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Guidelines On Giving Horse Wormers

By Cynthia Snyder


All domestic animals need to be dewormed from time to time to prevent worms from seriously affecting their health. However, there are very many worming products while they are growing resistance to a number of them. This may make it difficult for a farmer to pick the best horse wormers. This article provides you with guidelines for selecting and using the dewormers.

You should first start by establishing what level of worms are available in the horses. This can be done by a number of various tests. One of the main tests is the fecal egg count. It is capable of determining the number of adult worms that can produce eggs. It is basically done from three to four months. The test is able to identify those that have a higher burden which should be subjected to treatment. It can also be used in identifying horses which have grown resistance to treatment done.

Blood and saliva samples can be taken to test the level of worms. A blood sample identifies horses that have a tapeworm infection. A high positive result indicates that the animal requires to be dewormed. A low positive result indicates that there is a low level of infection and treatment may not be needed. For the saliva samples, a simple swab is taken and analyzed. This test is cheaper and can easily fit in a worming plan.

It is recommended that you deworm only when necessary. This is because the animals have evolved with parasites hence a small burden is not harmful to their health. Exposing a small population to dewormers regularly may encourage resistance which will become a real problem after a while. Following a deworming plan is, therefore, necessary to avoid such problems.

Ensure that you give the correct dosage. Giving an under-dose can lead to resistance while overdosing the animal is not beneficial. You should always determine the weight of the animals to conclude on the amount that should be given. Their weight can be determined by use of a weighbridge. To add on this, giving tablets is recommended that the liquid dewormers due to spitting out. This prevents under-dosing.

When switching the dewormers after a season, ensure that you switch the active ingredient and not the brand. This is the best solution in treating horses that have grown resistance. In addition, always consult a vet who can tell you if the active ingredient you are about to use is resistant in your area. This information helps you to rightfully decide.

It is important you reduce the usage of the drugs by worming less frequently. This is possible by using drugs that have longer dosing intervals and making use of fecal worm egg count which allows you to treat specific horses whose worm egg count have reached a given level. This normally two hundred eggs and above in a given gram.

It may be wise for you to remove droppings from pastures and shelter from time to time. This helps in getting rid of many worms that escaped treatment. The worms can become resistant after some time to the active element being used. Removing them prevents them from reinfecting animals.




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