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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.

The first step you should take as a farmer is determining the level of worms in the horses. This is very easy as there are a number of tests that can be done. The first one is fecal egg count. This test indicates levels of adult roundworms that produce eggs. It is normally carried after three to four months and can identify animals with higher burdens which require treatment. The test is useful in identifying the animals showing resistance to treatment.

Other tests include saliva and blood tests. The blood test includes taking a blood sample which identifies animals with a tapeworm infection. Lower positive results mean that the level of infection is low hence treatment is not necessary. Higher positive results mean that deworming should immediately be carried out. For the saliva test, a saliva swab is taken to the laboratory to be assessed. It may be economical and can fit in the worming plan being used.

It is important you give treatment only when it is needed. This is because they have grown with the parasites and therefore a smaller burden will not harm their health. Uncovering a smaller number of them to drugs can greatly encourage resistance which can be a challenge. You should follow the deworming plan to prevent such issues.

The correct dosage ought to be given at all times. A low dosage only encourages resistance whereas a high dosage is not helpful. How much the animal weighs dictates the number of drugs to be administered. Make use of a weighbridge to know the weight of the animal before giving the drug. To add on this, instead of using the liquid dewormers, give tablets which prevent under-dosing because they cannot spit tablets out.

When you are rotating the drugs each season, ensure that you change the active ingredients and not just switching brand names. This greatly helps especially when they have developed resistance. In addition, make sure you consult your veterinarian to confirm whether there is no resistance in your location to the active ingredient that you plan on using. This will enable you to buy and use the required type.

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.

Learn to regularly remove droppings from shelters and their pasture. By doing this, you are removing almost all worms which managed to survive treatment. Such worms have the ability to become resistant after a while to the type of drug you are using. By removing them, you are preventing them in reinfecting your horses since they will not be capable to complete their life cycle.




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