Horse Wormer prices

[Rollin]

Apparently BEVA want to stop the sale of horse wormers through non-vet outlets or without prescription.

France does not have the range of suppliers available to the UK and prices here are nearly double in some cases.

We don't have better worming over here in fact I know a few people who never ask for advice and just buy what is cheapest.

 

[turkana]

I saw this, I understand why they want to do it, as there is so much resistance; I nearly lost a horse to larval cyathostomiasis last year, she had been wormed with panicur 5 day guard but she had red worms which were resistant to it.

I now worm count & then dose accordingly so worm much less (although her worm count came back clear when she was ill but it's the larva that cause the problems, they don't produce eggs so don't show up on worm counts)

It will make it more expensive for those of us who are doing it properly, so I wouldn't be thrilled with even more expense but can see why it makes sense.

 

[HappyHooves]

Do the BEVA think that buying only via a vet would stop drug resistant worms? More likely that sales through the internet would/are stopping profits to vets. The only way this can help is by getting a proper annual worming package together that includes worm counts. I'm lucky that my vet offers this service, rotating programmes/active ingredients so that drug resistance doesn't build up. I get a years package, worm count pots, a calendar to follow and the vet buys in bulk so prices are good, and I don't have to do the working out of what to give and when. But from some posts on the forum I wonder if all vets are as knowledgeable about worming and resistance as mine is. If its just going to mean that a vet sells wormers without any input, then I think its a bad idea.

 

[Rollin]

There has been recent publicity on the problem of encysted red worm because people doing worm counts don't pick up this parasite and may not worm correctly because they think their horses are clear.

There are so many aspects to parasite control. A French student working for me told me French people never poo pick paddocks. I know that foals should not be grazed on paddocks grazed by foals the previous yea.

We do rotate our paddocks to hay and my newborn will go onto a field which has not been used by other foals and just grazed by her mother during the past 6 weeks.