Tape worm resistance??

C

canteron

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 October 2008
Messages
4,211
Location
Cloud Cockoo Land
Visit site
Is this common now? And what's drugs would you use apart from equi tape to worm a horse with a tape worm burden.

New horse on the yard and a second test has come back showing a moderate level of worm - fields rests for at least 6 months continuous and also poo picked daily, so I don't believe it is a management issue?
 
This may not be relevant to your situation but I was at a yard some time ago and they were having problems with tapeworm,
at that time Westgate were running tests regarding tapeworm problems and this yard was part of the trial and error, it was probably a couple of years ago but you could contact Westgate to see how their testing of yards with problems with tapeworm went just out of curiosity

I use Equimax
 
Thanks Cecile, good advice. I was going to have a chat with Westgate tomorrow, but just wanted to know any other experiences. The horse arrived with a high burden of roundworm, red worm and tapeworm. The roundworm and red worm are undercontrol, so it is curious that the tapeworm is an issue? Arghhhhhh ........
 
Many years ago I was an emergency carer as I could isolate anything that came in, some of them really didn't need a worm count to see the problem (If there was such a thing as worm counts at that time), the vet was first on the scene once they arrived. It could of all changed now but the routine then was a case of Panacur 5 day Guard, 2 weeks later dose with Equimax

Same as when a horse was dx with lice years ago, good dosing with Ivermectin wormer and clip out (I think it was also dusting with lice powder at that time), probably nowadays dusting with lice powder is as useful as putting talc on a horse, so I grab what to me is that stuff akin to the smell of paint remover, Deosect :)
 
I am presuming you are using the equisal test not a blood test.

My understanding of the equisal test is that it cannot give you any indication of the amount of tapeworm as the moderate high reading could mean one tapeworm or 100's. The blood test and advice from a vet is more accurate.

My pony got very ill from tapeworm when there was an outbreak at my old yard, as he had been wormed for tape worm the vet though he had a heart condition or something wrong with his stomach. Thankfully he was insured at he had £3k worth of heart investigations at RVC. Nothing wrong with his heart or stomach thankfully. I think they can get re-infested quite quickly and as the mites that carry the tapeworms eggs are mobile and they can live in hay too. In the first year after the infestation he was tested and tape wormed every three months on vets advice rotating equitape and pyratape. My vets also took advice from a parasite specialist. His bloods tests went down but they were never that low which indicated he was probably getting re-infested, however the fields were not poo picked and the others horses were not being tested again following worming as the other owners could not afford to test their horses on a regular basis so the others could also have been getting re-infested as well.

Moved yards a couple of years ago to a yard where fields are poo picked and he is back down to two tape wormers a year and hopefully if his tests remain low then he will be phased off the tape wormers.
 
SO1 said:
I am presuming you are using the equisal test not a blood test.

My understanding of the equisal test is that it cannot give you any indication of the amount of tapeworm as the moderate high reading could mean one tapeworm or 100's. The blood test and advice from a vet is more accurate.

My pony got very ill from tapeworm when there was an outbreak at my old yard, as he had been wormed for tape worm the vet though he had a heart condition or something wrong with his stomach. Thankfully he was insured at he had £3k worth of heart investigations at RVC. Nothing wrong with his heart or stomach thankfully. I think they can get re-infested quite quickly and as the mites that carry the tapeworms eggs are mobile and they can live in hay too. In the first year after the infestation he was tested and tape wormed every three months on vets advice rotating equitape and pyratape. My vets also took advice from a parasite specialist. His bloods tests went down but they were never that low which indicated he was probably getting re-infested, however the fields were not poo picked and the others horses were not being tested again following worming as the other owners could not afford to test their horses on a regular basis so the others could also have been getting re-infested as well.

Moved yards a couple of years ago to a yard where fields are poo picked and he is back down to two tape wormers a year and hopefully if his tests remain low then he will be phased off the tape wormers.
Click to expand...

Thanks SO1, Thats what I can't understand, the fields are rested from Oct to April and when in use are poo picked daily. Maybe there is residual mite infestation which I don't know anything about .... Cecile, I do need some serious advice on what to use next!!

Thanks.
 
canteron said:
Thanks SO1, Thats what I can't understand, the fields are rested from Oct to April and when in use are poo picked daily. Maybe there is residual mite infestation which I don't know anything about .... Cecile, I do need some serious advice on what to use next!!

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Phone your vet tomorrow for some free advice and then phone Westgate to find out about the study they run, I wasn't on the yard in the study I was only visiting, tell them both what you wormed with and the dates given since the new arrival with the problem, including the weight of the horse in question and dose given.
Write down all the advice given even if its slightly conflicting from both parties and go from there, post on here to get views on what others would do and then decide what you believe is the best course of action
 
canteron said:
Thanks SO1, Thats what I can't understand, the fields are rested from Oct to April and when in use are poo picked daily. Maybe there is residual mite infestation which I don't know anything about .... Cecile, I do need some serious advice on what to use next!!

Thanks.
Click to expand...

You need a long hard frost in winter to kill worms off and a long reasonably hot mostly dry spell in summer. Our weather has changed in the UK compared to how it used to be.

I read somewhere that there's 3 types of equine tape worm. One type is the most common, so nobody really worries about the other 2 and that's generally fine. The only wormers that kill all 3 types are the newer ones, Equimax or Equest Pramox. I can't remember where I read it and I'm therefore not sure of the truth of it, so best discuss it with your vet.
 
Sugar_and_Spice said:
You need a long hard frost in winter to kill worms off and a long reasonably hot mostly dry spell in summer. Our weather has changed in the UK compared to how it used to be.

I read somewhere that there's 3 types of equine tape worm. One type is the most common, so nobody really worries about the other 2 and that's generally fine. The only wormers that kill all 3 types are the newer ones, Equimax or Equest Pramox. I can't remember where I read it and I'm therefore not sure of the truth of it, so best discuss it with your vet.
Click to expand...

This is exactly what it says about the 3 types of tapeworm with Equimax under below link description, I have very little experience of Equest Pramox so I have no idea but certainly worth a bit of a search. I don't have a product insert available for Equimax to hand for further info

http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Equimax-Gel-Horse-Wormer/productinfo/EQUIMAX/
 
Cecile said:
This is exactly what it says about the 3 types of tapeworm with Equimax under below link description, I have very little experience of Equest Pramox so I have no idea but certainly worth a bit of a search. I don't have a product insert available for Equimax to hand for further info

http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/Equimax-Gel-Horse-Wormer/productinfo/EQUIMAX/
Click to expand...
I spoke to Westgate this morning ..... They suggested Strongoid P double dose - apparently that uses a different drug than the 'equi' ones (I used equi tape last time). They said that no one quite understands the life cycle of the mite that's carries the tapeworm so it is difficult to give advice on how to elimate them, but the RVC is doing research into it so hopefully they will come up with some conclusions before long.
 
Equitape active ingredient is praziquantal. Equimax active ingredients are ivermectin and praziquantal. Equest Pramox active ingredients are moxidectin and praziquantal. Strongid-P and Pyratape the active ingredient is pyrantel, and double dose kills tapeworm. Ivermectin and moxidectin are the same "drug family". So yes there are a few different ingredients that will kill tapeworm, either alone or in conjunction with something else. That's interesting about the RVC research.
 
Well that sounds promising, I haven't used Strongid-P in a while, we used to use the granules but half the time the buckets were turned over with that look, *Are you trying to kill me, I'm not falling for that!*

Very interesting about the research by the RVC I wonder who is funding it

Other thing I have noticed over the years if a horse comes in wormy, they crave salt, it may be something or nothing but they attack my big yellow blocks like they are in need and they seem to know it will help. Mine don't crave salt if I tried to add it to a feed they won't eat it so I have giant yellow blocks and Himalayan Rock salt hanging around. Any wormy new ones will demolish the salt over days, once I have attacked the worms and time has passed they may have a passing lick on the yellow blocks but aren't that interested. As I say it could be something or nothing but it always happens with wormy new ones
 
Thanks sugar and spice that is useful and I have made notes!! Cecile I always have a salt lick available and will observe and see if I can pick up a pattern. Their is information on the RVC study on both their and equisal's web page - it had 18 month funding from Petplan from Feb'16 - lets hope they have found some useful information to help us break the tape worm life cycle before the drugs gain too much resistance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top