Meowy Catkin
Meow!
How on Earth do you worm a horse that won't eat wormer in his feed and won't let a syringe anywhere near his lips?
*sobs*
*sobs*
Worming problems.
- Thread starter Meowy Catkin
- Start date
Arizahn
Well-Known Member
I'm tempted to say plant gorse in his field and hope for the best!
Can you rope in some other people to help with holding him or would that just escalate the situation? Or could the wormer be hidden in something really strong flavoured - one of those garlic and honey flavoured oils maybe? Hollow out a carrot?
Can you rope in some other people to help with holding him or would that just escalate the situation? Or could the wormer be hidden in something really strong flavoured - one of those garlic and honey flavoured oils maybe? Hollow out a carrot?
LittleBlackMule
Well-Known Member
Find a feed he will sell his soul for.
Add the wormer to some warm water and mix it in well, then soak a generous amount of the feed in the water until all traces are gone.
Feed horse, job done.
Add the wormer to some warm water and mix it in well, then soak a generous amount of the feed in the water until all traces are gone.
Feed horse, job done.
Peregrine Falcon
Sunshine and warmer weather welcomed
Could you split the dosage over the course of the day so it's not as much for him to smell in his feed? We have some semi-feral ponies who are highly suspicious of "horse poison", we've split dosage, added sloppy sugar beet, grated carrot, apple.
We actually do smalller feeds so we know that they've had it coz they're crafty little so and so's!
Could you cover his eyes? I used to have to back one of mine to a fence/gate as she always ran backwards when the syringe approached, she was far too polite to go through me. Benji, I now have to put in a corner too, he used to be fine and I could do him loose in the field. Cantankerous old git with it now.
We actually do smalller feeds so we know that they've had it coz they're crafty little so and so's!
Could you cover his eyes? I used to have to back one of mine to a fence/gate as she always ran backwards when the syringe approached, she was far too polite to go through me. Benji, I now have to put in a corner too, he used to be fine and I could do him loose in the field. Cantankerous old git with it now.
w1bbler
Well-Known Member
Pour molasses over the feed, most can't resist all that sugar.
Then get some empty syringes & fill with puréed apple or carrot etc & teach them syringes are a good thing ( worked for mine after several weeks perseverance)
Then get some empty syringes & fill with puréed apple or carrot etc & teach them syringes are a good thing ( worked for mine after several weeks perseverance)
Scatterbrain
Well-Known Member
Easy wormer bit works extremely well!
Leo Walker
Well-Known Member
I think its dectomax that works as a wormer as well. If not there is definitely an injection that isnt licensed for horses but works as a wormer. Might be worth a chat with the vet?
Meowy Catkin
Meow!
Thanks for all the suggestions.
Sadly it isn't going to be easy as he's also vet and needle shy, although amazingly a new Vet was able to sedate him recently to remove is wolf teeth. Whether he lets her near him again is another matter and I won't know the answer until we try (I already have one Vet that can't get within 10m of him has she has previously injected him with Cobactan). He's not been keen on bits, but I'm hoping that things will go better now the wolf teeth have finally been able to removed.
I'm definitely going to search for a feed that he loves, unfortunately he's not very food orientated. Getting other people along will wind him up, he's quite highly strung as you can tell from this post. He saw the syringe today (I wasn't good enough at hiding it) and he reared up and smacked his head on the mantle over the stable door. Once that happened, I had no chance of worming him. He doesn't have a sore head luckily, but it was a worrying moment.
I will look up dectomax and talk to the Vet.
Thanks again everyone.
Sadly it isn't going to be easy as he's also vet and needle shy, although amazingly a new Vet was able to sedate him recently to remove is wolf teeth. Whether he lets her near him again is another matter and I won't know the answer until we try (I already have one Vet that can't get within 10m of him has she has previously injected him with Cobactan). He's not been keen on bits, but I'm hoping that things will go better now the wolf teeth have finally been able to removed.
I'm definitely going to search for a feed that he loves, unfortunately he's not very food orientated. Getting other people along will wind him up, he's quite highly strung as you can tell from this post. He saw the syringe today (I wasn't good enough at hiding it) and he reared up and smacked his head on the mantle over the stable door. Once that happened, I had no chance of worming him. He doesn't have a sore head luckily, but it was a worrying moment.
I will look up dectomax and talk to the Vet.
Thanks again everyone.
Dry Rot
Well-Known Member
I asked my large farm animal vet (not specifically equine) that. He just looked skywards in despair and asked, "Hunger?". I think he has a point. Sometimes we are too soft!
Meowy Catkin
Meow!
I have tried leaving him in his stable with nothing to eat but the feed with wormer in for an entire morning. Maybe I should have left it longer?
Leo Walker
Well-Known Member
I'm pretty sure you can buy and inject Dectomax yourself. But that might be opening a huge can of worms if he is that reactive after the vet has given him a jab! Its only a little needle into their bum though, so you might get away with it? You can worm count for all worms now, although its not 100% reliable, but if I remember rightly you keep them on your own land, so if he worm counts clear then you might get away with very minimal worming. Have you tried the tablet wormers? I used them once and mine all wolfed them down, even the very suspicious and fussy baby, although I did alternate them with forbidden and tasty sugar loaded treats for him! The other thing that worked for one of mine when he wouldnt eat antibiotics and came to me feral, so syringing was tricky! was porridge oats, mixed with honey and then made into little treat shaped balls
Meowy Catkin
Meow!
Yes, they're on family owned land. I will have to give the new saliva tapeworm test a go. I just hope that he's OK with having the swab done, at least the poo sample analysis is easy! I haven't tried the tablets as I know a few less fussy horses that won't eat them, but I should probably give them a go anyway.
Peregrine Falcon
Sunshine and warmer weather welcomed
Is it any syringe? Have you tried giving him one filled with nice stuff? We have a bigger one that we use for mixing meds if needed. I'm not sure that tablets would work with ours!
Cortez
Tough but Fair
Try worming him via stomach tube?
Dry Rot
Well-Known Member
I'd start with minute quantities in feed and work up, probably over a couple of weeks.
Also, try putting a little in something like chopped hay. She is probably suspicious of hard feed and conscious that it might be laced!
It will likely be an association or phobia rather than the taste, if you see what I mean.
Also, try putting a little in something like chopped hay. She is probably suspicious of hard feed and conscious that it might be laced!
It will likely be an association or phobia rather than the taste, if you see what I mean.
Meowy Catkin
Meow!
LOL at Cortez.
I've spent weeks trying to get him happier with syringes. I've filled them with apple sauce, just holding them around him, gently touch his face, showing him that they can contain tasty things etc... be he's not stupid and i can't fool or trick him. When he was younger and smaller I was always able to worm in the end, but he's also learnt to spit the wormer out if I do get the blasted stuff in.
I've spent weeks trying to get him happier with syringes. I've filled them with apple sauce, just holding them around him, gently touch his face, showing him that they can contain tasty things etc... be he's not stupid and i can't fool or trick him. When he was younger and smaller I was always able to worm in the end, but he's also learnt to spit the wormer out if I do get the blasted stuff in.
Meowy Catkin
Meow!
DR - would that create a resistance in the worms though?
I actually think it's the smell of the wormer that he's detecting. I did try adding peppermint to disguise the smell/taste, but it didn't work. Feed free from wormer is eaten no trouble (he's still on two hard feeds a day). I've tried watering the wormer down and soaking it up in sugar beet, so we'll see if he eats it this evening.
*fingers crossed*
I actually think it's the smell of the wormer that he's detecting. I did try adding peppermint to disguise the smell/taste, but it didn't work. Feed free from wormer is eaten no trouble (he's still on two hard feeds a day). I've tried watering the wormer down and soaking it up in sugar beet, so we'll see if he eats it this evening.
*fingers crossed*
sarahandwilby
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I wouldn't really recommend giving tiny quantities of wormer!
If you can, get the ELISA tapeworm test done, and the poo sample egg count, then see if you *need* to worm. It's not ideal as if he has encysted cyathastomin larvae in his intestines (aka. baby worms that burrow into the intestine wall and live there until the grow up and pop out all at once) an egg count won't show these up, as they're not producing eggs yet. But if the egg count is very low it's unlikely they'll have many of these... So you've just got to weigh up the risk!
If things like paddock management (poo picking, rotating grazing if possible etc) is good and the other horses he shares grazing with are all on top of their worming then the risks are lower.
Other than the previous suggestions I have nothing else to suggest than taking up pony wrestling and hoping the resultant bruises aren't too bad...! That's what I used to have to do with my old pony, thankfully he was in an individual paddock so didn't have to do him often!
Beausmate
Well-Known Member
Some wormers are more vile than others. Pramox absolutely stinks, the smell reminds me of the bitter aloe stuff my mum used to paint on my nails to stop me biting them. My horses won't come near me after I've wormed them with that and it takes them a couple of hours before they will eat anything. I don't use it any more now.
They seem to tolerate the older style of wormer better, but it's easier to spit out. One of mine loathes the caramel Strongid with a passion! I've never had a horse refuse Panacur Guard in feed.
The tablets were a complete waste of time, they wouldn't have anything to do with them.
Would granules be easier to soak into feed?
They seem to tolerate the older style of wormer better, but it's easier to spit out. One of mine loathes the caramel Strongid with a passion! I've never had a horse refuse Panacur Guard in feed.
The tablets were a complete waste of time, they wouldn't have anything to do with them.
Would granules be easier to soak into feed?
BDyasmine
Active Member
my horse is incredibly fussy - wont even eat a feed that has a supplement/bute in it! the only way i can worm her is by putting a hole trough the top of a carrot and injecting the wormer in that...normally fools her!!
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
I always blindfold the ones I know will be awkward to worm or inject. Takes seconds and avoids any fights.
Meowy Catkin
Meow!
Gloi, I tried that too. He's a wily sod.
Luckily he ate his feed with the wormer in, so hopefully I have found the trick that works (more than once) with this particular horse. *fingers crossed*
Luckily he ate his feed with the wormer in, so hopefully I have found the trick that works (more than once) with this particular horse. *fingers crossed*
Dry Rot
Well-Known Member
Well, I owe the OP an apology! I had to worm a colt yesterday so put it in his feed. He wouldn't touch it! I mixed a very small quantity of the mixed feed with some fresh. He still wouldn't touch it! So I bit the bullet, shoved the syringe in his mouth and pressed the plunger is one swift fluid movement. I think he was as surprised as I was that it worked!!!
I have a mare who goes up at the slightest provocation. I was assembling the rope to tie her to something solid when the girl who was helping asked me what I was doing. I said I was going to worm her. "I've just done it", she announces. "The quickness of the hand deceives the eye". Thanks Jenn!
I have a mare who goes up at the slightest provocation. I was assembling the rope to tie her to something solid when the girl who was helping asked me what I was doing. I said I was going to worm her. "I've just done it", she announces. "The quickness of the hand deceives the eye". Thanks Jenn!
Meowy Catkin
Meow!
Oooh, maybe I could get a willing victim.... erm sorry, volunteer to come and try their quick worming technique out on my boy next time he needs doing? I had always thought that I was pretty fast and good at hiding the syringe, but I must have lost the knack.
soloequestrian
Well-Known Member
I second the worming bit (Easy Wormer?) - one of mine is terrible with syringes but the bit makes things easy (or at least very much easier).
flirtygerty
Well-Known Member
I feel your pain Faracat, I have a very suspicious 17 2hh TB, recently wormed him and my young cob via a feed bucket ( Paramox) if I try the syringe method he does his girraffe impression, cob hoovered his feed up as usual, suspecting nothing, TB? picked the carrots out and said no thanks, it's contaminated, resulting in him being sectioned off in the barn so cob couldn't eat his feed, left overnight with very little hay, by 6 am doctored feed gone, job done and cob and TB returned to field, you couldn't poison this Tb, he's so suspiciuos
old hand
Well-Known Member
I have one that we twitch to get any syringe into his mouth, to use demosan we had to get a friend with a gag down ( he is a horse dentist) to get it under his tongue. Another fussy one isn't so bright, we just put an eggbut snaffle in and slip the wormer in behind it then leave the bit in for ten minutes. They all hate Pramox but that has made them wary of all other wormers, prior to that they were all ok. Won't touch the tablets either. One won't touch bute even in icing sugar or molasses but that is a good thing in view of the damage it does to bones and joints.