Those of you who don't worm count.......

As we are organic on the farm, I have only ever used Vermex once/ year. Had a worm count done a couple of weeks ago. One very high, one ( been in all winter) very low. no more vermex & will carry on worming 'under the organic radar'!
 
I know some people have very complex worming schedules, some do every 6-12 weeks like years gone by and some do autumn and spring! Was interested in what this bunch do! X
 
Usually do spring autumn i think but this year going to do a worm count. they have just been wormed but still......im not convinced
 
We have our own farm, and about 30 acres. Dad keeps on top of the land, rolling and harrowing etc, and we only have 3 horses on all that land, so we just worm 1-2 times a year. Just when feel its necessary really. We've never had a problem with worms *touches wood*
 
dressagelove said:
We have our own farm, and about 30 acres. Dad keeps on top of the land, rolling and harrowing etc, and we only have 3 horses on all that land, so we just worm 1-2 times a year. Just when feel its necessary really. We've never had a problem with worms *touches wood*
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and what do you worm with or for... twice a year X
 
my 8 horses run 45 acres in total through the year and they are mix grazed with cattle and sheep. they are wormed spring and autumn with pramox. the sheep are wormed when there are signs of worms present as per guidelines and im not sure when the cattle are wormed
 
I worm after the 1st frost with paromox and in the spring time with paromox and normally a strongid p through the summer so 3 times a year. Sometimes I will do a equimax instead off a paromox after the first frost then paromox in spring to catch any encycsted before they drop into the stomach.
 
Mine is (as best as I cn remember!)
Jan - equest,
Mar- equest pramox
Jun- equest
Sept- pramox
Nov - equest
This for 2 years then for third year
Jan - panacur 5 day guard
March ish - double dose of pyratape p
Then panacur or another I can't remember every 8 weeks til novemberish then another double dose of pyratape then back to year 1 :)
 
What time of the year should you do worm counts? I know that there are only two months of the year that show accurate readings, but can never remember!
 
As a matter of interest - why do people still 'auto worm' instead of doing worm counts? Doesn't it cost more in the long run (as well as the resistance issues)?
 
We worm every 3 months and change wormers each time. Poo pick the field every day and have manure heap taken twice a year. Also pleased to say we have not had one single bot egg for 2 years.
 
Hi, we worm spring and autumn, the one that kills everything including tapeworm, and worm count in between seems to work well. I was told that it takes 12 -24 hours for food to pass through the gut so if you worm in the morning and turn out then get the horses in at tea time they should pass any worms in the stable at night, this might help on organic land.
 
Hi i do
Jan - Equest
April - egg count treat if necessary
July - as above
Oct - egg count and treat for tapeworm equitape if just tapeworm if other worms present as well will treat with Equest Pramox
;)
 
I double dose Nov with Strongid P for tapeworm and everything else. Panacur 5 day for encysted in Feb then double dose again stringid p in April. Then I worm count for the summer.
 
Three x worm counts per year, Spring, Summer, Autumn, plus Equest Pramox in Winter will cover all in a low risk situation. Add a second tapeworm dose six months from the first if required, might just be Equitape if the redworm counts remain good.

Other situations need other plans, but the most important point of all is to stop using interval wormer dosing programmes which are often in effective anyway and will lead to further resistance in future. Here is the BVA view: http://www.bva.co.uk/public/documents/BVAPositionStatementAnthelmintics2009.pdf
 
See, I had a friend who worm counted her horses regularly, and they came back as barely having worms - she had her own land and poo picked daily.. She wormed following a worm count with a five day wormer (I think it was called that) and within 24hrs both horses had severe colic and were at a equine hospital. One died the following day, and the other needed extensive surgery, but survived. The verdict was that the worm count was done at the wrong time, and showed low counts as the larvae were in the gut wall. When the five day wormer cleared out the worms, they were replaced by larvae, which were killed, then replaced by more from the gut lining, they were killed, then replaced... until the gut wall had so many holes in it that it was critical.. (Sorry - not the most scientific report, just the way I understood it!) So I am wary of worm counts, and worming itself. I remember a trainee vet doing his research into this, and he said that there were only two effective times of year to worm count. I think one was May/early June, but can't remember what the other was. I will try and find out.
 
I am just starting a new plan this year after moving off of a yard who wormed every 10 weeks.
My vets suggested worm counts as they believe that over worming is pointless, expensive, and just makes them immune.
So I contacted Westgate Labs who I have used for a worm count before. They suggested a plan of worm count 4 times a year, so every 13 weeks, and worming with Pramox at the beginning of winter to clear anything that is left. We are on a yard with only 4 horses, regularly poo picked and land well maintained, So this is the plan I will be starting this year! :)
 
I don't worm count because it would only cut out one of my doses throughout the year and I don't think it is that great a method until used longitudinally. I do make the assumption that ours are probably low burdens as mother enjoys poo-picking lots ;)

normally somewhat like
Dec Equest (moxidectin) for encysteds
March/april pyrantel emboate double dose for tapes
july ivermectin (just in case ;))
sept/oct praziquantel for tapes (in case of resistance to the pyrantel) plus normally ivermectin so say eqvalan duo.
 
As already pointed out above - interval dosing for worming horses is normally totally unecessary - especially in low risk situations i.e. adult horses, poo-picking, not overstocked - so the equest / equest pramox 4 doses a year regime is in my opinion total overkill and will eventually lead to the development of resistant worms.

Worm egg counts are usually done spring to autumn (forget tapeworm eggs here). I suggest (and we do) Junish, Augustish, Septemberish. If counts are above 400 eggs per gram we worm (annual rotation between panacur type, strongid-P type or ivermectin type). In winter (about december) we do either ivermectin & praziquantel (i.e. equimax)or moxidectin & praziquantel (Equest Pramox). As we are a low risk area for tapeworms we only do them once a year in winter - high risk areas (acid / peat soils) probably need to do 2 X yearly.
 
Iv also known wormcounts to be wrong or done at the wrong time and the horse has had colic which than chucked out loads off worms. We sell wormers where I work and quite often people come in and say iv had this worm count done and they recomend " paromox" or panacur guard etc. Will to me that's not saving money but making a wormer very expensive when you got to still buy the wormer on top a worm count. I will stick to what I know.
I also think worm counting is a fad and will die out as time goes on. And if people don't understand it all properly such as tape isn't picked up and encysted isn't as well than I do think we could see horses with more worms not less.
 
CMMB said:
As already pointed out above - interval dosing for worming horses is normally totally unecessary - especially in low risk situations i.e. adult horses, poo-picking, not overstocked - so the equest / equest pramox 4 doses a year regime is in my opinion total overkill and will eventually lead to the development of resistant worms.

Worm egg counts are usually done spring to autumn (forget tapeworm eggs here). I suggest (and we do) Junish, Augustish, Septemberish. If counts are above 400 eggs per gram we worm (annual rotation between panacur type, strongid-P type or ivermectin type). In winter (about december) we do either ivermectin & praziquantel (i.e. equimax)or moxidectin & praziquantel (Equest Pramox). As we are a low risk area for tapeworms we only do them once a year in winter - high risk areas (acid / peat soils) probably need to do 2 X yearly.
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Thats the thing, worm counting would only remove one of my doses (on the somerset levels so likely higher chance of tapes, unless I paid for blood tests)

And I absolutely would not take the decision not to worm on the basis of one low count, I would need to be doing multiples throughout that time period.

IMO inappropriate use of wormers/under dosing/the historic method of moving to new pasture post worming etc are far more important for the development of resistance than regular appropriate use.
 
On my yard we worm every 3 months and the feilds are poo picked and cleared once a week or we get charged for the yard doing it. They do worm count and it alwaya comes clear bu
 
On my yard we worm every 3 months and the feilds are poo picked and cleared once a week or we get charged for the yard doing it. They do worm count and it alwaya comes clear but they dont drop the routine as its working.

X
 
Petalpoos said:
As a matter of interest - why do people still 'auto worm' instead of doing worm counts? Doesn't it cost more in the long run (as well as the resistance issues)?
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i dont bother because my main corncern is tapeworm, encysted redworm and bots, all of which dont show up on a worm count. because my horses are cross grazed with cattle and sheep and are in a stable herd they are at low risk of other parasites as most are species specific and so the grazing is kept fairly clean
 
Our vets introduced a "worm count only" regime last year - and have stopped it for this year. They have also stopped blood tests for tapeworm as they all came back positive.

I don't know why they stopped the worm count only. Maybe because they charged the same as for the normal wormer programme, so people moaned that they had to pay for the wormers if the worm count showed they needed them. I have two horses, both have been together for years, both have had exactly the same worming programme and last year one needed wormers and the other didn't, from the results of the worm count.
Strange.
 
I've posted in Veterinary about tapeworm. I'd be grateful for replies. Do i really need to worm for tapeworm in spring? we are not on acidic soil.
 
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