Worming advice please.

[Sandales]

Hello all,

I have been ill with covid 19 for 3 weeks and have just started going back to my horses. Friend and owner of place where I keep them has been looking after them (not a yard as such but friends home).

I noticed that my two and half year old fell pony had sloppy poos and was slightly picky with feed and seemed to have lost a bit of condition. He was still following me around field.

Background - pony was bought a weanling straight from fell and was in rough condition. It looked to me like he was wormy so was wormed and was fed twice a day. His condition improved and he looked really well. Was gelded in September.

He was wormed in winter with panacur equine guard and prior to that Equimax.

Spoke to vet on Emergency line this evening, his advice is to work with equest pramox which I have heard is a harsh wormer. Apparently there is resistance to the active ingredient in panacur.

Does anyone have any thoughts or similar experiences please, thank you.

 

[Lady Jane]

Equest Pramox is the only wormer that does the full range of worms. If you think he has worms the alternative is faecal count/saliva test (tape worm)/blood test (encysted red worms) and then target worms depending on the results. I use it once per year and do faecal worm counts once a year to check all is well.

 

[Sandales]

Equest Pramox is the only wormer that does the full range of worms. If you think he has worms the alternative is faecal count/saliva test (tape worm)/blood test (encysted red worms) and then target worms depending on the results. I use it once per year and do faecal worm counts once a year to check all is well.

Thanks Lady J. I will worm with pramox in the morning and keep an eye on him. I had just heard in past that it was quite harsh on young horses. I searched old threads on here and some posters said to avoid. However, the vet has advised doing so too so I feel I should take advice. I'm just so upset, whilst I've been isolating this has started. I really feel I've failed him.

I've considered the blood test for encysted or saliva test as I've only used faecal tests but I don't want to wait for result and him to get worse.

 

[Sandales]

Sory for double post.

 

[Lady Jane]

Thanks Lady J. I will worm with pramox in the morning and keep an eye on him. I had just heard in past that it was quite harsh on young horses. I searched old threads on here and some posters said to avoid. However, the vet has advised doing so too so I feel I should take advice. I'm just so upset, whilst I've been isolating this has started. I really feel I've failed him.

I've considered the blood test for encysted or saliva test as I've only used faecal tests but I don't want to wait for result and him to get worse.

If I were you I would do the Equest Pramox once and then do testing - but it depends on whether he is kept with other horses on a good worming regime and if the fields are poo picked daily. I think it is quite harsh but if the vet has recommended I would follow the advice - and you haven't failed him - you are dealing with the issue. Remember horses main aim in life is to cause us guilt and worry!

 

[Sandales]

If I were you I would do the Equest Pramox once and then do testing - but it depends on whether he is kept with other horses on a good worming regime and if the fields are poo picked daily. I think it is quite harsh but if the vet has recommended I would follow the advice - and you haven't failed him - you are dealing with the issue. Remember horses main aim in life is to cause us guilt and worry!

Thanks field is poo picked but not since just before Christmas when I started with covid. It's been a bit of a struggle really as all my usual backup plans have been self isolating whilst I've been ill so friend had to pick up the tab so there's been slight alterations to his routine and management too as she had to fit around kids etc.

Thank you for advice it is so much appreciated.

 

[windand rain]

I would never use pramox on a pony it has been lethal in quite a few I would check him with a blood test rather than use such a harsh wormer. If you have used equest gel and equimax in the past 6 months it is enough. Having said that I would use equest then 6 weeks later use double dose strongid if the blood test came back as needing wormed
My highland pony doesnt tolerate hay well she gets loose poo doesnt lose weight as she isnt a growing youngster. I feed a table spoon of psyllium for a week which corrects it

 

[Sandales]

I would never use pramox on a pony it has been lethal in quite a few I would check him with a blood test rather than use such a harsh wormer. If you have used equest gel and equimax in the past 6 months it is enough. Having said that I would use equest then 6 weeks later use double dose strongid if the blood test came back as needing wormed
My highland pony doesnt tolerate hay well she gets loose poo doesnt lose weight as she isnt a growing youngster. I feed a table spoon of psyllium for a week which corrects it

Sorry if I've not been clear he's had Equimax then panacur 5 day. He had equest but that was last winter.

 

[windand rain]

Sorry misread that then I would do the bloods for worm counts for encysted redworm and tape and if needed do the equest gel then a month later the double dose strongid Never use pramox it can be fatal to some ponies and cause debilitating illness in others
If you really cannot wait then use equest dont be talked into using pramox

 

[Sandales]

Sorry misread that then I would do the bloods for worm counts for encysted redworm and tape and if needed do the equest gel then a month later the double dose strongid Never use pramox it can be fatal to some ponies and cause debilitating illness in others
If you really cannot wait then use equest dont be talked into using pramox

Thanks I do have some equest in the house. I've done internet research and looked up old thread s there is considerable opinion that panacur is almost useless due to resistance. Vet said he was doing his with pramox.

 

[windand rain]

His choice and he is a position to treat any reaction. If your boy has had equest before then you know it is fine for him.

 

[Sandales]

His choice and he is a position to treat any reaction. If your boy has had equest before then you know it is fine for him.

Thanks I'm tempted to just use the equest.

I think I'm getting less cut out for horses the older i get, my stress levels rocket and my resilience is now non existent. Vets think I'm hysterical (as in not coping rather than funny) good thing they know me well.

 

[Sir barnaby]

I had reaction to pramox being used on my old horse, apparently the drug moxidextin is responsible for reactions, I used equine health to order my womers and they were very, very helpful in advice I ordered noroprax for my two as it does most worm infestations, I did mine yesterday and they are both fine it is a 700g dose so you may have to use only half syringe for a pony and use other half when you next worm. I didn’t realise that it it not changing the brand name of wormers each time you change but the actual ingredients and chemicals that are in the wormers, that you change depending which worms you want to target.