By Dr. Julie Cornell-White

Cause damage without owner knowing

Internal parasites can:

Lower horse’s resistance to infection

Rob horse of nutrients

Permanently damage internal organs

Types of parasites and affects on horses

Signs of Parasitism

Different deworming

programs

Various deworming

products

Proper pasture management

Most Common:

Large Strongyle

(Bloodworm/redworm)

Small Strongyle

Ascarids

(roundworms)

Tapeworms

Lungworms

Pinworms

Threadworms

Dull, rough coat

Decreased stamina, lethargy or depression

Unthriftiness

or loss of condition

Slowed growth in young horses

Pot Belly

Colic

Diarrhea

Larvae penetrate lining of bowel and migrate along blood vessels that supply intestines

Unthriftiness

Weight loss

Poor growth in your horses

Anemia

Colic

They can be controlled using macrocyclic lactones and related dewormers

Larvae burrow into the lining of the intestines where they are encysted for several months

When encysted, most dewormers

do not affect the larvae

Severe damage to lining of intestines

Colic and diarrhea

Weight

Slow growth in young horses

Poor coat condition

Lethargy

Use dewormers

with Moxidectin

and Fenbendazole

Especially problematic in young horses

Becoming resistant

Colic-impaction of intestines

Coughing

Poor body condition and growth

Rough hair coat

Pot belly

Can cause colic ranging from mild cramping to a severe episode

Tiny mite acts as an intermediate host that is ingested by the horse

Infestation usually occurs where small intestine enters cecum

Worm horse 1-2 times per year with a dewormer

containing Praziquantel

or Pyrantel

Cause chronic coughing

Donkeys are natural host

Lay eggs on skin around horse’s anus

Causes horse to rub tail

Larvae of botfly enter mouth when horse lick’s eggs

Cause ulcerations in mouth

Cause damage to lining of stomach where they attach

Mostly problematic in young foals

Cause diarrhea

FECs

help determine:

Drugs to use

Which horses require less and more deworming

Length of time between dewormings

The effectiveness of your deworming

program

Negative results DOES NOT MEAN your horse is free of internal parasites

Larvae are undetectable with FEC

Use broad-spectrum dewormer

as basis of program

No dewormer

is 100% effective, but eliminating majority of parasites will:

Improve health

Minimize risk of serious disease

Improve feed efficiency

Reduce pasture contamination

Two basic types if deworming

programs:

Continuous-feeding daily wormer year-round

Strategic or rotational-deworming

only at certain times of the year, or when FECs

rise

http://www.saratogaequine.com/vaccination deworming.php

Type of horse

# of horses on farm

Ages of horses

Pasture management

Geographic location

Don’t overcrowd pasture-causes overgrazing and contamination

Dispose of manure regularly

Don’t spread manure on grazing pastures

Mow and harrow field regularly

Don’t feed on ground

Remove bot

eggs from horse’s hair coat