Worm counts - how reliable?

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jenni999

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I do worm counts four times a year. My horse has always had no eggs found. He is in a shared field which is poo picked by machine every few weeks. One of the other horses who has been in the same field has come back with eggs shown and needed worming, mine has still come back with no eggs found.
?
How can this be? Do some horses just have more natural resistance than others?
 
In a word yes, 80% of the worm burden is carried by 20% of the herd. Very young, very old or ill horses will have less resistance. A one off count isn't always reliable as eggs don't spread themselves evenly through droppings but with consistent counts like you're getting I'd say yours are probably fine.
 
just had both mine tested, both in same field and pooh pick daily, one came back with no eggs seen, one has a high count 3450, how does that happen?lol
 
They won't pick up on Tapeworms or encysted red worms either, I've seen a lady at my yard go through hell and landed with a very big vet bill down to her not knowing this. Thankfully her horse is now well again and she is now worming for these two worms.
 
I wonder Sarah, how can anyone not know this? Do they go blindly in to using a worm count based programme without looking at all the details which are so freely available? No one questions the thousands of horses on un monitored dosing programmes which go on to have huge burdens and health problems and vet bills. We need a balance of both testing and dosing. Some horses like the OP's will need very little worming. Horses sharing fields will not all have the same burdens, the very point of test based programmes is to find where the wormers are needed and not to dose the others.
As ever, ask the people who know how these things work and use a proper lab or vet service where there is correct support.
 
Borderreiver said:
I wonder Sarah, how can anyone not know this? Do they go blindly in to using a worm count based programme without looking at all the details which are so freely available? No one questions the thousands of horses on un monitored dosing programmes which go on to have huge burdens and health problems and vet bills. We need a balance of both testing and dosing. Some horses like the OP's will need very little worming. Horses sharing fields will not all have the same burdens, the very point of test based programmes is to find where the wormers are needed and not to dose the others.
As ever, ask the people who know how these things work and use a proper lab or vet service where there is correct support.
Click to expand...

I also question how folk don't know this, but I've met more than just her who didn't, quite scary really. I always research what I do before I start it or change it, be it feeding, worming, use of tack etc, etc it amazes me those who don't. Nothing wrong with not knowing and learning, lots wrong with remaining in ignorance and not even questioning what you are doing.

Agree completely that a balance has to be struck between dosing and testing.
 
Borderreiver said:
I wonder Sarah, how can anyone not know this? Do they go blindly in to using a worm count based programme without looking at all the details which are so freely available? No one questions the thousands of horses on un monitored dosing programmes which go on to have huge burdens and health problems and vet bills. We need a balance of both testing and dosing. Some horses like the OP's will need very little worming. Horses sharing fields will not all have the same burdens, the very point of test based programmes is to find where the wormers are needed and not to dose the others.
As ever, ask the people who know how these things work and use a proper lab or vet service where there is correct support.
Click to expand...

it always amazes me as well as the info is FREE. :rolleyes:
An evening researching around all the worming sites and you have a pretty good idea of the basics. Everywhere says you cannot test for encysted or tapes so it is hardly rocket science.
 
I know far to many people who just blindly shove wormers in every few months, as far as they're concerned they're worming so that's fine. They have no knowledge of what they're trying to treat and often only use a particular type because it was either on offer at the feed store or a friend used it.
Sadly there is far too much ignorance where horses are concerned. :-/
 
Just like to add I do worm in spring and autumn so my horse is being treated for encysted redworms and tapeworms.
 
kat2290, I was a bit mortified at the count, but spoke to a vet who said its not that high.
She is a young horse who was a rescue who I got on good Friday (was supposed to have just been wormed though), I gave her 5 days of panacur guard and then a double dose of strongid p a week later (yard policy), all that only completed middle of April, only 7-8 weeks ago, so have just wormed again with equest gel and the plan is to worm count again in a couple of weeks to check we have it under control, if not clear I will be scratching my head!!
 
Bordereiver sorry can't quote as on phone, but...

We have just moved onto a worm count based regimen at my yard on advice of our nearest equine specialists in Switzerland. YM thought it was great, no worming, and testing only 3 times per year... When I queried if we would still be worming for tape and encysted redworm, she didn't have a clue what I was on about - the vet had never mentioned it at all!

Bearing in mind that I had recently lost my horse (at another yard) due to colic, exacerbated by a huge worm burden, despite being on a veterinary approved worming schedule, I'm a bit sensitive to this

I sent the YM the address for Westgate Labs so hopefully she has done a bit more reading, but it still Hasn't been mentioned about worming for tape etc, which us rather worrying!
 
You should worm spring and autumn for encysted small red worms and tape worm. Tape worm very rarely show up on a wec, but you can do an Elisa blood test to check for tapeworm.
A consistently high result could mean that horse is resistant to a certain wormer so it needs to be changed.
 
Spring and autumn are the wrong times to be worming for encysted cyathostomes (small red worm). They should be included in the treatment plan during the period November to Februaury. We do ours December if we feel the need (young horses / previous high worm egg counts during the summer grazing period)
The horse does not develop a resistance to the wormer. The worms do.
 
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The fact is that there is no one worming plan to suit all horses and situations. Both the above programmes will work, though many horses only need one dose a year and for that the best time is as we go into winter.
Be aware that many programmes promoted by pharmaceutical companies will be biased towards selling you their products, even if that is not very obvious at first glance.
For those who are interested, here is a tapeworm egg seen under the microscope in a sample today:
 
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