Worm counts??? am i dumb..

[matthew]

Stupid question probably but when did this come about- im sure it wasnt around when i had my neddies!
Heard someone say that they dont have a worming routine and only worm if worm count advises!
Is this safe/ common practice-saw the kit advertised in robinsons and it bloody cheap (cheaper than worming) What is everyones thoughts on this..
Plus another stupid question- can you only do this in a yard of a few horses or does the sample have to be collected from stabled horse so you know who's droppings belongs to who? or do you just collect a bit from various droppings in field?
Thanks-out of touch ....

 

[valentine]

I belive it can only work if all the horse have the count done. I have just had my mares droppings done i would be tempted not to worm if the count is done regularly, the problem i have is im on a livery yard and we need to worm as other owners are not prepared to do this......goodluck

 

[brighteyes]

You collect a sample from your horse and label it. They test for worm egg content (not tapeworm as they don't show up; blood test required) and they will advise you what they find and what to treat for. You need to operate a clean field policy really, before you will reduce the worm count to a level where only periodic worming is necessary. Also, don't graze while out and about (on busy showgrounds etc) or you'll just re-infect. Routine tapeworm twice a year is all I have needed to do for over three years now as all mine have 'zero' counts. Very cheap and my fields look great with no rough areas at all.

It won't really work if you are in a mixed herd and the only one doing it.

I am against routine de-worming and can't imagine the damage it does, for ever shoving pastes and powders down their throats. The extra work round the pasture is well worth it.

 

[fairhill]

Our YO has organised ours with help from the vet. The vet wormed all horses (40) , kept in etc. and it followed up 8 weeks later with a worm count. Droppings were took from the stables in labelled containers. Worm count was zero for all but two horses (who'd arrived after the first worming, and blatantly hadn't been wormed despite owners saying they had). Worm counts don't include tape worm, and one other i can't remember at the moment, so we'll all be worming in Dec for that.

It's only safe and effective if all horses are done - prior to this we all did our own worming, and one lady's horse (who was relying on worm counts) had tape worm related colic, diagnosed by a blood test - hence the vet's involvement for all the yard now.

 

[matthew]

That sounds great- how much do you think that saves you? these method seems much more sensible!

 

[fairhill]

our worm counts were £11 per horse. I'm not sure that it's saving much money yet - it's early days.

 

[Theresa_F]

I have done this for the past couple of years. My routine is now

December - equest - to get rid of bots and encysted red worm

March and July - worm counts

September - worm for tape and if any worms detected in July count, will use something like equimax.

My two are in together and I poo pick 5 days a week in summer and clear the field at weekends in winter.

Saves me money - and I don't worm more than necessary. Mine normally have clear worm counts. Am considering blood tests for tapeworm in the future.

 

[OWLIE185]

I am afraid that you need to be cautious about worm counts as they are not the end all to worming.

Worm counts DO NOT detect encysted red worms etc.

I fo0und this out to my own detriment when my horse had a serious incidence of Laminitis which was caused by emerging encysted Red Worms.

I had been picking up the poos daily, worming and also backing this up with worm counts. Based on the worm counts I reduced the amount of times I wormed. WRONG! SERIOUSLY BIG MISTAKE

My vet has given me some very good advice which is that I should worm at least every 8 weeks and use a wormer each time with a different active ingredient so that if one does not get them another will.

Please be careful!

 

[vicijp]

Im surprised your vet managed to qualify with such an obviously scientific head on his shoulders.
Just because you didnt research what you were doing properly doesnt mean that they are of no use.
Surely you must have read the information properly and knew you had to worm at certain times for encysted red worm? If not, the information is definetly there.

 

[Clodagh]

Am interestwed by that...how did you know that the lami was caused by the emerging red worm? My pone had lami last year and an astronomical red worm count, in spitye of worming...I wonder if the two were related?