Oxyuris and worm counts

[Perissa]

I got asked a question last night that I don't know the answer to.

Do worm counts show if oxyuris is present?

My friend's mare had them last year, ivermectin and moxidectin didn't work and she ended up given 5 day panacur every 4 weeks for 3 months which got rid of them.

They are back again this year so she is again doing the 5 day panacur treatment (and reviewing the pasture management!!). Last time it was on vets advice but this time she hasn't called the vet.

The mare is not rubbing and has none of the tell tail signs of the yellowish greenish liquid by the anus, although she did have this last time.

My reply was that I thought not because the yellow sticky stuff around the anus are the eggs so they wouldn't show up in an egg count would they?

 

[alsiola]

They can show up in a faecal egg count, but they are likely to be in much smaller numbers than strongyle eggs so probably not.
With no rubbing and no anal rust how were pin worms diagnosed?
Pasture management, in a traditional sense, is likely not the issue here. To prevent transmission of pinworms you need to disinfect where the eggs have been rubbed off, i.e. field fencing, trees, stables, rugs etc.

 

[Perissa]

She found one on her poo and said it was the same as last time. The mare never rubbed, not this time nor last time. This is why I have said on here several times not all horses rub when they have pinworms.

What is mysterious, well thats what I told her, is that the mare (who is retired) has lived in the same field for years with no proplems. She doesn't share grazing and there have been no new horses at her yard for 3 years. So where they have come from is a bit of a mystery.

 

[Borderreiver]

We do thousands of worm counts and rarely see these eggs. However, a more reliable method would be to take a sellotape imprint direct from the horses bum and put that under the microscope. Usually they are pretty obvious though as the tell tale 'beansprout' worms are visible.

Treating them can be very difficult. We have been advised that Strongid P is a good choice as it tends to reach the back end of the horse rather better than some other drugs. The vet can prescribe paint on products which are often more successful too. I have an info sheet which we send to customers who need it.

Good luck with treating the little blighters. At least they don't pose the health threat of proper horse worms.