Worming yearling with high worm egg count

[LadyGascoyne]

My new yearling has been with us one week, and I’ve had my own vet do a check and a worm count. Checks all fine, worm count very high. Off the charts high.

She was wormed with equest in April (breeder wormed her) but this has obviously had limited success.

Vet (who is lovely) will be our guide but I want to get some thoughts from everyone about how they would handle this.

3 horses, two with counts 60-100 and then filly who is off the charts.

Filly is on field with one mare, and the other mare is on her own right but next to the young horses, and loving the peace and quiet. All three aren’t keen on being on their own right now - filly’s arrival has thrown everyone into a little bit of disarray.

Stables are not in sight of fields. Horses must be in for 48 hours after worming - we are on organic land that is cross grazed.

Do I bring in all three horses for three days? Or leave one out on its own and risk lots of stress.

Or any other ideas?

I’ll also need to be watch for colic, poor little thing. Is there anything anyone who has had experience with worming such a young horse with such a high burden?

 

[Tiddlypom]

Run it by Westgate labs. What is her actual count?

An initial 5 day course of Panacur Guard is usually recommended for newbies into the RSPCA.

Westgate gave me a tailored worming/count programme for my RSPCA foster filly who was returning repeated high counts, despite having been wormed since they took her in.

 

[windand rain]

Likely to be large strongyles as very common in baby horses so you need one with little or no resistance in your area. I would put all three in and worm the lot for tapeworm while they are in up to you but I would not use pramox too many horror stories especially in heavy burden.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I would bring them all in and hand walk/graze them.

As TP said, I would expect that you would start with Panacur. Then after the correct gap, worm with a different wormer (so bring them all in again for that I guess).

 

[Tiddlypom]

This is Westgate's post about my foster filly - they used an assumed name for her as she wasn't mine.

https://www.westgatelabs.co.uk/case-studies/coriander-the-young-horse-with-a-recurring-worm-burden/

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would worm them all don't use pramox horrible stuff be really careful with the amount it can be really dangerous giving young horses too much wormer, my friend over dosed her yearling colt and he nearly died and spent 3 weeks at the vets.

 

[milliepops]

agree run it by westgate or similar. normally with a super wormy one you have to tackle it piecemeal, i think the last one I had like that had a single dose panacur recommended, a single strongid P a week later which does a gentle clear out without overdoing things.. and then later equest after that.

interestingly my 3yo also had an equest earlier in the year before coming to me but then picked up a reoccurring redworm burden which is taking a bit of effort to clear. the yearling he shares a field with isn't showing the same burden. so far I'm finding the resistance tests are clear so the treatment is working but he is needing worming again after 8 weeks. So I'd just suggest frequent FECs with yours to see how she goes after the initial treatment.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Thanks everyone. It sounds like I’m going to have horses in for a while then. I assume a five day course will need to mean 7 days in.

It does look like ivermectin based wormers are especially mentioned as needing to keep the animals off the fields for 48 hours.

Sorry correction, 1/6 of the count was attributed to strongyles, in case it’s helpful.