red worm resistance maybe

[kylee86]

hi all my 14 month old colt still has small red worm i have had problems with worms ever since i bought him at 10months old, he came with pin worms that took months to get rid of he has now some how managed to pick up red worm that are visable in his poo he was given a double dose of strongridp 5 weeks ago after seeing the red worm in his poo last week they were still red worms wriggling in his fresh poo so the vets gave me equest to give him she said give him a bit more than he should have he weighted 375kg so i treated him at 400kg. a week later he is still pooing out wriggling red worms. does this mean he has picked up red worms that are resistant to the wormers if so how can i get rid of them

 

[GreedyGuts]

I wouldn't think that resistance is your problem on this occasion; moxidectin resistance is virtually unheard of. It is more likely that your colt had a high worm burden and is in the process of clearing this. If you haven't used a moxidectin product before it is possible that his worm burden, particularly encysted small redworm larvae, hasn't been completely addressed by previous treatments. You could do a worm egg count in around 12 weeks to check his status, but in the meantime, if he is thriving and well, and you are sure that he didn't spit out the Equest, I wouldn't be too concerned.

 

[Queenbee]

I was reccomended by the vet to use equest then start a five day pancur the day after, you'll need another dose of either one a few weeks later to catch any critters that are hatching out inside but do check because he's only a babe and I'm not certain on the length of the cycle, give the vets a call and discuss with them

 

[Pauli]

Hey, I would highly recommend to do faecal egg counts! If you worm your horse, about 48 hours latest you can see if the wormer worked or not in the faecal egg counts. Resistance in red worm has occured to all anthelmintics on the market and is spreading more and more. But faecal egg counts are the only way to actually see if your horse has resistant worms. Also anthelmintics NEVER get completely rid of worms as they are needed for natural immunity. (This could explain why you still see worms in his poo). However, youngstock as well as older horses are more prone to worms as their immunity is lower compared to an middle aged horse. So I would be really careful and do faecal egg counts. In case your horse does not have any resistance, constant worming will cause resistance! Also many horses are wormed regularly every three months which often is not neccessary if you look at faecal egg counts. and again too regular worming if not required will cause resistance. If I were you I would really look at your horse thoroughly cause once resistance is present you will have a massive problem as anthelmintics will fail and no alternative anthelmintic has been developed yet. There are a few herbal anthelmintics but trials showed that they only work after the horse has been wormed. That means the herbal products cannot actually get rid of worm burden but once wormed herbal anthelmintics will make the gut environment unlikely for the parasites meaning it can prevent worm burden. That might be an idea for you if you are worried.
Also in the past there have been problems with panacur as it was proven that it did not work in several horses. Unless they changed panacur in the last few years I would be very careful with it.
Another factor which will help controlling worm burden is pasture management. Daily poopicking avoids the fact that horses take larvae in. Field which are not poo picked are a high risk for horses. If your horse is in a herd with other horses, the other horses should be checked too. If there is one horse with high worm burden, then it has to be treated too. If it is not treated it is a risk for other horses as worms will migrate and taken in by other horses.
Lots of factors to consider with worms but poo picking, faecal egg counts and worming when required is the best way to keep these little bugers at a minimum
Hope your horse will be better soon!
I hope you can solve the worm problem soon.