Parasites & Egg Counts :: Nixon Equine Vets
Horses can be infected by 3 groups of internal parasites: roundworms, tapeworms and bots. A faecal egg count will inform you of the level of infestation in each individual horse and allow worming to be tailored to their specific needs.
Using faecal egg counts to optimise your equine worm control programme
- Faecal (worm) egg counts can be performed by Nixon Equine on a droppings sample, to ensure that levels of infection have been kept to a minimum. Worm egg count results are available within 24 hours (for very little cost) and come with free advice from one of our experienced equine vets on a suitable worming programme for your horse. All we need is a "poo sample" brought to the equine veterinary clinic before noon on the day of the sample collection.
The effects of parasitism in horses
Infections with any of the 3 groups of equine internal parasites can be responsible for weight loss, diarrhoea, poor performance and general ill thrift in horses. More seriously, worms are a major cause of colic, which is the single largest cause of mortality in horses. - Increased tapeworm parasitism with worsening risk of colic can be lethal. These worms are not susceptible to routine wormers but require active ingredients such as Pyrantel or Praziquantel. The larvae are carried in grass mites and hibernated from them when digested. It is usually necessary to dose for worms at the end of summer grazing and in some situations e.g. when hay is made from grassland where horses have grazed at some time, at the end of winter feeding.
- The lifecycle peculiarity of the small redworm larvae which spend some time in, as distinct from “on” the gut wall AND those ingested in September onwards, lie dormant therein until February / March, when they leave en-masse with damaging effect. There is only one drug which will “get at” these with just one dose; moxidectin.
Expert advice on the complexities of effective worm control in horses
- "Worm control in horses is complex. We advise that horse owners work with their vet to devise the best solution for their horse." So says the Diagnosteq website run by Liverpool University Equine Veterinary Faculty to give vets access to expert interpretation of test results compiled by experts in parasitic disease and parasite control in horses. Whilst aimed primarily at vets, much of the Diagnosteq website information can be used by knowledgeable horse owners as it includes advice on pasture management and hygiene, choosing and using horse wormers.
Overuse of wormers contributes to resistence in the worm population
- Over-use of wormers can contribute to resistance in the worm population; in addition to being bad for your pocket! If the worm control advice provided in the Information & Advice section of the Nixon Equine Vets website (and on the Diagnosteq website) is adhered to, especially when armed with the knowledge contained in a faecal egg count report from Nixon Equine Vets, it is possible to reduce the number of worm treatments your horse requires each year, thereby minimising the chance of worm resistence occurring within your own horse's environment.
