**worming advice needed**

surreyhorsechick

surreyhorsechick

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I've got two horses on grass livery. One is a 23 yr old native pony, the other a rising 4 year old TBx. I've owned the 23 year old pretty much all his life and he's been regularly wormed. The youngster I bought as a yearling and have owned him for almost 3 years. Again he has always been regularly wormed with me and I believe he was wormed properly in his last home. Mine are separated from each other as they fight, but are essentially on the same paddock, separated by electric. Both are poo-picked every day.

Since I've owned him, the youngster has always had 'loose' droppings. By that I don't mean diarrhorea, as the droppings are properly formed, they're just, well looser and wetter than my other horse's. I've tried various supplements, from Pink Powder, to Balancers and more recently Diarreze from Global Herbs. The latter has been the most successful to date, but hasn't eradicated the problem altogether.

This winter, both my boys have been on haylage (as we were able to get a bulk load in at a far better price than hay), but it has been rich and the youngster has suffered with looser droppings than normal. After Christmas I made the decision to put him on hay to see if it would make a difference. It has, but has not eradicated the problem altogether.

2 weeks ago I had the vet out for annual vaccinations. Mine were due to be wormed with Equest a few days later but the vet suggested worming the youngster with Panacur 5 Day Guard to see if that helped. Since starting the course I've discovered (much to my surprise) red worms under the droppings. They are not 'throughout' the droppings, more underneath them when I poo-pick? Is this small encysted redworm?

I'm surprised as not only have both my horses been wormed on-time and regularly, but they're poo-picked EVERY day without fail, sometimes twice a day. For the past two years I have had them both on the Equest programme, alternating between Equest and Pramox. I would normally have changed wormers after the first year, but was advised that this was not necessary by my vet. Is this right? Or should I have changed?

My question is - now I have now finished the 5 Day Guard, is that it or do I need an additional wormer? And will the 5 day dose have been enough to eradicate the redworm or will I need to do it again later in the year?

Sorry to sound really naiive, I'm not a worming expert and have never had a problem like this before!!!

Any help greatly appreciated!

:):)
 
You will prob get more answers if you post this in the veterinary section :)

My answer is I don't know! I would go into my local feed store and ask their worming expert!

(the yard I am at has also had issues last year with a Pramox not clearing worms and we had to Panacur Guard)
 
According to wormers direct,

'encysted red worms are up to 2.5cm long, thin and reddish in colour'. is that what you saw (just in case it was normal worms which were collecting under the nice warm poop and not ones from the horse!)

from the same source:
'encysted small redworms should be treated in November and at the end of Feb'.

so I would be tempted to do them again at the end of Feb. But probably best to ask your vet whether you should go back to the Equest or re-do the Panacur 5day. In theory one might say swap to the different one for the next year ie Equest but if that hasnt really worked there might be some resistance so vet may advise sticking with Panacur.
 
Lachlanandmarcus - they are approx 2.5cm long but are fat, not stringy and thin? TBH they look like normal worms - and they are only under droppings not through them and only under droppings up by the fenceline by the woods, not in the main part of the field which is more exposed. When you say do them again at the end of Feb, do you mean worm? Or worm count?
 
How long after the poos were done were they picked up. TBH I would be thinking these might actually be normal worms, earthworms not horse worms?

I would be getting vet or someone like Westgate labs to test a sample of the poo with those worms in it to see what they are, and only then decide what to do next.

If they are horse worms, then I would re-do the wormer in spring (whichever brand/ingredient the vet suggests) and then worm count a few weeks later. If they are normal earthworms then I would worm count in spring before deciding whether you need to worm
 
I poo pick every day without fail and the time varies depending on whether I've got more time in the morning or evening. On this occasion the poos were done throughout the day and I picked them up in the evening. TBH I'm beginning to think that they are earthworms too! I've just never known them to bury themselves under horse poo before and it just seemed too coincidental as I'd just finished the 5 Day Equine Guard!

The general consensus is that I should worm count at the beginning of spring, then depending on the results, go from there. I have got to phone my vet this week anyway so I will let him know what's been going on and see if he can shed any light on it!

I'll try and post a photo as took some last night (sorry they're not great)
 
picture.php


This is the best pic I could get - to me this looks like a bog standard earthworm?
 
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