Which wormer?

PolarSkye

PolarSkye

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Pops has moved fields and is now in with a lovely four-year-old trotter who has probably never been wormed (and has always been in this particular field). The field has never been poo picked - it's a good three plus acres - but it has been harrowed a few times a year. When I moved my boy in, I wormed both of them with a broad spectrum wormer (Eqvalan Duo) but I'd like to worm again once we've had a few hard frosts just to make sure we kill any nasties as it looks like they'll be pasture buddies for good now.

I will give my friendly neighbourhood horsey pharmacy a bell for their advice - but wondered whether you guys had any additional thoughts?

P

P.S. Previous to moving to this yard, I did FECs and wormed accordingly (egg counts always low, just tapeworm top ups twice a year). Perhaps I should do FECs on both and then go from there?
 
paulineh said:
I would do a FEC and go from there. At least you will know and if fine just worm for Tapeworm early next year when there has been a frost.
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Sounds sensible . . . I'm just wondering whether the wormer I've just given companion will be sufficient given he (probably) hasn't been wormed before . . . but I guess that's what the FEC is for . . .

P
 
I'd be inclined to get an FEC done on the companion too, that way you'll have a better idea of what you're dealing with.
 
The advice in one of the recent equestrian publications was to do a worm count and to worm with Equest Pramox after the first hard frost for redworm and tapeworm.

Just don't do what I did and buy one from your vet. After spending £25 on one from my vets I found I could have bought the same from a friend who works on a yard where they have bulk bought them for £7! GRR
 
Nari said:
I'd be inclined to get an FEC done on the companion too, that way you'll have a better idea of what you're dealing with.
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I would absolutely spend the money to get an FEC done on both of them . . . owner of trotter won't, but I'd rather stump up and make sure my boy is clear . . . it's a small price to pay . . . good advice, thanks.

P
 
applecart14 said:
The advice in one of the recent equestrian publications was to do a worm count and to worm with Equest Pramox after the first hard frost for redworm and tapeworm.

Just don't do what I did and buy one from your vet. After spending £25 on one from my vets I found I could have bought the same from a friend who works on a yard where they have bulk bought them for £7! GRR
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Thanks . . . I guess I'm trying to figure out what would be a good complementary wormer given that Pops had the Equest Pramox in the spring and they have both now had the Eqvalan Duo now . . . given trotter has never been wormed, and pasture has always had unwormed horses on it.

I will do an FEC . . . I just wondered what, if anything, I should give both boys once we'd had some hard frosts, to make absolutely sure of ridding nasties.

P
 
As I recall Eqvelan Duo does not deal with encysted red worm. They do not show on a worm count either. I was advised by a wormer " expert" that they did not need to be wormed for encysted red worm if the worm count is clear of them. Spoke to my vet and did some research and this is incorrect, encysted can be in the tissue for years so you need to use one of the wormers that deal with them and i was advised twice yearly. Had a pony with them years ago and he totally collapsed and was very lucky to survive, it is an agonising and slow death so please make sure your horse is protected. Vet can advise. do not underdose wormers either this can cause as many problems as not worming.
 
Nari said:
I'd be inclined to get an FEC done on the companion too, that way you'll have a better idea of what you're dealing with.
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That's what I would do too. Encysted doesn't show up but you can grab that with Equest alone. I don't know the reliability of the new tapeworm test? Might be worth a chat with your vet about that too. I wouldn't go the Panacur route as it has such high resistance according to my vet you might as well throw your money away. I you are iffy about Equest paramox (mine hate it!) I would Equest once the frost has come and Equitape separately for your tapeworm whenever. The youngster, if never wormed, I would imagine would need a tapewormer - sorry just seen you've covered that. I would then tapeworm him again in about a month - but not K who you know's history. Then count after the frost as long as it is more than 8 weeks away (after effectiveness of wormer). Hope that makes sense! :)
 
I would give the companion FEC before worming with a Equest pramox and start doing FEC after that for both on a very regular basis until you know the land .
The start egg count will give you an idea of how big a burden the land is carrying and how bib an issue you have to deal with.
 
PolarSkye said:
Pops has moved fields and is now in with a lovely four-year-old trotter who has probably never been wormed (and has always been in this particular field). The field has never been poo picked - it's a good three plus acres - but it has been harrowed a few times a year. When I moved my boy in, I wormed both of them with a broad spectrum wormer (Eqvalan Duo) but I'd like to worm again once we've had a few hard frosts just to make sure we kill any nasties as it looks like they'll be pasture buddies for good now.

I will give my friendly neighbourhood horsey pharmacy a bell for their advice - but wondered whether you guys had any additional thoughts?

P

P.S. Previous to moving to this yard, I did FECs and wormed accordingly (egg counts always low, just tapeworm top ups twice a year). Perhaps I should do FECs on both and then go from there?
Click to expand...

I find Hadrian Equine very helpful with wormers and ones on promotions, I always phone them http://www.hadrianequine.co.uk/
 
Any FEC done with Westgate comes with full SQP advice service too. Each horse and scenario are different so they need to be discussed and a plan made for what would be best course of action preferably with someone who is qualified to help and doesn't actually sell wormers. Any so called worm count service advising that there is no need to worm for encysted worms in winter is incorrect. In a very few situations this is possible but the majority of horses should have a winter dose of plain Equest, or Equest Pramox if tapeworm has not already been covered by testing or worming.
 
^^though this advice re Equest will presumably depend on the results of the FEC? My little project mare with unknown worming history had a sky high FEC and I was advised that equest/pramox could be too much for her all in one go. She had some of what I had previously considered old fashioned & less effective wormers (panacur and strongid-P!) which sorted the problem nicely :) Happily there didn't seem to be a resistance problem.
 
I know that, but my point was that when my newbie had a sky high FEC (in the thousands of epg) I was advised that Equest could be dangerous to her and I would have to proceed with caution to avoid colic. Hence using single dose panacur and strongid P, 2 weeks apart. Just so happened that it wasn't at the time of year we would usually dose for encysted small redworm.

I would have thought that the advice on the dangers would be at least as relevant if she was also suspected of carrying a high burden of encysted small redworm, along with the worms that are detectable in the FEC...?

In her case I'm hoping that the change in management since she arrived here will mean the next FEC will show she still has a low count and presumably the Equest will be safe this time so she can join in with the programme that the other (normally low counting) horses are on.
 
I think it's a very valid point Milliepops. One of mine has a history of various health problems & fortunately his FECs have always shown a less than 50 epg or, on one occasion the band above, but my vet advises not to use Equest for him when worming for encysteds because she feels it is too potent a chemical to put into his system & if anything were to go wrong it stays for too long. Wormers aren't without risks.
 
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