Worming question

[Oberon]

I am moving yards at the end of the month.

My horses were wormed with Equitape at the end of April.

The fields they are currently on are not rested and not poo picked - they are harrowed, last time was last year (I think).

I have a Cushings horse.

Should I worm before they go into the new yard's grazing? Or will this be pushing their systems?

 

[CMMB]

To prevent the entrance of anthelmintic resistant worms to a yard most well run yards should require what is described a a quarantine dose of wormer before entrance - normally something like Equest Pramox. Although you horses were done with equitape (praziquantel) in the interim they are out on presumably infected fields and could have been reinfected with all types of worms within the period you mention. Praziquantle has no residual action.

 

[Oberon]

Thank you for your reply.

I'm a bit scared of Pramox - reports of colic after using it and my old boy isn't invincible any more.

Last time I used Pramox, he then had vaccinations and suddenly his healthy hooves went splat, he got an awful abscess that turned into osteomylitis and it took months for him recover.

Of course, it could all be coincidence and me being hysterical

He has recently been diagnosed with Cushings a month ago and started on Prascend.

Is Pramox the best option for him? Or is there an alternative?

 

[Izzwizz]

Personally I think you should check the course of action needed with your Vet, especially given that your horse has Cushings and is on medication.

 

[SusieT]

Don't worm before going to to your new yard unless you are going to leave them on the fields for a few more days after worming so you're no just taking resistant worms with you. I presume you'll either be resting or poo picking in the new yard?
What have you used for redworm control? I would tend towards FEC the horses now so you know where they stand and go from there. As you have wormed for tapeworm I wouldn't elisa test at this point.

 

[Oberon]

Don't worm before going to to your new yard unless you are going to leave them on the fields for a few more days after worming so you're no just taking resistant worms with you. I presume you'll either be resting or poo picking in the new yard?
What have you used for redworm control? I would tend towards FEC the horses now so you know where they stand and go from there. As you have wormed for tapeworm I wouldn't elisa test at this point.

I was planning on leaving them in after moving and worming them then. Start with a clean slate so to speak.

I am hoping the new yard will be open to ideas like effective parasite control

FEC is a good idea, d'oh. I should have thought of that. I think I have a pack somewhere in the kitchen.

I've always meant to do FEC - but I'm confused by where to start.

 

[paddy555]

Thank you for your reply.

I'm a bit scared of Pramox - reports of colic after using it and my old boy isn't invincible any more.

Last time I used Pramox, he then had vaccinations and suddenly his healthy hooves went splat, he got an awful abscess that turned into osteomylitis and it took months for him recover.

Of course, it could all be coincidence and me being hysterical

He has recently been diagnosed with Cushings a month ago and started on Prascend.

Is Pramox the best option for him? Or is there an alternative?

if you have to worm I would avoid not only pramox but equest. my 27yo arab went into colic immediately after equest. a year later he was diagnosed with cusings.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

If a horse has compromised health in any major way then you are safer with a non combination wormer ie not Pramox, as it can be too disruptive to their systems and they cant cope with it.

Nor would I worm close to vaccination after my horse had that combo, and came down with a virus straight afterwards which recurred for several years afterwards and we still have to be careful with him (this was flu+equest).

However, I have been able to use Equest again, by being very careful never to do it near vaccinating (he doesnt have flu vacc anymore on vet advice) and to make sure he is on tip top form when I do it. I also only use it in rotation and once annually, using the worm counts for other worms and blood test for tapeworm.

It is a balance of trying to ensure you dont get too much wormer resistance (which ideally means for encysted redworm at some point you do want to be rotating to a moxidectin wormer like Equest/Pramox) without causing too much of an adverse reaction.

Equest has the same encysted redworm ingredient as Pramox but is less likely to have side effects as it isnt trying to also blast tapeworms in the same dose like Pramox. Adverse reaction is still possible if there has been resistant worms with the previous wormer (possible as there are known issues) and they all get flushed out at once.

Bear in mind a worm count (FEC) will not reliably show the encysted redworms which is the most dangerous type and which are covered by Equest due to the amount that can build up undetected, and so they do need to be wormed for at least annually irrespective of the worm count being clear.

Edited to add: in light of the cushings I would certainly be discussing with the vet the best strategy but hope the above is useful background.