Is this a tapeworm?

catembi

catembi

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 March 2005
Messages
13,311
Location
N Beds
Visit site
Sorry for the icky photo. I found this and its smaller friend when poo picking the yard. All were tested for tapeworm using Westgate Labs in May and two were wormed for tapeworm.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_9529.jpeg
    IMG_9529.jpeg
    53.2 KB · Views: 118
catembi said:
A roundworm as in something I need to worm for…? It didn’t have segments. It looked like an earthworm. Dead.
Click to expand...
Also known as ascarids, and yes, horses get them. You can do faecal worm egg counts for roundworm rather than worming every time as they do build up resistance to some types of anthelmintic but yes you would worm horses to treat for roundworm.

Have a chat with your vet or whoever advises you on worming.

Edit: I’m not definite it’s a roundworm, could also maybe be a pinworm? Either way a parasite I’d say rather than an earthworm.
 
It looks like a roundworm, Westgate labs publish a lot of useful advice about worming and specifically what to use for these as they can be resistant to some wormers.
 
I do a subscription to Westgate Labs, test quarterly and worm accordingly. That worm was about 7 to 8 inches long…? Smaller one about 5 inches. Ewww.
 
Okay, thank you everyone! I think I will go to the tack shop and sort it out now, rather than waiting for my next poo tests to arrive. No one is looking poor, which you’d think they would if hosting a collection of those… Better safe than sorry, and I am a bit sad that my testing and worming schedule doesn’t seem to be working. The entire field and yard are also poo picked twice a day.
 
I wormed the feral pony that came with my fields when I bought them - tapeworm came out in segments that were enough to put me off squid for life.

Isn't your newer one quite young? They can take a while to build up their immune system.
 
Yes, new one is 4. The tests from Westgate pretty much coincided with her arrival. She and one other were +ve for tapeworms. I took the test results to the tack shop & he told me what to worm with. As a result, a lot of those things in the photo came out. That's why I thought they might be tapeworm...because they came out after I'd wormed for tapeworm. The next test was poo only & everyone came out at <25 epg so I didn't worm.

I'm trying to do my best with all the worm counting, worming as needed & poo picking & it's evidently not working!
 
catembi said:
That's why I thought they might be tapeworm...because they came out after I'd wormed for tapeworm.
Click to expand...
Although you have wormed for tapeworm, most likely the wormer you gave will kill roundworm as well which is what you have seen. Have a look at the product you used and see if it is effective against roundworm also. Westgate labs is very good for advice so you can contact them to see if you need to bring forward a wec.
 
That's the thing...I haven't wormed since May! It wasn't with the tapeworm only one from the vet which Ester described - it was whatever the chap in the tack shop recommended, so could well have killed these things as well. So in May, quite a lot of those came out. Then I did the poo only test 3 months later which was <25 epg for everyone, so I didn't bother worming. So that one & his/her friend came out the other day when no-one has been wormed since May!

I suspect it's my new 4yo who came over from Ireland in May as it looked like one of her poos that the things were in.

I have emailed Westgate & sent them the photo - lucky them! And will see what they say.

I was just worried that whoever it was (probably 4yo) must be REALLY wormy if they're dropping out when I haven't wormed! I honestly do try to keep on top of things!
 
It's been ages since I've done a post on egg aggregation in faeces - got my name on a paper and all sorts lol - and how ideally you'd be taking 24 hours worth of poo, putting it in a cement mixer and then taking a sample 😂

(my money is still on the 4yo ;) )
 
Gloi said:
Looks like an ascarid to me. Tape worms come out in segments.
I once bought a young mare off the hills and wormed her and dozens of ascarids came out. A horrible mass of them , some a foot long. They were tougher and whiter than earthworms.
Click to expand...
A foot long 🫣 what a revolting sight. 'Tougher and whiter than earthworms' sounds both revolting and accurate. Should have taken a photo, Gloi 🫣🫢
 
Lois Lame said:
A foot long 🫣 what a revolting sight. 'Tougher and whiter than earthworms' sounds both revolting and accurate. Should have taken a photo, Gloi 🫣🫢
Click to expand...
Yuck, didn't take pics, fortunately. Would have put you off your tea.
I've had some horrid things come out of never wormed ponies, masses of redworms too. Ascarids only seem to come out of young ones.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top