horse worm count how many is dangerous

[cocomalonealex]

hi everyone,
my yard owner has currently conducted a worm count and sent them all of to the vets. i understand that if the egg count is above 200 then the horse will need treating . my horse came back to have 1050! it only got wormed just before i moved on to this yard 4 months ago so was clear then.
i am just wondering how many eggs people consider to be really bad or dangerous? would u say 1050 is really bad?
sorry I'm just don't no very much about worming and would appreciate any help

 

[catroo]

That does sound very high, I've never had one over 300.

Was your horse worm counted after the last worming? The only way to know if the wormer has worked is to recount after.

 

[Gazen]

1050 is pretty high. For the past 2 years my horse has had worm counts of < 50 and this time it was 1200. I was shocked.
Find out what type of worms they are. The chances are it is red worm (Strongyles). The local equine shop or your vet will be able to advise you on which wormer to use. The 'worm lady' advised me to use Equest Pramox, but take advice before you buy anything.

 

[soloequestrian]

There is no actual evidence of what constitutes a high egg count - 200 eggs per gram was just plucked out of the air some time ago and has stuck as the standard. Although you should probably treat and as above test for resistance issues, I wouldn't be overly worried. If your horse continues to have high burdens in the future and no resistance is suspected, have it tested for Cushings - a poor immune response is part of the syndrome.

 

[JillA]

Ask Borderriever - she owns Westgate Labs and is very well informed about parasites and worming.

 

[cocomalonealex]

yeah i send of a sample for testing in december and she was clear then

 

[Orangehorse]

Some horses just seem to keep having high worm counts. I kept a horse and a pony together for several years and used the vet's worming programme, so they were treated exactly the same. The pony nearly always needed treating with wormer, the horse much less often. I have heard this from other people too.

Yes, worming is necessary. Worms cause damage to blood vessels and the digestion. Put £3.00 per week aside in a jar, and then you will have money to pay for the tests/wormer.

 

[Spreebok]

My pony came back as 2400epg for redworms when I first got her, wormed with Equest Pramox the day Westgate sent me the results back. Before, she looked bloated, irritated and her coat was very wormy looking, and we had to keep a close eye on her after worming as the die off of such a high wormload can make them colicky. Thankfully apart from being really p***ed off she was okay, and now she's looking so much better!

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

All about types of worms.
http://www.ed.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.22255!/fileManager/wormingyourhorse.pdf

the Eggs Per Gram [EPG] is how we count roundworms, this is a great idea because without doing something scientific and having a worming program, we will end up with more worms being resistant to wormers.
There are roundworms, [found in wormcounts] tapeworms, found in a saliva test] encysted redworms [they burrow in the intestine and don't show up on wormcounts] and pin worms [found around the anus!]

There are many brands of wormers but only a few ingredients, some wormers mix ingredients, it is essential to keep a record of your worming as you need to use different ingredients for different reasons.
Foals and some very sensitive horses need special wormers, this will be advised by your vet or by a specialist.

 

[Follysmum]

I had a pony with a count of 4200 when first got her. Wormed accordingly and has always had a count of <50 since.

 

[Polos Mum]

A touch early maybe but if you're in the mild south it could be encysted worm breaking through the stomach lining to re-infest your horse after a clear count in Dec.
I have one rescue pony with clear counts through the year then his count in Spring is always 1200+, for five years I've carefully wormed him with Equest Paramox (one of the only things that is supposed to treat encysted ones) but it just doesn't work on him. I worm again in spring and get a clear count but they are always back in spring.

We moved this year to a yard that had only been grazed by cows for 3.5 years (and my others are always no eggs seen) so I know he's carrying them with him not picking them up.
Clearly over 1000 you need to treat but I wouldn't panic

 

[Borderreiver]

Was your horse wormed for encysted stages of redworm in winter? That would be Equest, Equest Pramox or 5 day Panacur guard? Most horses should have this winter dose. No other products treat these important stages of redworm.
I would not be too worried by that count. It sounds a lot but to put it in perspective the highest count we had in the labs this week was 11050 epg. At least you know what is going on and can deal with it now.

 

[Polos Mum]

the highest count we had in the labs this week was 11050 epg.

Wow ! that's a poorly pony!

 

[Katie K]

Thanks for this fascinating thread which has allayed my fears a little. My horse has routinely returned low counts (usually less than 50 epg) and the highest until yesterday had been 400 epg (after a short spell on a non-poo picked paddock) His count in April had been 50 epg but because I was moving him to a new home I wormed him with Pramox. After 3 months at the new place (where poo-picking is meticulous and done daily) the latest faecal egg count came back as 1200 epg. Having read previous replies I'm now wondering whether he carries a cyclical burden. Needless to say, he got wormed with Equest last night and will be tested again in 2-3 weeks and thanks to Westgate Labs for their helpful advice.