worming survey

  • Thread starter Thread starter lilym
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Do you feel you have a special bond with your horse?

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I think if wormers were prescription only, many horses wouldn't get wormed. It's not too bad picking them up from the feed shop (or the chemist in my case) but the vets is quite out of my way. Plus they will only prescribe drugs if they've seen the horse in the last 6 months, usually.
 
I do think that they should return to the days of having to sign the wormers book, as most people buy from the same place this allows the vendor to be more aware of people overusing one type. A responsible vendor would then challenge this.
 
I worm count twice a year normally (would do additional one if I got a high reading). I worm for encrysted & Tape in the Sping & Autumn, poo pick all year. Wormers would cost a lot more if percription only.
 
In my experience of horse owners,they have all been better aware of most shops that sell them,i myself have studied worms and wormers til it is coming out my butt,lol!!!I put my horse on a programme that uses the least amount of chemicals per yr!!I can do this as the same 3 are out together and field is cleared daily!!!Had them worm counted last yr and all fine!!!Works well!!However if the were horses coming and going worm counts would be a matter of routine!!!
 
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I do think that they should return to the days of having to sign the wormers book, as most people buy from the same place this allows the vendor to be more aware of people overusing one type. A responsible vendor would then challenge this.

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I have to fill in a book when I buy my wormers - I don't see how they would know if you were overusing one type though, unless they knew how many horses you had etc. Wormers have a reasonable length on their use by dates generally, so how would they know? Plus, are they really going to check in that much detail?
 
I think that if wormers were prescription only it would increase the number of wormy horses. Would vets have to do a worm count before they could write a perscription for the wormer? Our yard have a polic of only worming if there is a problem with the worm counts and apart from the tapeworm and encycted redworm doses I have not had to do my boy for ages - his worm count is very small. However, we do poo pick regulary, the fields are rotated and there is loads of grazing so we are not overstocked
 
I do think that if wormers were Prescription Only many horses would remain unwormed. I have always used worm counts at least quarterly and poo pick daily, hence I use very little in the way of wormers. All wormers when sold have to be listed with their batch code and the name and address of purchaser. It is perfectly easy to buy from different sources so checking what any one person buys would be impossible.
 
We are 'supposed' tp be on a worm count programme that the local vets does, but I am not so sure now! I was told that we counted clear, and yet my boy was given Equiptape in December (I wasnt even told!) and as I've been charged £17 for it he either got a double dose or Im being ripped off.

Also I read the blurb on it and they are meant to stay stabled so that the drugs dont get into the soil - our were out!

I would be happy if they were prescription only as it would mean that I would have to get them for him and not have the yard give them to him.
 
A poo worm count doesn't check for tapeworm - only a blood test can do that so I think its fairly common to work for tapeworm twice a year as the blood test is fairly expensive. However, £17 is a lot unless your horse is over 600kg as that is how much weight it does - maybe he had to be given two?
 
I prefer to do worm counts for my lad as I don't want to pump chemicals in him when he doesn't need it. He is however automatically wormed for tapeworm in November each year. Obviously if a worm count came back high then I would take action however it never has, field is poo picked almost daily.

As for wormers on prescription, a bad idea, we all pay vets a lot of money anyway. With wormers on prescription they would want to do worm counts, blood tests plus a calll out prior to prescribing. All this would put a heavy cost onto horse ownership. Oh, I buy wormers on line as I can get them much cheaper even with postage.
 
I couldn't answer whether I was satisfied with the advice...as I don't seek it, nor is it offered, where I purchase wormers.
I also don't use a weigh tape...because my horses have been weighed.
In my experience, many horse owners have a responsible attitude to worming, and try to poo pick. For the uninitiated, though, it can be hard to work out which chemical is in each Brand name (particularly with combinations) and which parasites are treated by each, especially as there is no obvious impartial source of advice.
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I worm count in March and if necessary use Equest. I then worm count September and then in October either use a wormer just for tape or a combination wormer if the September worm count shows a requirement to worm. I then worm late December/early January with Equest for encysted red worm.

I have done this now for many years and Cairo is normally clear/low and Chancer being a youngster still needs worming again in March but I understand that as he gets older he will probably only need worming twice like Cairo a year.

I far prefer this to the old method of worming every six weeks whether needed or not.

I poo pick 5 days a week in summer and weekly on the winter paddock until late December when the grass is gone and it is very muddy so they are not really grazing as such when out.
 
Wormers are already Prescription only medicines.

Their category is POM VPS which means 'prescription only medicine can be supplied by Vet, Pharmacist or SQP.

No one else can sell a wormer legally in the UK. Wormers from abroad are not legal use in this country,

I am doing my SQP upgrade exam in a couple of weeks although I personally don't sell wormers at Westgate Labs. This is so that I can continue to be up to date and qualified to give the best advice and service to my customers.

AMTRA have been fighting for the continuation of the SQP system for the last few years as there was a move towards wormers only being supplied by vet prescription.
We are lucky that the choice has so far remained in this country. In many places wormers are only available from vets.
 
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