Waiting for the first frost to worm...

[alexomahony]

I’ve got my wormers ready to go, just waiting on the first frost to come... do we still do this? What if it never comes? It’s so mild atm (15degC yest!) I’m reluctant to go ahead but would normally be worming around now.

What’s everyone else doing in this odd climate?

 

[little_critter]

I mentioned this to my vet at the last egg count. He agreed that a frost is ideal but given the climate we seem to have now he’d prefer i wormed at the end of October rather than wait for a frost that may not come.

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

I did mine mid October as usual - yes frost is ideal but the way it was looking (and still is) it'll be December before that happens!

 

[HashRouge]

When I spoke to my vet recently she said there is actually no reason to wait for the first frost and it is fine to worm for encysted red worm in the Autumn. This is unfamiliar to me, but I did it anyway as the Welsh had a positive tapeworm test so I just gave him a tube of Pramox.

 

[Red-1]

Rigsby came from a large livery yard, so I wormed soon after he arrived just to be sure (even though they had a good worming program).

I don't think the frost thing matters to us much really as we poo pick twice a day. Rigsby isn't even on grass. He had a Pramox.

 

[alexomahony]

Thanks guys - I’ll get them done this week then

 

[alexomahony]

It’s like the weather heard my dilemma! Getting down to 0 tonight!

 

[HappyHollyDays]

My two will have their worm counts done today and I’m also going to do tapeworm tests. I’m a bit concerned if they come back positive because I can’t give Pramox as DP is a very very prone to colic this time of year. Is there anything that does both tapeworm and encysted redworm or is Pramox the only option.

 

[milliepops]

i shared this on another thread recently, it's an article by Westgate labs that explains why we normally wait for a cold snap and gives a bit of advice.

https://www.westgatelabs.co.uk/news...so9a0yHXDxwZtwYBiDZdTg8Ao_ClXa-OP67lB8mpBjPxI

 

[oldie48]

i shared this on another thread recently, it's an article by Westgate labs that explains why we normally wait for a cold snap and gives a bit of advice.

https://www.westgatelabs.co.uk/news...so9a0yHXDxwZtwYBiDZdTg8Ao_ClXa-OP67lB8mpBjPxI

Thanks for this. I did an egg count on Rose and Fatty and they had a low medium burden and I was advised to worm them. Did them both on the 9th November with Equest Pramox. I'm always a bit confused with worming and usually the egg count comes back low with no need to worm. I think I'm now covered for everything until I do a Spring count?

 

[eggs]

I was told that the waiting for first frost was a throw back to the old days when if there was a frost it was usual that the horses would not be worked hard and that nowadays there is not need to wait for a frost.

 

[milliepops]

it's to do with the lifecycle of the worms

 

[EmmaC78]

My two will have their worm counts done today and I’m also going to do tapeworm tests. I’m a bit concerned if they come back positive because I can’t give Pramox as DP is a very very prone to colic this time of year. Is there anything that does both tapeworm and encysted redworm or is Pramox the only option.

I was looking online for ages last night and as far as I can find Pramox is the only one that does both.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I was looking online for ages last night and as far as I can find Pramox is the only one that does both.

Thanks, I looked for ages today as well and couldn’t find anything.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Thanks, I looked for ages today as well and couldn’t find anything.

Since Equitape (praziquantel) was discontinued, I worm with Equimax (ivermectin + praziquantel) in autumn to cover tapes, then plain Equest in Jan or Feb for encysted red worms.

Equimax is not as drastic a wormer as Pramox, and causes fewer side effects.

It’s nuts that praziquantel is no longer available as a standalone product, but is freely available mixed in with other wormers.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

Mine have just been done with Equimax, and as TP above I'll use Equest in the new year.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Mine have just been done with Equimax, and as TP above I'll use Equest in the new year.

This is what I do

 

[poiuytrewq]

Since Equitape (praziquantel) was discontinued, I worm with Equimax (ivermectin + praziquantel) in autumn to cover tapes, then plain Equest in Jan or Feb for encysted red worms.

Equimax is not as drastic a wormer as Pramox, and causes fewer side effects.

It’s nuts that praziquantel is no longer available as a standalone product, but is freely available mixed in with other wormers.

Another same as above. We have had a few, well 2 frosts this year already. I figured everywhere had!

 

[CouldItBe]

Where I am we have had frost and we wormed before then anyway

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Thanks Tiddlypom I think that is what I am going to have to do.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Just want to say thank you to everyone who pointed me in the right direction yesterday, It wasn’t as straightforward as expected as the vet was a bit resistant at first to giving Eauimax now and Equest in February but we got there in the end. I’m sure it was the Pramox that triggered his colic last year, it was awful and I was in pieces and had it not been the quick action of the next door yard owner it would have been a Sunday call out.

 

[Tiddlypom]

It wasn’t as straightforward as expected as the vet was a bit resistant at first to giving Eauimax now and Equest in February but we got there in the end.

Yes, I can see why as it’s an extra dose of ivermectin that you/I wouldn’t give otherwise. But that’s been forced on us by the arbitrary removal of Equitape from sale .

In Spring, I worm for tapes with double dosed Strongid P to ring the changes.