To worm or not to worm

[SEL]

In my herd of 3 I have had zero counts on FEC for a couple of years but 2 who keep returning positive Equisal tests.

The one who is negative on both FEC and Equisal is my retiree who doesn't go anywhere - although obviously her field mates do.

With all the stuff around about Mox resistance I asked Westgate if regular zero FEC meant that her risk of encysted redworm was so low as to not bother worming with Equest this winter. I got a bit of a non reply, basically saying she sounds like a candidate for the blood test. I'm not forking out £££ for a vet visit, blood taking and the test when I can pay £20 for a tube of Equest!!

Do FEC pick up the redworms at the non-encysted stage which means if she's never showing a positive count then the risk of her having an encysted burden is low? Anyone know??

 

[Boulty]

I believe that is the theory yes but it’s not a guarantee, more a measure of risk level. I blood tested mine last year as he always goes footy after worming and never comes back with anything on egg counts. (These counts do just pick up eggs though not the adult worms. They’re not foolproof as there can be variations in egg shedding and they’re most accurate if you can sample lots of bits of different poos or if not at least multiple parts of the same poo as you’ve got more chance of picking up eggs if they’re present)


He came back as needing doing on bloods. Obv I don’t know what would have happened if I had just left him / how high the risk would be but he’s a horse prone to gut issues anyway so not worth the risk.

I’ll be blood testing him again this year as really would prefer not to worm him if I can avoid it.

 

[Alibear]

In your case, I'd worm; I can't see worming a horse just once a year is going to contribute to drug resistance and trying to get on top of encysted when they've gotten a hold can be tough.

 

[Lucky Snowball]

My horses have had no eggs shown for years but I still do encysted once a year in case the fec missed them in the sample.

 

[Fieldlife]

I your situation I'd worm.

If you had three horses that never left home, and had zero FECs, and you had wormed for encysted for a number of years, then I might stop worming for encysted worms. Or do it every other year or similar.

But I your case I would keep worming the retiree annually for encysted despite the zero FEC just in case they are missed and become encysted without timing to show up on worm count.

 

[Barton Bounty]

In your case, I'd worm; I can't see worming a horse just once a year is going to contribute to drug resistance and trying to get on top of encysted when they've gotten a hold can be tough.

Me too! I agree

 

[SEL]

In your case, I'd worm; I can't see worming a horse just once a year is going to contribute to drug resistance and trying to get on top of encysted when they've gotten a hold can be tough.

That was my thought process & I'm never sure how reliable FEC are - but the message coming out of the vets seems to be only worm if at risk.

 

[EventingMum]

I recently spoke my vet (university based) about blood testing for encysted red worm and he was of the opinion that, as yet, it's efficacy it's not fully proven. He said there's more evidence than previously but his opinion was to give it more time before going down that route and this year I should continue with Moxidectin worming.

 

[Exasperated]

I believe that is the theory yes but it’s not a guarantee, more a measure of risk level. I blood tested mine last year as he always goes footy after worming and never comes back with anything on egg counts. (These counts do just pick up eggs though not the adult worms. They’re not foolproof as there can be variations in egg shedding and they’re most accurate if you can sample lots of bits of different poos or if not at least multiple parts of the same poo as you’ve got more chance of picking up eggs if they’re present)


He came back as needing doing on bloods. Obv I don’t know what would have happened if I had just left him / how high the risk would be but he’s a horse prone to gut issues anyway so not worth the risk.

I’ll be blood testing him again this year as really would prefer not to worm him if I can avoid it.

Moxidectin is particularly powerful, active in the system for a long time, and has been linked with triggering laminitis ever since Equest first came out 1990s - particularly if the horse is a ‘susceptible’ type for this.
Fort Dodge manufacturers heavily promoted it then through UK vet practices.
If you can manage worm risk without worming, that’s brilliant, but there are other anthelmintics with lower health risks to your horse.
Good luck!

 

[rabatsa]

People dosing sheep once a year with the same drug has caused widespread resistance in worms worldwide.

Think about it, you worm with say Equest (moxidectin) and maybe year one 10% of worms survive. It is their eggs that are going to infect the pasture and get eaten the following year. You worm again with Equest, only this time 20% of worms can survive due to the resistance building up on the ground. The worms can start having a party with a recreational drug, moxidectin, ok they may have a hangover but so what, most go on to lay eggs later in life.

Only worm if you need to.

 

[LEC]

My horses have had no eggs shown for years but I still do encysted once a year in case the fec missed them in the sample.

Exactly what I do.

 

[bluehorse]

I had this conversation with my vet last winter, I was going to go for a blood test instead of worming for encysted. I’ve had my horse for 8 years, I’ve always worm counted and poo picked, and despite moving around to different livery yards he has always been ’no eggs seen’. My vet said in his case a blood test isn’t needed, he just said I didn’t need to worm unless the worm count changed. Encysted is only a life stage so if there is no evidence of eggs for a prolonged period of time, the horse doesn’t have them. Makes sense to me. The tape worm is interesting. As it’s an antibody test horses can retain antibodies once they’ve had an infection and will test positive. Same vet told me when my horse did return a positive equisal to do a targeted tapeworm then and for the next 2 six month cycles as if tested he would still show positive. I did that and although he now returns negative on equisal he does still have a low count rather than zero. Vet said it’s antibodies so don’t worm for tape again unless it changes.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

That was my thought process & I'm never sure how reliable FEC are - but the message coming out of the vets seems to be only worm if at risk.

I don't trust those egg count tests I will always worm at least once a year for encysted so yes I would worm yours.