Worming Advice and Healthcare Programmes
The move to prescription only wormers was driven by growing concerns surrounding resistance and inappropriate usage. Misuse and overuse of wormers significantly contribute to resistance and reducing the effectiveness of treatment. Individual yards may require individual protocols based on the unique population and potentially known resistance issues in the area.
Different wormers contain different active ingredients and vets are trained to select the most appropriate product for your horse, based on age, time of year, and life cycle of individual worms.
Faecal worm egg counts are a valuable monitoring tool, but they do not detect all parasites. Encysted small redworms (cyathostomes) can cause serious illness, such as diarrhoea, gut damage, and even death. They cannot be detected on faecal worm egg counts, they are only detectable via a blood test which needs to be interpreted carefully by your veterinarian. Ascarids can cause respiratory illnesses, particularly in youngstock, because they migrate through the lungs. It is extremely rare to find their eggs in a faecal worm egg count, so if you do, you can be sure to have a heavy burden.
Tapeworms also cannot be reliably identified on faecal worm egg counts, but can be assessed through an Equisal Test. It is quick, simple and especially valuable heading into Winter. For these reasons, faecal worm egg counts should be used alongside additional testing methods and veterinary advice to ensure complete and effective parasite control to keep your horses happy and healthy.
Please ask us to design a health programme specific to your farm.
Prevention is better than cure.
Your veterinarian is trained to provide you with a worming protocol which is based on the lifecycles of the parasites, season, your horses age and previous history, which will ensure targeted treatment for those whose burden cannot be identified by faecal worm egg counts. Whilst faecal worm egg counts are a valuable tool, they only tell part of the story. Many harmful worms do not produce detectable eggs, yet can still cause serious health issues or even death. Prescription oversight ensures these risks are properly managed to ensure your horses health and reduce unnecessary expenditure.
If you need any further advice on worming your horse or guidance on which products to use, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We are always happy to help ensure your horse’s parasite control plan is safe, effective and tailored to their needs.