multiple 3x overdoses showed no ill effects in breeding and pregnant mares dosed every 2 weeks for a year. These compulsory overdose studies were necessary to get the product licenced. We do know that very young foals (under 4 months) are more susceptible to overdosing, however the ill effects observed are reversible". All pharmaceuticals licenced for use in Europe have to pass extremely stringent safety tests. Scientific evidence suggests that it is a safe and effective worming drug if used correctly and following consultation with your vet. We believe it to be a valuable addition to the limited range of worming drugs. QUESTION: I would like advice on worming a 3 month thoroughbred foal. He is very shy and I do not want to fight him by using a paste wormer and so will have to resort to using a powder/granule wormer instead. I know I will be limited to what wormers are available in granules. I am also concerned that those that are available will not cover all the necessary worm problems. Can you advise on the best course of action to ensure all types of parasites are treated. ANSWER: Most people think that paste wormers are better than powders. This is not true! It has been proven scientifically that giving worming drugs by stomach tube, paste and powder in feed are all equally effective. Clearly the range of drugs that can be given is limited if only powders can be used. There are no ivermectin or moxidectin products that are available as powders, but some horses will accept the paste mixed in feed rather than squirted in their mouths. Strongid-P and Telmin both have good efficacy against adult cyathostomins (as long as resistance is not present)and against large strongyles,Oxyuris and Parascaris. Neither drug has a label claim against Strongyloids but this parasite is only rarely a problem, and then only in very young foals. Strongid-P can be used at double the normal dose to kill tapeworms. What these powders do not kill are the larval stages of strongyles or cyathastomins. You should consider a 5 day course of fenbendazole (in feed) in the autumn to achieve this. As using worming drugs is such a problem, you could benefit from periodic diagnostic testing. If your foal does not have a significant worm burden you need not treat him at all. QUESTION: I keep my horse on a DIY yard where conditions for worm control are less than perfect. The fields are over-grazed and droppings are never removed. There is an interval worming programme which is a recommendation only - owners may deviate from it i.e timing or preparation used. Apart from changing yards, can you suggest a method of worm control I can use that will best protect my horse? ANSWER: This is a situation which lots of horse owners find themselves in. Although they might implement a good interval treatment programme in their own horse, they have no control over the parasite status of other horses on the yard. There are two suggestions: 1)Make sure that you adhere to a good interval treatment programme. Although your horse might be challenged by parasites from other horses, regular treatment will ensure that high levels of infection do not develop. 2)Periodically test your horse for worms. This will highlight any problems in your control programme or else re-assure you that the control programme is working. Good times to take samples are in mid-summer and in the autumn, ideally just before your horse is wormed. 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