As the nights begin to draw in, it is time for horse owners on the Isle of Man to think about worming their horses ahead of winter. Here at Strand Vets Equine, we recommend using faecal worm egg counts during the warmer months of the year to help determine whether your horse needs worming.
This is just one of the benefits of Strand Vets’ Healthy Horse Plan. Learn more about our Healthy Horse Plan by contacting the reception team at Strand Vets Equine.
How does worming benefit my horse?
Using faecal egg counts from spring through to autumn will help to ensure targeted deworming. Our team will interpret the results and recommend the products to use. Not only does this help stop unnecessary worming but it also helps to reduce your horse’s resistance to worming products.
However, faecal worm egg counts become unreliable once the temperature starts to drop as worm egg production decreases.
Important worms in autumn
In autumn, we are primarily concerned about 2 parasites, encysted small redworms and tapeworms.
Encysted small redworms
The larvae of these dangerous parasites burrow into the intestinal wall, forming cysts. They then migrate out of the intestinal wall in the late winter or early spring leading to inflammation, diarrhoea, colic and, in some cases, death. Encysted small redworms can be killed using a moxidectin based wormer.
Tapeworm
Tapeworms can cause severe damage to your horse’s intestinal tract including thickening, inflammation and ulceration. These worms often cluster around the ileo-caecal junction, the point where your horse’s small intestine joins their large intestine and can cause physical blockages in your horse’s bowel. Tapeworm infestation often leads to colic and can be fatal for your horse.
Tapeworms infect only a minority of horses and only horses with a positive tapeworm saliva test should receive treatment with a praziquantel based wormer.
Worming your horse in autumn
- Strand Vets Equine recommends completing a worm egg count on your horse after the first frost to check whether they need to be wormed prior to the winter months. This is because frost is known to kill bot flies, whereas the autumn moxidectin based wormer will kill the bot larvae. This will keep horses on the Isle of Man bot free until the following season.
- To help battle encysted small redworm in autumn, it’s important you do not over-worm throughout the year with moxidectin based wormers. This can increase chemical resistance in your horse, decreasing the efficacy of the worming product.
- It is essential you know your horse’s weight so you can treat them with the correct dosage of wormer as under-dosing can encourage resistance development. Contact our team for advice.
- Make sure you are accurately disposing of worming syringes. Moxidectin is toxic to pets and fish and needs to be kept out of watercourses. Our team can advise on proper wormer disposal – contact us today for advice.
If you are unsure about any aspect of your worming programme, contact Strand Vets Equine on 01624 835424.
