how often do you deworm?

[horsecrazymom]

I was taught by a vet when I first got into horses that over de-worming was (and is now) going to cause resistant parasites so we de-wormed in the Spring and the Fall. We always had fecal tests done and never had issues at all, even when bringing new animals in (which got de-wormed as they came off the trailer!)

I have still stuck to this and I have not had any issues with parasites of any kind. I tend to de-worm the older Arabian of my brothers a little more often just because if he were to get them he would lose weight so fast.

I actually have not had a fecal run on the horses since we got them last April but might drop one off at the local vet to be read just to know.

How often do you de-worm? What is your scheduled rotation?

[Lonestarchickypoo]

I had mine on a rotation and did it by the book and my boys were infested still.. I put them on daily wormer in their feed and I havent had a problem since!

[SunshineAcres]

The beat way is to do a fecal egg count on your horse and deworm for what is present. When you have one or two horses, that works well. When you have 10 horses, not so well so we rotate according to the following chart:
Jan/Feb-Oxibendazole or Fenbendazole
March/April-Ivermectin or Moxidectin)/Praziquantel (Equimax or Quest Plus) I never use Zimecterin Gold
May/June-Generic Pyrantel Pamoate
July/Aug-Oxibendazole or Fenbendazole
Sept/Oct-Ivermectin/Praziquantel (Equimax or Quest Plus)
Nov/Dec-Generic Pyrantel Pamoate

[lilysladyluck]

I try not to poison mine any more often than necessary. I base my rotation onthe chemical used. Fenbedazole will only allow a 6 week span between it and the next deworming, while quest will allow for 80 days. Ivermectin if used for bots will allow 8 weeks max.

My schedule is pretty simple. Feb. Ivermectin, April Quest Plus, late June/July pyrantel pomoate, mid August fenbendazole, Oct. Quest, Dec. Ivermectin.

If I have one that needs additional deworming, than all get it as a precaution. I have used the Daily wormers at 10x for tapeworms given two days in a row. Or used it at twice the daily dose for ten days for strongyles as a boost to another product.

Some vets are touting a program of using dewormer once a month for three months in a row twice a year. Others are touting their "protozoa program" (killing s. nerona the EPM protozoa) of using a powerpack and following that with quest ten days later and in ten days again using quest plus. another well known vet is saying not use the powerpack at all, but to use quest 4 days in a row once a year, then follow that up with a program based on your area.

the biggest thing is to keep your pstures and barns as clean as possible, pick up manure and compost it, spread and harrow it very well, rotate grazing areas, put a species of animal in the pasture with the horses that will break the lifecycle of the worms (cattle, sheep, goats), don't let your horse graze public areas such as showgrounds or trail parks, remove or smother bot eggs asap, try to not overgraze pasture areas.

[amandaandtuff]

We have a rotation planned out with our vet
To further our prevention, we're working on a second large pasture to rotate through. We already clean out the pasture and rotate where we leave the round bale, but we don't have any grazing area.

[quarterchic]

I don't like to "over-medicaid-deworm". I deworm every 4 months...I do early spring, mid summer and fall. I try to hit the major ones, and I rotate wormers. I don't have any problems with worms. If a new horse coems they are wormed and vaccinated ASAP since I'm not sure of their previous schedule.

[lilysladyluck]

Also, just an FYI, but fecals are NOT always accurate and can scarily be so wrong...

They only catch a small portion of one apple in a bowel movement. If hte horse is not shedding eggs at that moment, or that apple didn't contain eggs, you will get a false negative.

I know we did three fecals on my one gelding, all three came back negative/clean, yet all three times I dewormed anyways and the next day took live worms into my vet. If we had gone by the fecal, the poor horse would have had all of those worms still in his system.

Any vet or horseperson who tells you a fecal is fool proof is selling you snake oil....A good vet or horseperson will tell you they are only a helpful tool and nothing more.

[tazzafrass]

LilysLadyLuck,
Where can I find out more information about the worming for the "protozoa program"? Does it work? that you know of.
I worm my horses every other month have to go in other room to find my schedule but i do rotate products everytime.

Good thread Thanks for posting.

[lilysladyluck]

I posted it once and took a lot of flack for it.

But the recommndation is that you powerpack while using a GOOD probiotic, then ten days after your last powerpack dose, you use quest while continuing the probiotic, then ten days after that you follow up with quest plus.

Yes, it is expensive to do, but it is only once a year.

[lilysladyluck]

Do a search for protozoa detox program.

[horsecrazymom]

I am kinda old school I guess.. and I will take flack for it I am sure.. I deworm as I always have and have never had any issues. My horses coats and eyes are nice and shiny and vet and farrier and everyone says they are dang healthy. I do not see any need to poison them on a routine schedule.

[tazzafrass]

Lilysladyluck,
Thank You very much for the information.
Tazz

[CrazyHorseFarms]

is this what you are talking about?
www.bodyfixer.com/Vitaklenz%20Info%20Kit.pdf

[lilysladyluck]

Never heard of that vitaklenz stuff.

No, down south and out west, there are vets that while pushing for a more holistic approach to medicine and equine health are also seeing the benefits to chemical dewormers. In fact there are two different approaches and then some slight modifications depending on the vet, but basically they are showing marked response in lessening S. Nuerona which is the protozoa responsible for EPM. Their research is now showing that we could actually PREVENT EPM from becoming the devestating syndrome that it is by simply removing the majority of the protozoa from the system. And since most horse owners don't realize that their horse is exposed to this protozoa and carry it in them all the time and that it is only when the horse is compromised that the protozoa multiple and get out of control causing EPM symptoms/diagnosis/treatment....

One is the program I stated above of the powerpack and quest/plus. The other is simply using quest four days in a row.

And of course Ivermectin resistance is a problem that continues and it can be quite detrimental to anyone to recomend a protozoa detox without knowing the exact deworming history of a horse, or without warning someone that if they have used nothing but ivermectin that they may think their horse is worm free but could actually be quite infested. Which is why it is a safer program to do the powerpack/quest/questplus.

[renegadespiritcat]

Every 8 weeks sometimes more if it is a horse I've gotten in that is in bad shape.