Anyone with any experience of worm damage in youngstock?

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cariadssogreat

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Please help. My 3 yo got struck with chronic diarrhoea last wednesday. She spent wednesday - friday in the vet hospital on fluids/plasma etc. Salmonella and E-Coli etc have been ruled out, a scan showed tremendous inflammation of the colon. Peritonitis has been ruled out too. Dung samples showed no worm burden but it is expected that this is worm damage - somehow despite regular worming etc
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I am so devastated by this - I cant see how I could have prevented it
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Anyway said beloved 3 yo is now home but is still incredibly poorly and I think I may have to accept the fact that she may not make it.
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She is currently on 1 litre pepto bismol twice daily, pro paste once daily, and following a heavy wormer programme (as are my other 2 horses). She still has liquid diarrhoea, and is stating to get a little weak. She will eat a little hi-fi and a little hay. She is drinking well fortunately.

Any ideas/ suggestions / thoughts? The idea of wormer resistance is now making me want to give up horses........
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a friend had an eventer that got to advanced and afaik lived to a decent age in spite of extensive worm damage as a youngster - the mare would colic very regularly (as in, at least once a month) but it was always low-grade, and painkiller administered by vet would put her right again. different batch of hay, bag of feed... the slightest change would set her off.
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did you have worm counts done in the past, out of interest? not trying to make you feel worse, just wondering.
fwiw i bought a yearling from a well-known breeder, she was very skinny on arrival, had routine worm count done of all mine incl her just after she'd arrived and in spite of the fact that i'd just wormed her, her worm count was through the roof. it took a couple of years before her worm counts came down to zero, regular worming programme (as advised by vet) did not really work. this yearling had been out in a huge field with tons of grass and about 10 other horses when i bought her, no particular reason for her to have such a huge worm burden, but she did...
i've had worm counts of zero in horses in herds in small fields poo picked erratically, and higher counts in horses kept alone in small fields poo picked 2x daily. there doesn't seem to be any reliable way of knowing other than getting worm counts done, imho.
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hope your girl comes right, very worrying.
 
Oh I hope she recovers xx

I now have mine on an intelligent worming program, last year I had 3 foals all born here and all on the same worming routine, when I changed to the intelligent worming program they all had counts done and I had 2 low burden and 1 through the roof - it just doesn't make sense. After 9 months on the program we are finally under control so I will stick with it from now on.

Please don't blame yourself as it is just so erratic how each horse has its own resistance and you just can't tell form the look of the horse.

Good Luck xx
 
I actually use the company called 'Inelligent Worming'
http://www.intelligentworming.co.uk/?gclid=CI3npN2GvZ8CFeZr4wod9HSR0g

Although it seemed expensive initially they design the program for all my horses and I get the worm count pots & wormers arrive when I need them - so no worrying! Also they adjust the program depending on the egg counts, I looked carefully whether to go back to a 6/10 week program this year but adding up the costs of the wormers sent and the egg counts I think it has actually been cheaper over the year and my horses are all low worm counts now.

I would ring a few companies for advice - they all seem happy to help!

Good Luck again and (((HUGS))) for you and your filly
 
Sounds like cyathostomiasis in english - eyncysted small redworm, these worms can lie dormant in the gut wall and emerge en-masse when triggered, there is still research going on into finding out the triggers, but stress and environmental issues are likely to be one of them. The trouble with these worms is that they are undetectable, they are not laying eggs, therefore will not show up on a fecael count, (I do have a few issues with people relying purely on FEC's) What worming programme were you following - if you were using 5 day guard there is now and estimated >85% resistance to this drug, you need to contact either the VMD or the manufacture if you suspect resistance.
Going back to your poor horse - I have known of a few that have had this condition and survived, all beit they have to be managed a little more carefully, they went on to have good active lives. Fingers crossed for your youngster.
 
hope you horsey gets well soon ,but everyone please remember no matter how much you do the worm counts it can also sometimes misses types of worms it may come back a low percentage but ,may not be the case if that make sence
considering she eating and drinking thats gotta be a good sign
 
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