Equine-vet.co.uk

Recommended Worming Programme 2014
We advise strategic worming so that horses are only treated with worming medication when they really need it. This helps to minimize the development of resistant worms. The plan is suitable for most adult horses in medium risk situations. It is not suitable for young foals or pregnant / lactating mares. Some horses kept in very low risk situations (such as horses kept on their own or with one other which have had negative worm egg counts previously) may not require worm egg counts as often. Please call us for specific advice if you think your horse is at very low risk. This programme is intended as a guide only and will not suit every horse, so please contact us on 01254 888600 oif you have any queries or require more specific advice. EARLY MARCH
Worm egg count &
Tapeworm blood test
To worm for roundworms only, use Noromectin
To worm for tapeworms only, use Equitape
To worm for both roundworms and tapeworms, use EquiMax (paste or tablets)
Worm egg count
If > 150 epg*, give Noromectin^ (paste)
Worm egg count
EARLY AUGUST
If > 150 epg*, give Noromectin^ (paste)
Equest Pramox
LATE OCTOBER
Give Equest Pramox gel (Not suitable if < 7 months old

KEY * Youngsters under three years old should be wormed if they have a worm egg count result > 0
(compared to > 150epg for adult horses)
epg = worm eggs per gram of faeces
^ or any other ivermectin wormer (eg. Furexel, Vectin, Eqvalan, Bimectin) Further Information on Worming
Correct Dosing
The correct dose of wormer should be given for the weight of your horse. The weight can be estimated using a weigh tape around the girth. As a rough guide, a 12.2hh Welsh pony will weigh 250 – 275kgs and a 15.2hh middleweight hunter around 500-600kgs. Syringes contain enough to treat a 575kg to 700kg horse depending on the brand and one sachet will normally treat a 300kg pony. Tablets are dosed as one tablet per 100-110kg bodyweight. Most wormers are safe, so in general it is better to slightly overdose than to underdose but be careful not to overdose foals and small ponies, especially with Equest or Equest Pramox. Worm Egg Counts
These are used to find out if your horse is infected with worms or not. Collect a small sample (Approximately 2g) of fresh faeces in a clean sealable pot, label it with your horse’s name, age, the date you last wormed and the product used and bring it to our surgery. Worm egg counts are charged at £14.26. Results are given in eggs per gram of faeces (epg). Tapeworm Blood Tests
We recommend a blood sample at least once per year to test the level of antibodies to tapeworms. Tapeworms are not detected by a normal faecal egg count and have been proven to be associated with colic. We have recommended on the programme to do this in spring but it could be done at the time of your horse’s annual booster / health check if you prefer. Foals and Pregnant Mares
Equest Pramox must not be given to foals less than 7 months old or to pregnant / lactating mares. Equest should not be given to foals less than 5 months old. Foals are more prone to worm infestation than adult horses. We usually recommend giving them Strongid-P every four weeks from one month of age until seven months old, when they can be treated according to the regime overleaf. Pregnant or lactating mares can be treated as for other adult horses but should be given EquiMax in late October rather than Equest Pramox. New Horses
We recommend any new horses with an uncertain worming history are wormed with Panacur Guard 5-day wormer and then again the sixth day with EquiMax before being introduced to the pasture. This should clear them of all types of worms including any roundworms resistant to Panacur. Having a worm egg count and tapeworm blood test carried out wil also let you know the horse’s current worm status. Aldington Equine Vets Ltd, Martholme Farm, Great Harwood, Lancashire BB6 7UJ. www.equine-vet.co.uk

Source: http://www.equine-vet.co.uk/documents/Worming%20Program%202014.pdf